Chapter XXXV: Front Matter (35)

Economy - overview:
North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned and isolated
economies, faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capital
stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of
underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Industrial and power
output have declined in parallel. Despite an increased harvest in
2005 because of more stable weather conditions, fertilizer
assistance from South Korea, and an extraordinary mobilization of
the population to help with agricultural production, the nation has
suffered its 11th year of food shortages because of on-going
systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective
farming practices, and chronic shortages of tractors and fuel.
Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of
North Korea to escape mass starvation since famine threatened in
1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged
malnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale military
spending eats up resources needed for investment and civilian
consumption. In 2004, the regime formalized an arrangement whereby
private "farmers markets" were allowed to begin selling a wider
range of goods. It also permitted some private farming on an
experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. In
October 2005, the regime reversed some of these policies by
forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized
food rationing system. In December 2005, the regime confirmed that
it intended to carry out earlier threats to terminate all
international humanitarian assistance operations in the DPRK
(calling instead for developmental assistance only) and to restrict
the activities of international and non-governmental aid
organizations such as the World Food Program. Firm political control
remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will
likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$40 billion
note: North Korea does not publish any reliable National Income
Accounts data; the datum shown here is derived from purchasing power
parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus
Maddison in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was
extrapolated to 2005 using estimated real growth rates for North
Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator;
the result was rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 34%
services: 36% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
9.6 million

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 36%
industry and services: 64%

Unemployment rate:
NA%

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs

Industries:
military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals;
mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and
precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
18.75 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 29%
hydro: 71%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
17.43 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
25,000 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
22,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports:
$1.275 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including
armaments), textiles, fishery products

Exports - partners:
China 45.6%, South Korea 20.2%, Japan 12.9% (2004)

Imports:
$2.819 billion c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain

Imports - partners:
China 32.9%, Thailand 10.7%, Japan 4.8% (2004)

Debt - external:
$12 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA; note - approximately 350,000 metric tons in food aid, worth
approximately $118 million, through the World Food Program appeal in
2004, plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmental
organizations

Currency (code):
North Korean won (KPW)

Currency code:
KPW

Exchange rates:
official: North Korean won per US dollar - 170 (December 2004), 150
(December 2002), 2.15 (December 2001); market: North Korean won per
US dollar - 300-600 (December 2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Korea, North

Telephones - main lines in use:
980,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean region); other
international connections through Moscow and Beijing

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central Broadcasting
Station), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2003)

Radios:
3.36 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean
Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targeting
South Korea) (2003)

Televisions:
1.2 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.kp

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Korea, North

Airports:
77 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 41
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Heliports:
22 (2006)

Pipelines:
oil 154 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 5,214 km
standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 232 ships (1000 GRT or over) 983,182 GRT/1,370,104 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 176, chemical tanker 1, container 4,
livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 17,
refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 60 (British Virgin Islands 1, China 1, Denmark 1,
Egypt 2, Greece 1, India 1, Lebanon 6, Lithuania 1, Marshall Islands
1, Pakistan 3, Romania 11, Russia 1, Singapore 1, Syria 14, Turkey
4, UAE 6, US 3, Yemen 2)
registered in other countries: 5 (Belize 2, Mongolia 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin,
Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan

Military Korea, North

Military branches:
North Korean People's Army: Ground Force, Navy, Air Force; civil
security forces (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 5,851,801
females age 17-49: 5,850,733 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 4,810,831
females age 17-49: 4,853,270 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 194,605
females age 17-49: 187,846 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$5,217.4 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Korea, North

Disputes - international:
China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of thousands of North
Koreans escaping famine, economic privation, and political
oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain
islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers and a section of boundary around
Paektu-san (mountain) is indefinite; Military Demarcation Line
within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from
South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime disputes with South over
the Northern Limit Line; North Korea supports South Korea in
rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 50,000-250,000 (government repression and famine) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: North Korea is a source country for men, women,
and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual
exploitation; North Korea's own system of political repression
includes forced labor in a network of prison camps where an
estimated 150,000 to 200,000 persons are incarcerated; the illegal
status of North Koreans in China and other countries increases their
vulnerability to trafficking schemes and sexual and physical abuse;
North Koreans forcibly returned from China may be subject to hard
labor in prison camps operated by the government
tier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the
Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them
diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad
while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December
2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have
linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and
methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant
ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

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@Korea, South

Introduction Korea, South

Background:
Korea was an independent kingdom for much of its millennia-long
history. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905,
Japan occupied Korea; five years later it formally annexed the
entire peninsula. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was
set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a
Communist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK).
During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought
alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK
attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was
signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone
at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid
economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times
the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Yo'ng-sam became South
Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military
rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In
June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between
the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong
Il.

Geography Korea, South

Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the
Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Geographic coordinates:
37 00 N, 127 30 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 98,480 sq km
land: 98,190 sq km
water: 290 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 238 km
border countries: North Korea 238 km

Coastline:
2,413 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: not specified

Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m

Natural resources:
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 16.58%
permanent crops: 2.01%
other: 81.41% (2005)

Irrigated land:
8,780 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic
activity common in southwest

Environment - current issues:
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the
discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location on Korea Strait

People Korea, South

Population:
48,846,823 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.9% (male 4,844,083/female 4,368,139)
15-64 years: 71.9% (male 17,886,148/female 17,250,862)
65 years and over: 9.2% (male 1,818,677/female 2,678,914) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 35.2 years
male: 34.2 years
female: 36.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.42% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
10 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.04 years
male: 73.61 years
female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,300 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups:
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions:
no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%, Confucianist 1%,
other 1%

Languages:
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.9%
male: 99.2%
female: 96.6% (2002)

Government Korea, South

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Korea
conventional short form: South Korea
local long form: Taehan-min'guk
local short form: Han'guk
abbreviation: ROK

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Seoul
geographic coordinates: 37 34 N, 127 00 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities
(gwangyoksi, singular and plural)
provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo
(South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong),
Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do,
Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang)
metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on),
Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan),
Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi
(Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)

Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

Constitution:
17 July 1948

Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

Suffrage:
19 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister HAN Myeong-sook (since 20 April
2006); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Woo-sik (since 10 February 2006);
KWON O-kyu (since 18 July 2006); KIM Shin-il (since 20 September
2006)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
minister's recommendation
elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year
term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held in
December 2007); prime minister appointed by president with consent
of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
on prime minister's recommendation
election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote -
ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats - members elected
for four-year terms; 243 in single-seat constituencies, 56 by
proportional representation)
elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008;
byelections held on 30 April 2005 and on 26 October 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP
3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 144, GNP 127, DP 11, DLP
9, ULD 3, independents 5
note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party
reflect results of April and October 2005 byelections involving six
and four seats respectively; MDP became DP in May 2005; United
Liberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006. (2006)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with consent of
National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by
president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief
Justice of the court)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Labor Party or DLP [MOON Seong-hyun]; Democratic Party
or DP [HAHN Hwa-kap]; Grand National Party or GNP [KANG Jae-sup];
People-Centered Party or PCP [SHIN Kook-hwan]; Uri Party [KIM
Geun-tae]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of
Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association;
National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of
Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National
Federation of Student Associations

International organization participation:
AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Tae-sik
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205
consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,
Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VERSHBOW
embassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550
telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114
FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845

Flag description:
white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center;
there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of
Changes) in each corner of the white field

Economy Korea, South

Economy - overview:
Since the early 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible
record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world
economy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was comparable with levels
in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea
joined the trillion dollar club of world economies. Today its GDP
per capita is equal to the lesser economies of the EU. This success
through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close
government/business ties, including directed credit, import
restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor
effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and
technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings
and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of
1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development
model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing,
and an undisciplined financial sector. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998,
then recovered 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% in 2000. Growth fell back to
3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports,
and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms
had stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002
was an impressive 7%, despite anemic global growth. Between 2003 and
2005, growth moderated to about 4%. A downturn in consumer spending
was offset by rapid export growth. In 2005, the government proposed
labor reform legislation and a corporate pension scheme to help make
the labor market more flexible, and new real estate policies to cool
property speculation. Moderate inflation, low unemployment, an
export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income characterize
this solid economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.101 trillion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$801.2 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$22,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.3%
industry: 40.3%
services: 56.3% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
23.53 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 6.4%
industry: 26.4%
services: 67.2% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:
3.7% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
15% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25% (2005 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.8 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
29.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $195 billion
expenditures: $189 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
20% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs,
chickens, milk, eggs; fish

Industries:
electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals,
shipbuilding, steel

Industrial production growth rate:
5.9% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
342.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 62.4%
hydro: 0.8%
nuclear: 36.6%
other: 0.2% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
321.1 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
2.061 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - exports:
645,200 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:
2.263 million bbl/day (2004)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
24.09 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
21.11 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
$16.56 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$288.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor
vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals

Exports - partners:
China 21.8%, US 14.6%, Japan 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.5% (2005)

Imports:
$256 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel,
transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics

Imports - partners:
Japan 18.5%, China 14.8%, US 11.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$210.4 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$153.9 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $423.3 million (2004)

Currency (code):
South Korean won (KRW)

Currency code:
KRW

Exchange rates:
South Korean won per US dollar - 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004),
1,191.6 (2003), 1,251.1 (2002), 1,291 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Korea, South

Telephones - main lines in use:
23.745 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
38.342 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: NA
international: country code - 82; 10 fiber-optic submarine cables -
1 Korea-Russia-Japan, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong, 3 Korea-Japan-China,
1 Korea-Japan-China-Europe, 1 Korea-Japan-China-US-Taiwan, 1
Korea-Japan-China, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan;
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian
Ocean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 61, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2005)

Radios:
47.5 million (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
terrestrial stations 43; cable operators 59; relay cable operators
190 (2005)

Televisions:
15.9 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.kr

Internet hosts:
5,433,591 (2005)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)

Internet users:
33.9 million (2005)

Transportation Korea, South

Airports:
107 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 69
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 20 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 38
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 35 (2006)

Heliports:
540 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 1,482 km; refined products 827 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 3,472 km
standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,361 km electrified) (2005)

Roadways:
total: 97,252 km
paved: 74,641 km (including 3,060 km of expressways)
unpaved: 22,611 km (2004)

Waterways:
1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 669 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,634,188 GRT/13,733,624 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 157, cargo 193, chemical tanker 98, container
81, liquefied gas 22, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24, petroleum
tanker 57, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 6, specialized
tanker 3, vehicle carrier 6
foreign-owned: 22 (France 12, Japan 1, UK 2, US 7)
registered in other countries: 365 (Belize 4, Cambodia 23, China 2,
Cyprus 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Liberia
3, Malaysia 1, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 291, Singapore
17, unknown 2) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Inch'on, Masan, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan

Military Korea, South

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong Goon), Marine
Corps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch
involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; some 4,000
women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx.
2.3% of all officers; women, in service since 1950, are admitted to
seven service branches, including infantry, but excluded from
artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 12,483,677
females age 20-49: 12,014,462 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 10,115,817
females age 20-49: 9,721,914 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 344,943
females age 20-49: 312,720 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$21.06 billion FY05 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.6% FY05 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Korea, South

Disputes - international:
Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone
has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime
disputes with North Korea over the Northern Limit Line; South Korea
and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by
South Korea since 1954

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

======================================================================

@Kuwait

Introduction Kuwait

Background:
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling
Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.
Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a
ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four
days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure
damaged during 1990-91.

Geography Kuwait

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi
Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
29 30 N, 45 45 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 17,820 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 462 km
border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Coastline:
499 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Terrain:
flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 306 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 0.84%
permanent crops: 0.17%
other: 98.99% (2005)

Irrigated land:
130 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy
rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms
occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and
August

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and
most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the
water; air and water pollution; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping

Geography - note:
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

People Kuwait

Population:
2,418,393
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.9% (male 331,768/female 319,895)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 1,085,721/female 613,746)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 42,460/female 24,803) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.9 years
male: 28 years
female: 22.3 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.52%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of
expatriates (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
21.94 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
2.41 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
15.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.71 male(s)/female
total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.71 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.72 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.2 years
male: 76.13 years
female: 78.31 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.12% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti

Ethnic groups:
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%

Religions:
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and
other 15%

Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.5%
male: 85.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

Government Kuwait

Country name:
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt

Government type:
constitutional hereditary emirate

Capital:
name: Kuwait
geographic coordinates: 29 20 N, 47 59 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al
'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir

Independence:
19 June 1961 (from UK)

National holiday:
National Day, 25 February (1950)

Constitution:
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Legal system:
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
adult males who are not in the military forces, and adult females
(as of 16 May 2005); all voters must have been citizens for 20 years

Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29
January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabah
head of government: Prime Minister NASIR al-Muhammad al-Ahmad
al-Sabah (since 7 February 2006) First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR
Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime
Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February
2006) and Ismail al-SHATTI (since 10 July 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
approved by the amir
elections: none; the amir is hereditary; prime minister and deputy
prime ministers appointed by the amir

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA; note - all
cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National
Assembly

Judicial branch:
High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
none; formation of political parties is illegal

Political pressure groups and leaders:
a number of political groups act as de facto parties; several
legislative blocs operate in the National Assembly: tribal groups,
merchants, Shi'a activists, Islamists, and secular liberals

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA,
NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON
embassy: Bayan 36302, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the
Bayan palace), Kuwait City
mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE
09880-9000
telephone: [965] 259-1001
FAX: [965] 538-0282

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a
black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to
1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I

Economy Kuwait

Economy - overview:
Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with self-reported
crude oil reserves of about 96 billion barrels - 10% of world
reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export
revenues, and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits
agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish,
it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water
must be distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with
foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the
country.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$47.36 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$52.76 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
8.3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$20,300 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 47.9%
services: 51.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
1.67 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Unemployment rate:
2.2% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.1% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
14.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $47.21 billion
expenditures: $20.77 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
12.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
practically no crops; fish

Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair,
desalination, food processing, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate:
13.1% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
38.19 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
35.52 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
2.418 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
305,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
1.97 million bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
96.5 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
8.3 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
8.3 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.572 trillion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$26.92 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$44.43 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports - partners:
Japan 19.6%, South Korea 15.3%, US 11.8%, Taiwan 11%, Singapore
9.5%, Netherlands 4.7% (2005)

Imports:
$12.23 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners:
US 14%, Germany 10.7%, Japan 8.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.2%, UK 5.6%,
France 4.8%, China 4.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$8.972 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$16.12 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$NA (2001)

Currency (code):
Kuwaiti dinar (KD)

Currency code:
KWD

Exchange rates:
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004), 0.298
(2003), 0.3039 (2002), 0.3067 (2001)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Kuwait

Telephones - main lines in use:
510,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.38 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
supplied with pay telephones
international: country code - 965; coaxial cable and microwave radio
relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the
Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
(1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and
2 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
1.175 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)

Televisions:
875,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.kw

Internet hosts:
2,310 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
700,000 (2005)

Transportation Kuwait

Airports:
7 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Heliports:
5 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 4,450 km
paved: 3,587 km
unpaved: 863 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 38 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,424,983 GRT/3,996,755 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5,
livestock carrier 3, petroleum tanker 21
registered in other countries: 28 (Bahrain 3, Comoros 1, Liberia 1,
Libya 1, Panama 2, Qatar 7, Saudi Arabia 5, UAE 8) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Az Zawr (Mina' Sa'ud), Mina' 'Abd
Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi

Military Kuwait

Military branches:
Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya
al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 1
month annual training to age 40; women have served in police forces
since 1999 (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 864,745
females age 18-49: 467,120 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 737,292
females age 18-49: 405,207 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 18,743
females age 18-49: 20,065 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$3.01 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
4.2% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Kuwait

Disputes - international:
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime
boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the
Persian Gulf

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Kuwait is a destination country for men and
women who migrate legally from South and Southeast Asia for domestic
or low-skilled labor, but are subjected to conditions of involuntary
servitude by employers in Kuwait including conditions of physical
and sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, confinement to the home, and
withholding of passports to restrict their freedom of movement;
Kuwait is reportedly a transit point for South and East Asian
workers recruited for low-skilled work in Iraq; some of these
workers are deceived as to the true location and nature of this
work, and others are subjected to conditions of involuntary
servitude in Iraq; in past years, Kuwait was also a destination
country for children exploited as camel jockeys, but this form of
trafficking appears to have ceased
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Kuwait is placed on the Tier 2
Watch List because its efforts are based largely on pledges of
future actions

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

======================================================================

@Kyrgyzstan

Introduction Kyrgyzstan

Background:
A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud
nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864; it
achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Nationwide
demonstrations in the spring of 2005 resulted in the ouster of
President Askar AKAYEV, who had run the country since 1990.
Subsequent presidential elections in July 2005 were won
overwhelmingly by former prime minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV. Current
concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises,
expansion of democracy and political freedoms, reduction of
corruption, improving interethnic relations, and combating terrorism.

Geography Kyrgyzstan

Location:
Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 75 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 198,500 sq km
land: 191,300 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries:
total: 3,878 km
border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870
km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in
southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Terrain:
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass
entire nation

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m
highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

Natural resources:
abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth
metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other
deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Land use:
arable land: 6.55%
permanent crops: 0.28%
other: 93.17%
note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut
forest (2005)

Irrigated land:
10,720 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
water pollution; many people get their water directly from
contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases
are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation
practices

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range;
many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes

People Kyrgyzstan

Population:
5,213,898 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.9% (male 821,976/female 789,687)
15-64 years: 62.9% (male 1,607,396/female 1,669,612)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 126,847/female 198,380) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 23.6 years
male: 22.8 years
female: 24.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.32% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
22.8 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
7.08 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 34.49 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 39.72 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 28.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.49 years
male: 64.48 years
female: 72.7 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.69 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,900 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kyrgyzstani(s)
adjective: Kyrgyzstani

Ethnic groups:
Kyrgyz 64.9%, Uzbek 13.8%, Russian 12.5%, Dungan 1.1%, Ukrainian
1%, Uygur 1%, other 5.7% (1999 census)

Religions:
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Languages:
Kyrgyz (official), Russian (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.7%
male: 99.3%
female: 98.1% (1999 est.)

Government Kyrgyzstan

Country name:
conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic
conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
local short form: Kyrgyzstan
former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Bishkek
geographic coordinates: 42 54 N, 74 36 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
7 provinces (oblastlar, singular - oblasty) and 1 city* (shaar);
Batken Oblasty, Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek), Jalal-Abad
Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty, Ysyk-Kol Oblasty
(Karakol)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)

Independence:
31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1991)

Constitution:
adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by President Askar
AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 2 February 2003
significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense of
the legislature; following the spring 2005 demonstrations, a new
Constitutional Council was appointed and the reform process is
ongoing

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Kurmanbek BAKIYEV (since 14 August 2005);
note - former President Askar AKAYEV resigned effective 11 April
2005 following widespread protests that forced him to flee the
country on 24 March 2005
head of government: Prime Minister Feliks KULOV (since 1 September
2005); First Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar USENOV (since 10 May 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister; note - the new constitution of
November 2006 calls for the legislature to appoint the prime
minister and members of the Cabinet after the elections of 2010
elections: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV elected by popular vote for a five-year
term (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 July 2005
(next scheduled for 2010); prime minister nominated by the president
for approval by Parliament; note - the new constitution of November
2006 calls for the legislature to appoint the prime minister and
members of the Cabinet after the elections of 2010
election results: Kurmanbek BAKIYEV elected president; percent of
vote - Kurmanbek BAKIYEV 88.6%, Tursunbai BAKIR-UULU 3.9%, other
candidates 7.5%; Feliks KULOV approved as prime minister 55-8

Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme Council or Jorgorku Kenesh (75 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five year terms)
elections: elections for the new unicameral body or Jorgorku Kenesh
were held 27 February 2005, but the vast majority of positions
remained undecided and were contested in a runoff election on 13
March 2005; election irregularities caused widespread protests that
resulted in the president being forced to flee the country
election results: Supreme Council - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed for 10-year terms by the
Supreme Council on the recommendation of the president);
Constitutional Court; Higher Court of Arbitration

Political parties and leaders:
Adilet (Justice) Party [Toychubek KASYMOV]; Agrarian Labor Party of
Kyrgyzstan [Uson SYDYKOV]; Agrarian Party of Kyrgyzstan [Erkin
ALIYEV]; Alga, Kyrgyzstan (Forward, Kyrgyzstan) [Bolot BEGALIYEV];
Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Emil ALIYEV]; Asaba (Banner National
Revival Party) [Azimbek BEKNAZAROV]; Ata-Meken (Fatherland) [Omurbek
TEKEBAYEV]; Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan [Klara ADZHIBEKOVA];
Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar JEKSHEYEV]; Erkin
Kyrgyzstan Progressive and Democratic Party [Bektur ASANOV];
Erkindik (Freedom) Party [Topchubek TURGUNALIYEV]; Future of
Kyrgyzstan [Balbak TULEBAYEV]; Jany Kyrgyzstan (New Kyrgyzstan)
[Dosbol NUR UULU]; Kairan El [Dooronbek SADYKOV]; Kyrgyz National
Party [Bakyt BESHIMOV]; Kyrgyzstan Kelechegi [Ruslan CHYNYBAYEV];
Manas El (Party of Spiritual Restoration) [Chingiz AITMATOV]; Moya
Strana (My Country Party of Action) [Joomart OTORBAYEV]; Party of
Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Bakytbek BEKBOYEV]; Party of
Justice and Progress [Muratbek IMANALIEV]; Party of Peasants
[Esengul ISAKOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Council of Free Trade Unions; Kyrgyz Committee on Human Rights
[Ramazan DYRYLDAYEV]; National Unity Democratic Movement; Union of
Entrepreneurs

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,
UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zamira SYDYKOVA
chancery: 2360 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 338-5141
FAX: [1] (202) 386-7550
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marie L. YOVANOVITCH
embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, Bishkek 720016
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [996] (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217
FAX: [996] (312) 551-264

Flag description:
red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays
representing the 40 Kyrgyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run
counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the
sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized
representation of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt

Economy Kyrgyzstan

Economy - overview:
Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a predominantly
agricultural economy. Cotton, tobacco, wool, and meat are the main
agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton are exported
in any quantity. Industrial exports include gold, mercury, uranium,
natural gas, and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been progressive in
carrying out market reforms, such as an improved regulatory system
and land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first CIS country to be accepted
into the World Trade Organization. Much of the government's stock in
enterprises has been sold. Drops in production had been severe after
the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995,
production began to recover and exports began to increase.
Kyrgyzstan has distinguished itself by adopting relatively liberal
economic policies. The drop in output at the Kumtor gold mine
sparked a 0.5% decline in GDP in 2002, but GDP growth bounced back
in 2003-05. The government has made steady strides in controlling
its substantial fiscal deficit and reduced the deficit to 1% of GDP
in 2005. The government and international financial institutions
have been engaged in a comprehensive medium-term poverty reduction
and economic growth strategy, and in 2005 agreed to pursue
much-needed tax reform. Progress fighting corruption, further
restructuring of domestic industry, and success in attracting
foreign investment are keys to future growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10.08 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.144 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-0.6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35.3%
industry: 20.8%
services: 43.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
2.7 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 55%
industry: 15%
services: 30% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
18% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.9%
highest 10%: 23.3% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
29 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.2% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
12.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $516.3 million
expenditures: $539.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries;
sheep, goats, cattle, wool

Industries:
small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn
logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth
metals

Industrial production growth rate:
7.1% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
13.77 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 7.6%
hydro: 92.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
8.783 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
4.13 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
108 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
1,990 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
11,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
6 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.5 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
1.5 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-134 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$759 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas,
hydropower; machinery; shoes

Exports - partners:
UAE 35.6%, Russia 18.6%, China 13.4%, Kazakhstan 12.6% (2005)

Imports:
$937.4 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
China 43.2%, Russia 19.8%, Kazakhstan 11.9%, Turkey 4.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$612.3 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.428 billion (31 December 2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$50 million from the US (2001)

Currency (code):

Currency code:
KGS

Exchange rates:
soms per US dollar - 41.012 (2005), 42.65 (2004), 43.648 (2003),
46.937 (2002), 48.378 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Kyrgyzstan

Telephones - main lines in use:
438,200 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
541,700 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: development of telecommunications
infrastructure is slow; fixed line penetration remains low and
concentrated in Bishkek
domestic: two wireless telephony service providers, but penetration
remains low
international: country code - 996; connections with other CIS
countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other
countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway
switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik
and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe
(TAE) fiber-optic line

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12 (plus 10 repeater stations), FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
520,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
NA (repeater stations throughout the country relay programs from
Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey) (1997)

Televisions:
210,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.kg

Internet hosts:
18,928 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
280,000 (2005)

Transportation Kyrgyzstan

Airports:
37 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 16 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 254 km; oil 16 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 470 km
broad gauge: 470 km 1.520-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 18,500 km
paved: 16,854 km
unpaved: 1,646 km (1999)

Waterways:
600 km (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)

Military Kyrgyzstan

Military branches:
Army, Air Force, National Guard (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,193,529
females age 18-49: 1,219,080 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 871,493
females age 18-49: 1,024,568 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 61,091
females age 18-49: 59,784 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$19.2 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Kyrgyzstan

Disputes - international:
delimitation with Kazakhstan is complete; disputes in Isfara Valley
delay completion of delimitation with Tajikistan; delimitation of
130 km of border with Uzbekistan is hampered by serious disputes
around enclaves and other areas

Illicit drugs:
limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS
markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit
point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of
Europe

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

======================================================================

@Laos

Introduction Laos

Background:
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan
Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three
hundred years Lan Xang included large parts of present-day Cambodia
and Thailand, as well as all of what is now Laos. After centuries of
gradual decline, Laos came under the control of Siam (Thailand) from
the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became
part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined
the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet
Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy
and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to
Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the
liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became
a member of ASEAN in 1997.

Geography Laos

Location:
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:
18 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Utah

Land boundaries:
total: 5,083 km
border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km,
Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season
(December to April)

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Land use:
arable land: 4.01%
permanent crops: 0.34%
other: 95.65% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,750 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
floods, droughts

Environment - current issues:
unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the
population does not have access to potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly
forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western
boundary with Thailand

People Laos

Population:
6,368,481 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.4% (male 1,324,207/female 1,313,454)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 1,744,206/female 1,786,139)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 89,451/female 111,024) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.9 years
male: 18.6 years
female: 19.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.39% (2006 est.)