Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (43)
A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural resources and is one of the least developed Pacific Islands. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more than one-fifth of GDP. Private sector initiatives and a financial sector are in the early stages of development. Foreign financial aid from the EU, UK, US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UN agencies, and Taiwan accounts for 20-25% of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Kiribati receives around $15 million annually for the government budget from an Australian trust fund.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$619.5 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 211 $610.4 million (2009 est.)
$614.7 million (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$152 million (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 -0.7% (2009 est.)
-1.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,200 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 137 $6,200 (2009 est.)
$6,300 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.9%
industry: 24.2%
services: 66.8% (2004)
Labor force:
7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 216
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.7%
industry: 32%
services: 65.3% (2000)
Unemployment rate:
2% (1992 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.2% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish
Industries:
fishing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
14 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Electricity - consumption:
13.02 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 209
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 159
Oil - consumption:
NA bbl/day (2009 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Oil - imports:
261 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Current account balance:
-$21 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Exports:
$17 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
Exports - commodities:
copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish
Imports:
$62 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 214
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel
Debt - external:
$10 million (1999 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.1151 (2010), 1.2822 (2009), 1.2059 (2008), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006)
Communications ::Kiribati
Telephones - main lines in use:
4,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 216
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 217
Telephone system:
general assessment: generally good quality national and international service
domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati (Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999
international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Broadcast media:
1 television broadcast station that provides about 1 hour of local programming Monday-Friday; multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station broadcasting on AM, FM, and shortwave (2009)
Internet country code:
.ki
Internet hosts:
31 (2010) country comparison to the world: 214
Internet users:
7,800 (2009) country comparison to the world: 203
Transportation ::Kiribati
Airports:
19 (2010) country comparison to the world: 137
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 670 km (2000) country comparison to the world: 189
Waterways:
5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2007) country comparison to the world: 109
Merchant marine:
total: 71 country comparison to the world: 61 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 32, chemical tanker 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 15
foreign-owned: 51 (China 28, Hong Kong 1, Italy 1, Singapore 11, South Korea 2, Taiwan 5, Turkey 3) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Betio (Tarawa Atoll), Canton Island, English Harbor
Military ::Kiribati
Military branches:
no regular military forces (constitutionally prohibited); Police Force (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 24,734 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,941
females age 16-49: 19,758 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,107
female: 1,083 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Military - note:
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ
Transnational Issues ::Kiribati
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Korea, North (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Korea, North
Background:
An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist control. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il Sung, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against outside influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population. North Korea's history of regional military provocations, proliferation of military-related items, long-range missile development, WMD programs including tests of nuclear devices in 2006 and 2009, and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community.
Geography ::Korea, North
Location:
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 127 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 120,538 sq km country comparison to the world: 98 land: 120,408 sq km
water: 130 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries:
total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
Coastline:
2,495 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
note: military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned
Climate:
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
Natural resources:
coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 22.4%
permanent crops: 1.66%
other: 75.94% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,600 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
77.1 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 9.02 cu km/yr (20%/25%/55%)
per capita: 401 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall
volcanism: Changbaishan (elev. 2,744 m, 9,003 ft) (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu or P'aektu-san), on the Chinese border, is considered historically active
Environment - current issues:
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
People ::Korea, North
Population:
22,757,275 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 50
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.3% (male 2,440,439/female 2,376,557)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 7,776,889/female 7,945,399)
65 years and over: 9.4% (male 820,504/female 1,305,557) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.9 years
male: 32.5 years
female: 35.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.389% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 165
Birth rate:
14.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Death rate:
10.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 49
Net migration rate:
-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Urbanization:
urban population: 63% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 50.15 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 51 male: 57.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.13 years country comparison to the world: 170 male: 61.53 years
female: 66.89 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.94 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:
racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese
Religions:
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Languages:
Korean
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Korea, North
Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
conventional short form: North Korea
local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
local short form: Choson
abbreviation: DPRK
Government type:
Communist state one-man dictatorship
Capital:
name: Pyongyang
geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities (si, singular and plural)
provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan), Yanggang-do (Yanggang)
municipalities: Nason-si, P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)
Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:
Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948)
Constitution:
adopted 1948; revised several times most recently in 2009
Legal system:
based on Prussian civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 9 April 2009, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA reelected KIM Yong Nam in 2009 president of its Presidium also with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials
head of government: Premier CHOE Yong Rim (since 7 June 2010); Vice Premier HAN Kwang Bok (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier JO Pyong Ju (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier JON Ha Chol (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier KANG Nung Su (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier KIM Rak Hui (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier PAK Su Gil (since 18 September 2009), Vice Premier RI Thae Nam (since 7 June 2010); Vice Premier RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)
cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: last election held in September 2003; date of next election NA
election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees for positions and ran unopposed
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 8 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; a token number of seats are reserved for minor parties
Judicial branch:
Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star; the broad red band symbolizes revolutionary traditions; the narrow white bands stands for purity, strength, and dignity; the blue bands signify sovereignty, peace, and friendship; the red star represents socialism
National anthem:
name: "Aegukka" (Patriotic Song)
lyrics/music: PAK Se Yong/KIM Won Gyun
note: adopted 1947; both North Korea and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics; the North Korean anthem is also known as "Ach'imun pinnara" (Let Morning Shine)
Economy ::Korea, North
Economy - overview:
North Korea, one of the world's most centrally directed and least open economies, faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel from pre-1990 levels. Severe flooding in the summer of 2007 aggravated chronic food shortages caused by on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. Large-scale international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Since 2002, the government has allowed private "farmers' markets" 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 government tried to reverse some of these policies by forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized food rationing system. By December 2005, the government terminated most international humanitarian assistance operations in North Korea (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and restricted the activities of remaining international and non-governmental aid organizations. In mid-2008, North Korea began receiving food aid under a US program to deliver 500,000 metric tons of food via the World Food Program and US nongovernmental organizations; but Pyongyang stopped accepting the aid in March 2009. In December 2009, North Korea carried out a redenomination of its currency, capping the amount of North Korean won that could be exchanged for the new notes, and limiting the exchange to a one-week window. A concurrent crackdown on markets and foreign currency use yielded severe shortages and inflation, forcing Pyongyang to ease the restrictions by February 2010. Nevertheless, firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which likely will inhibit changes to North Korea's current economic system.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$40 billion (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 $40 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars;
North Korea does not publish reliable National Income Accounts data; the data shown here are 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 2009 using estimated real growth rates for North Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator; the results were rounded to the nearest $10 billion.
GDP (official exchange rate):
$28 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.9% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 199 3.7% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 195 $1,900 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 20.9%
industry: 46.9%
services: 32.1% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
12.2 million country comparison to the world: 41 note: estimates vary widely (2009 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 35%
industry and services: 65% (2008 est.)
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%
Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs
Industries:
military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
22.5 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Electricity - consumption:
18.8 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
118 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Oil - consumption:
16,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Oil - imports:
13,890 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 170
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Exports:
$1.997 billion (2009) country comparison to the world: 131 $2.062 billion (2008)
Exports - commodities:
minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments), textiles, agricultural and fishery products
Exports - partners:
China 42%, South Korea 38%, India 5% (2008)
Imports:
$3.096 billion (2009) country comparison to the world: 138 $3.574 billion (2008)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain
Imports - partners:
China 57%, South Korea 25%, Russia 3%, Singapore 3% (2008)
Debt - external:
$12.5 billion (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Exchange rates:
North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar (market rate) 1,800 (December 2010), 3,630 (December 2008), 140 (2007), 141 (2006)
Communications ::Korea, North
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.18 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 70
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate system; nationwide fiber-optic network; mobile-cellular service expanding beyond Pyongyang
domestic: fiber-optic links installed down to the county level; telephone directories unavailable; mobile-cellular service, initiated in 2002, suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom, an Egyptian company, launched mobile service on December 15, 2008 for the Pyongyang area with plans to expand nationwide
international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing (2009)
Broadcast media:
no independent media; radios and televisions are pre-tuned to government stations; 4 government-owned television stations; the Korean Workers' Party owns and operates the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, and the state-run Voice of Korea operates an external broadcast service; the government prohibits listening to and jams foreign broadcasts (2008)
Internet country code:
.kp
Internet hosts:
3 (2010) country comparison to the world: 227
Transportation ::Korea, North
Airports:
79 (2010) country comparison to the world: 70
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 42
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 8 (2010)
Heliports:
22 (2010)
Pipelines:
oil 154 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 5,242 km country comparison to the world: 35 standard gauge: 5,242 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2009)
Roadways:
total: 25,554 km country comparison to the world: 104 paved: 724 km
unpaved: 24,830 km (2006)
Waterways:
2,250 km; (most navigable only by small craft) (2010) country comparison to the world: 39
Merchant marine:
total: 158 country comparison to the world: 42 by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 129, carrier 1, container 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 19 (Belgium 1, China 1, Nigeria 1, Romania 1, Singapore 2, South Korea 1, Syria 6, UAE 6)
registered in other countries: 5 (Mongolia 1, Sierra Leone 1, unknown 3) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Namp'o, Senbong, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Wonsan
Military ::Korea, North
Military branches:
North Korean People's Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,132,987
females age 16-49: 6,119,405 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,127,999
females age 16-49: 4,522,707 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 184,631
female: 178,565 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Transnational Issues ::Korea, North
Disputes - international:
risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans cross into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limiting Line as a maritime boundary; North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: undetermined (flooding in mid-2007 and famine during mid-1990s) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the most common form of trafficking involves North Korean women and girls who cross the border into China voluntarily; additionally, North Korean women and girls are lured out of North Korea to escape poor social and economic conditions by the promise of food, jobs, and freedom, only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements once in China
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; the government does not acknowledge the existence of human rights abuses in the country or recognize trafficking, either within the country or transnationally; North Korea has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
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
page last updated on January 18, 2011
======================================================================
@Korea, South (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Korea, South
Background:
An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several millennia. Between its initial unification in the 7th century - from three predecessor Korean states - until the 20th century, Korea existed as a single independent country. In 1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. 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 17 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. President LEE Myung-bak has pursued a policy of global engagement since taking office in February 2008, highlighted by Seoul's hosting of the G-20 summit in November 2010. Serious tensions with North Korea have punctuated inter-Korean relations in recent years, including the North's sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March 2010 and its artillery attack on South Korean soldiers and citizens in November 2010.
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: 99,720 sq km country comparison to the world: 108 land: 96,920 sq km
water: 2,800 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)
Total renewable water resources:
69.7 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 18.59 cu km/yr (36%/16%/48%)
per capita: 389 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
volcanism: Halla (elev. 1,950 m, 6,398 ft) is considered historically active although it has not erupted in many centuries
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:
48,636,068 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.8% (male 4,278,581/female 3,887,516)
15-64 years: 72.3% (male 17,897,053/female 17,196,840)
65 years and over: 10.8% (male 2,104,589/female 3,144,393) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.9 years
male: 36.5 years
female: 39.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.258% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 176
Birth rate:
8.72 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 215
Death rate:
6.15 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Urbanization:
urban population: 81% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.24 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 199 male: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.81 years country comparison to the world: 42 male: 75.56 years
female: 82.28 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.22 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 219
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
13,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 87
Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions:
Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)
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)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 18 years
female: 16 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
4.2% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 100
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 33 N, 126 59 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, Kwangju-gwangyoksi, Pusan-gwangyoksi, Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi, Taejon-gwangyoksi, Ulsan-gwangyoksi
Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Constitution:
17 July 1948; note - amended or rewritten many times; current constitution approved on 29 October 1987
Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
19 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President LEE Myung-bak (since 25 February 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister KIM Hwang-sik (since 1 October 2010)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held on 19 December 2007 (next to be held in December 2012); prime minister appointed by president with consent of National Assembly
election results: LEE Myung-bak elected president on 19 December 2007; percent of vote - LEE Myung-bak (GNP) 48.7%; CHUNG Dong-young (UNDP) 26.1%); LEE Hoi-chang (independent) 15.1; others 10.1%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; 245 members elected in single-seat constituencies, 54 elected by proportional representation; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 9 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GNP 172, UDP 83, LFP 20, PPA 8, DLP 5, RKP 1, independents 9
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president with consent of National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by the president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of the court)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DP [CHUNG Sye-kyun] (formerly the United Democratic Party or UDP); Democratic Labor Party or DLP [KANG Ki-kap]; Grand National Party or GNP [AHN Sang-soo]; Liberty Forward Party or LFP [LEE Hoi-chang]; New Progressive Party or NPP [ROH Hoe-chan]; Pro-Park Alliance or PPA [SUH Choung-won]; Renewal Korea Party or RKP [SONG Yong-o]
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:
ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Duck-soo
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 Kathleen STEPHENS
embassy: 32 Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, 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; the Korean national flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony
National anthem:
name: "Aegukga" (Patriotic Song)
lyrics/music: YUN Ch'i-Ho or AN Ch'ang-Ho/AHN Eaktay
note: adopted 1948, well known by 1910; both North Korea and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics
Economy ::Korea, South
Economy - overview:
Since the 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized 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, and currently is among the world's 20 largest economies. Initially, a system of close government and business ties, including directed credit and import restrictions, made this success possible. 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 1997-98 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model including high debt/equity ratios and massive short-term foreign borrowing. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, and then recovered by 9% in 1999-2000. Korea adopted numerous economic reforms following the crisis, including greater openness to foreign investment and imports. Growth moderated to about 4-5% annually between 2003 and 2007. With the global economic downturn in late 2008, South Korean GDP growth slowed to 0.2% in 2009. In the third quarter of 2009, the economy began to recover, in large part due to export growth, low interest rates, and an expansionary fiscal policy, and growth exceeded 6% in 2010. The South Korean economy's long term challenges include a rapidly aging population, inflexible labor market, and overdependence on manufacturing exports to drive economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.467 trillion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 $1.383 trillion (2009 est.)
$1.38 trillion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$986.3 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 0.2% (2009 est.)
2.3% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,200 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 $28,500 (2009 est.)
$28,500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 39.4%
services: 57.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
24.62 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7.3%
industry: 24.3%
services: 68.4% (2010 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 3.7% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
15% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 24.2% (2007)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31.4 (2009) country comparison to the world: 104 35.8 (2000)
Investment (gross fixed):
28.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
Public debt:
23.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 23.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 2.8% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
1.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 133 1.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.65% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 7.17% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$101.9 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 30 $82.54 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.346 trillion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 13 $1.132 trillion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.057 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 $935.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$836.5 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 17 $494.6 billion (31 December 2008)
$1.124 trillion (31 December 2007)
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:
12.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Electricity - production:
417 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Electricity - consumption:
402 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2009)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009)
Oil - production:
48,180 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 65
Oil - consumption:
2.185 million bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Oil - exports:
907,100 bbl/day country comparison to the world: 21 note: exports consist of oil derivatives (gasoline, light oil, and diesel), not crude oil (2009)
Oil - imports:
3.074 million bbl/day (2009) country comparison to the world: 5
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
Natural gas - production:
651 million cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
Natural gas - consumption:
34.09 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Natural gas - imports:
32.69 billion cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Natural gas - proved reserves:
50 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Current account balance:
$36.35 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 12 $42.67 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$466.3 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $373.6 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals
Exports - partners:
China 21.5%, US 10.9%, Japan 6.6%, Hong Kong 4.6% (2008)
Imports:
$417.9 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $317.5 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics
Imports - partners:
China 17.7%, Japan 14%, US 8.9%, Saudi Arabia 7.8%, UAE 4.4%, Australia 4.1% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$274.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 7 $270 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$370.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 24 $370.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$112.1 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 30 $110.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$115.6 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 25 $74.6 billion (30 June 2008)
Exchange rates:
South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar - 1,153.77 (2010), 1,276.93 (2009), 1,101.7 (2008), 929.2 (2007), 954.8 (2006)
Communications ::Korea, South
Telephones - main lines in use:
19.289 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 15
Telephones - mobile cellular:
47.944 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 25
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services featuring rapid incorporation of new technologies
domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available with a combined telephone subscribership of roughly 140 per 100 persons; rapid assimilation of a full range of telecommunications technologies leading to a boom in e-commerce
international: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 66
Broadcast media:
multiple national television networks with 2 of the 3 largest networks publicly operated; the largest privately-owned network, Seoul Broadcasting Service (SBS), has ties with other commercial TV networks; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; publicly-operated radio broadcast networks and a large number of privately-owned radio broadcasting networks, each with multiple affiliates, and independent local stations (2008)
Internet country code:
.kr
Internet hosts:
291,329 (2010) country comparison to the world: 58
Internet users:
39.4 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 11
Transportation ::Korea, South
Airports:
116 (2010) country comparison to the world: 53
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 72
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 22 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 44
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 42 (2010)
Heliports:
510 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 1,423 km; refined products 827 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 3,381 km country comparison to the world: 51 standard gauge: 3,381 km 1.435-m gauge (1,843 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 103,029 km country comparison to the world: 41 paved: 80,642 km (includes 3,367 km of expressways)
unpaved: 22,387 km (2008)
Waterways:
1,608 km; (most navigable only by small craft) (2010) country comparison to the world: 50
Merchant marine:
total: 819 country comparison to the world: 14 by type: bulk carrier 201, cargo 246, carrier 5, chemical tanker 132, container 69, liquefied gas 40, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum tanker 67, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 9, vehicle carrier 9
foreign-owned: 33 (China 9, France 1, Japan 15, US 8)
registered in other countries: 438 (Cambodia 11, Ghana 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 1, Kiribati 2, Liberia 1, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 25, North Korea 1, Panama 366, Philippines 1, Russia 1, Singapore 9, Tuvalu 1, unknown 6) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Inch'on, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan, Yosu
Military ::Korea, South
Military branches:
Republic of Korea Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required; conscript service obligation - 21 months (Army, Marines), 23 months (Navy), 24 months (Air Force); 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; HIV-positive individuals are exempt from military service (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 13,274,442
females age 16-49: 12,542,699 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,929,625
females age 16-49: 10,264,608 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 370,645
female: 321,765 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 53
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 incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Kosovo (Europe)
Introduction ::Kosovo
Background:
Ethnic Serbs migrated to the territories of modern Kosovo in the 7th century but did not fully incorporate them into the Serbian realm until the early 13th century. During the medieval period, Kosovo became the center of a Serbian Empire and saw the construction of many important Serb religious sites, including many architecturally significant Serbian Orthodox monasteries. The defeat of Serbian forces at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 led to five centuries of Ottoman rule during which large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to Kosovo. By the end of the 19th century, Albanians replaced the Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over Kosovo from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War of 1912. Kosovo became an autonomous province of Serbia with status almost equivalent to that of a republic under the 1974 Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Despite legislative concessions, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s, which led to riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. At the same time, Serb nationalist leaders, such as Slobodan MILOSEVIC, exploited Kosovo Serb claims of maltreatment to secure votes from supporters, many of whom viewed Kosovo as their cultural heartland. Under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia instituted a new constitution in 1989 that revoked Kosovo's status as an autonomous province of Serbia. Kosovo Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum that declared Kosovo independent. Under MILOSEVIC, Serbia carried out repressive measures against the Albanians in the early 1990s as the unofficial Kosovo government, led by Ibrahim RUGOVA, used passive resistance in an attempt to try to gain international assistance and recognition of an independent Kosovo. Albanians dissatisfied with RUGOVA's passive strategy in the 1990s created the Kosovo Liberation Army and launched an insurgency. Starting in 1998, Serbian military, police, and paramilitary forces conducted a counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians. Approximately 800,000 Albanians were forced from their homes in Kosovo during this time. International attempts to mediate the conflict failed, and MILOSEVIC's rejection of a proposed settlement led to a three-month NATO military campaign against Serbia beginning in March 1999 that forced Serbia to agree to withdraw its military and police forces from Kosovo. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under a transitional administration, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pending a determination of Kosovo's future status. A UN-led process began in late 2005 to determine Kosovo's final status. The negotiations ran in stages between 2006 and 2007, but ended without agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared Kosovo independent. Since then, over sixty countries have recognized Kosovo, and it has joined the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Serbia continues to reject Kosovo's independence and it subsequently sought an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality under international law of Kosovo's independence declaration. In July 2010 the ICJ ruled that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate international law.
Geography ::Kosovo
Location:
Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia
Geographic coordinates:
42 35 N, 21 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 10,887 sq km country comparison to the world: 168 land: 10,887 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 702 km
border countries: Albania 112 km, Macedonia 159 km, Montenegro 79 km, Serbia 352 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December
Terrain:
flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim 297 m (located on the border with Albania)
highest point: Gjeravica/Deravica 2,656 m
Natural resources:
nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite
People ::Kosovo
Population:
1,815,048 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.7% (male 260,678/female 239,779)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 617,890/female 567,939)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 50,463/female 68,089) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 26.3 years
male: 25.8 years
female: 26.8 years (2010 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.086 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kosovar (Albanian), Kosovac (Serbian)
adjective: Kosovar (Albanian), Kosovski (Serbian)
note: Kosovan, a neutral term, is sometimes also used as a noun or adjective
Ethnic groups:
Albanians 92%, other (Serb, Bosniak, Gorani, Roma, Turk, Ashkali, Egyptian) 8% (2008)
Religions:
Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic
Languages:
Albanian (official), Serbian (official), Bosnian, Turkish, Roma
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.9%
male: 96.6%
female: 87.5% (2007 Census)
Government ::Kosovo
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kosovo
conventional short form: Kosovo
local long form: Republika e Kosoves (Republika Kosovo)
local short form: Kosova (Kosovo)
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Pristina (Prishtine, Prishtina)
geographic coordinates: 42 40 N, 21 10 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
30 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna in Albanian; opstine, singular - opstina in Serbian); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas), Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Gllogovc/Drenas (Glogovac), Istog (Istok), Kacanik, Kamenice/Dardana (Kamenica), Kline (Klina), Leposaviq (Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mitrovice (Mitrovica), Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Peje (Pec), Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec (Orahovac), Shterpce (Strpce), Shtime (Stimlje), Skenderaj (Srbica), Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), Zubin Potok, Zvecan
note - the Government of Kosovo has announced the establishment of eight additional municipalities in accordance with UN Special Envoy AHTISAARI's mandated decentralization process; the boundaries of several municipalities are pending final approval; the municipalities are: Gracanice (Gracanica), Hani i Elezit (Dzeneral Jankovic), Junik, Kllokot-Verboc (Klokot-Vrbovac), Mamushe (Mamusa), Partes, and Ranillug (Ranilug); in addition, the current Mitrovice (Mitrovica) municipality is to be split into Mitrovice (Mitrovica) North and Mitrovice (Mitrovica) South
Independence:
17 February 2008 (from Serbia)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 February (2008)
Constitution:
adopted by the Kosovo Assembly on 9 April 2008; effective 15 June 2008
Legal system:
evolving legal system based on terms of former UN Special Envoy Martti AHTISAARI's Plan for Kosovo's supervised independence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Acting President Jakup KRASNIQI (since 27 September 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Hashim THACI (since 9 January 2008)
cabinet: ministers; elected by the Kosovo Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the president elected for a five-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; election last held on 9 January 2008 (next to be held - a special election in 2011); the prime minister elected by the Kosovo Assembly
election results: Fatmir SEJDIU reelected president after three rounds; note - resigned from the office of president on 27 Septermber 2010; Hashim THACI elected prime minister by the Assembly
Legislative branch:
unicameral national Assembly (120 seats; 100 seats directly elected, 10 seats guaranteed for ethnic Serbs, 10 seats guaranteed for other ethnic minorities; members to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 17 November 2007 (next expected to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDK 34.3%, LDK 22.6%, AKR 12.3%, LDD 10.0%, AAK 9.6%, other 11.2%; seats by party - PDK 37, LDK 25, AKR 13, LDD 11, AAK 10, other 4
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; district courts; municipal courts
note: the Kosovo Constitution dictates that the Supreme Court of Kosovo is the highest judicial authority, and provides for a Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) that proposes to the president candidates for appointment or reappointment as judges and prosecutors; the KJC is also responsible for decisions on the promotion and transfer of judges and disciplinary proceedings against judges; at least 15 percent of Supreme Court and district court judges shall be from non-majority communities
Political parties and leaders:
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The 2010 CIA World FactbookChapter M: Major infectious diseases (43)
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