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NAVIGATION
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
North Korea
Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Communist domination and the southern portion becoming Western oriented. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since his father and the country's founder, president KIM Il-song, died in 1994. After decades of mismanagement, the North relies heavily on international food aid to feed its population, while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of about 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development and research into nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community. In December 2002, North Korea repudiated a 1994 agreement that shut down its nuclear reactors and expelled UN monitors, further raising fears it would produce nuclear weapons. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea |
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 00 N, 127 00 E |
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total: 120,540 sq km
water: 130 sq km land: 120,410 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Mississippi |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km |
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Coastline:
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2,495 km |
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Maritime claims:
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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 |
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Climate:
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temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer |
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Terrain:
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mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m |
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Natural resources:
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coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 14.12%
permanent crops: 2.49% other: 83.39% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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14,600 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall |
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Environment - current issues:
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water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water-borne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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22,224,195 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 25.4% (male 2,888,478; female 2,747,133)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 7,380,183; female 7,612,275) 65 years and over: 7.2% (male 527,256; female 1,068,870) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.1% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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17.95 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.96 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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22.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 71.3 years
female: 74.44 years (2002 est.) male: 68.31 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.22 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean |
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Ethnic groups:
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racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese |
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Religions:
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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 |
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Languages:
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Korean |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1990 est.) |