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Compare Korea, South (2002) - Japan (2005)

Compare Korea, South (2002) z Japan (2005)

 Korea, South (2002)Japan (2005)
 Korea, SouthJapan
Administrative divisions 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities* (gwangyoksi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-gwangyoksi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-gwangyoksi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-gwangyoksi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-gwangyoksi*, Taejon-gwangyoksi*, Ulsan-gwangyoksi* 47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Age structure 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 5,488,808; female 4,875,379)


15-64 years: 71% (male 17,404,645; female 16,894,361)


65 years and over: 7.6% (male 1,434,873; female 2,225,934) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 14.3% (male 9,328,584/female 8,866,772)


15-64 years: 66.2% (male 42,462,533/female 41,942,835)


65 years and over: 19.5% (male 10,435,284/female 14,381,236) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs, fish
Airports 102 (2001) 174 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 69


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 18


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 21 (2002)
total: 143


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 37


1,524 to 2,437 m: 39


914 to 1,523 m: 28


under 914 m: 32 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 33


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 31 (2002)
total: 31


over 3047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 26 (2004 est.)
Area total: 98,480 sq km


land: 98,190 sq km


water: 290 sq km
total: 377,835 sq km


land: 374,744 sq km


water: 3,091 sq km


note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Area - comparative slightly larger than Indiana slightly smaller than California
Background After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north. The Korean War (1950-53) had US and other UN forces intervene to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. 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 20 times the level of North Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. 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 Chong-il. In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Following the Treaty of Kanagawa with the United States in 1854, Japan opened its ports and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1933 Japan occupied Manchuria and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally. In 2005, Japan began a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Birth rate 14.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 9.47 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $118.1 billion


expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6 billion (2000)
revenues: $1.401 trillion


expenditures: $1.748 trillion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of about $71 billion (2004 est.)
Capital Seoul Tokyo
Climate temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Coastline 2,413 km 29,751 km
Constitution 25 February 1948 3 May 1947
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Korea


conventional short form: South Korea


local long form: Taehan-min'guk


local short form: none


note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country


abbreviation: ROK
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Japan
Currency South Korean won (KRW) -
Death rate 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 8.95 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $128.2 billion (2001) NA (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD


embassy: 82 Sejong-ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul 110-710


mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001


telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114


FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
chief of mission: Ambassador J. Thomas SCHIEFFER


embassy: 10-5 Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420


mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004


telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000


FAX: [81] (03) 3505-1862


consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo


consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Song-chol


chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600


FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205


consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle


consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)
chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO


chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700


FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187


consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Agana (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle


consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Disputes - international Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks/Take-shima/Tok-do disputed with Japan the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kuril Islands", occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Japan and South Korea claim Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do), occupied by South Korea since 1954; China and Taiwan dispute both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of the Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting
Economic aid - donor ODA $200 million (2000) ODA, $7.9 billion (FY03/04)
Economy - overview As one of the Four Tigers of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Three decades ago GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is roughly 20 times North Korea's and equal to the lesser economies of the European Union. 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. Growth plunged by 6.6% in 1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% 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 have stalled. Led by industry and construction, growth in 2002 was an impressive 5.8%, despited anemic global growth. Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most technologically-powerful economy in the world after the US and third-largest economy after the US and China, measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. (Using market exhange rates rather than PPP rates, Japan's economy is larger than China's.) One notable characteristic of the economy is the working together of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely-knit groups called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both features are now eroding. Industry, the most important sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels. The tiny agricultural sector is highly subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the world. Usually self sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch. For three decades overall real economic growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the after effects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. From 2000 to 2003, government efforts to revive economic growth met with little success and were further hampered by the slowing of the US, European, and Asian economies. In 2004, growth improved and the lingering fears of deflation in prices and economic activity lessened. Japan's huge government debt, which totals more than 160% of GDP, and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems. A rise in taxes could be viewed as endangering the revival of growth. Robotics constitutes a key long-term economic strength with Japan possessing 410,000 of the world's 720,000 "working robots." Internal conflict over the proper way to reform the ailing banking system continues.
Electricity - consumption 254.08 billion kWh (2000) 971 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 273.2 billion kWh (2000) 1.044 trillion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 61%


hydro: 1%


nuclear: 38%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m


highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m


highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Environment - current issues air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, 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
Ethnic groups homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese) Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian 182,232, Filipino 89,851, other 237,914)


note: up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil (2004)
Exchange rates South Korean won per US dollar - 1,317.01 (January 2002), 1,290.99 (2001), 1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997) yen per US dollar - 108.19 (2004), 115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: President ROH Muh-hyun (since 25 February 2003)


head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (since 27 February 2003); Deputy Prime Minister KIM Chin-p'yo (since 27 February 2003)


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 NA December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation


election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - ROH Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of vote - ROH Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)


head of government: Prime Minister Junichiro KOIZUMI (since 26 April 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister


elections: Diet designates prime minister; constitution requires that prime minister commands parliamentary majority; following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition in House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister; KOIZUMI's term as leader of the LDP is scheduled to end in September 2006; a new prime minister may be chosen at that time; monarch is hereditary
Exports $159.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) 93,360 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals
Exports - partners US 20.7%, China 12.1%, Japan 11.0%, Hong Kong 6.3%, Taiwan 3.9% (2001) US 22.7%, China 13.1%, South Korea 7.8%, Taiwan 7.4%, Hong Kong 6.3% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center
GDP purchasing power parity - $931 billion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4%


industry: 42%


services: 54% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 1.3%


industry: 24.7%


services: 74.1% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $29,400 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.8% (2002 est.) 2.9% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 37 00 N, 127 30 E 36 00 N, 138 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on Korea Strait strategic location in northeast Asia
Heliports 204 (2002) 15 (2004 est.)
Highways total: 87,534 km


paved: 65,388 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)


unpaved: 22,146 km (1999)
total: 1,171,647 km


paved: 903,340 km (including 6,851 km of expressways)


unpaved: 268,307 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 25% (1998 est.)
lowest 10%: 4.8%


highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)
Imports $146.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) 5.449 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials (2001)
Imports - partners Japan 18.9%, US 15.9%, China 9.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, Australia 3.9% (2001) China 20.7%, US 14%, South Korea 4.9%, Australia 4.3%, Indonesia 4.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.1%, UAE 4% (2004)
Independence 15 August 1945 (from Japan) 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor JIMMU)
Industrial production growth rate 6.5% (2002 est.) 6.6% (2004 est.)
Industries electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods
Infant mortality rate 7.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 3.26 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 3.52 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 2.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.8% (2002 est.) -0.1% (2004 est.)
International organization participation AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 11 (2000) -
Irrigated land 11,590 sq km (1998 est.) 26,790 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly) Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the cabinet)
Labor force 22 million (2001) 66.97 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 69%, industry 22%, agriculture 10% (2001) agriculture 5%, industry 25%, services 70% (2002 est.)
Land boundaries total: 238 km


border countries: North Korea 238 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 17.44%


permanent crops: 2.05%


other: 80.51% (1998 est.)
arable land: 12.19%


permanent crops: 0.96%


other: 86.85% (2001)
Languages Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school Japanese
Legal system combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227 elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms); note - beginning in 2004, all members will be directly elected; possible redistricting before 2004 may affect the number of seats in the National Assembly


elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8; note - the distribution of seats as of January 2002 is: GNP 136, MDP 118, ULD 15, DPP 2, independents 2
bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half reelected every three years; 144 members in multi-seat constituencies and 98 by proportional representation) and the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by proportional representation in 11 regional blocs)


elections: House of Councillors - last held 11 July 2004 (next to be held in July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 11 September 2005 (next election by September 2009)


election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LDP 115, DPJ 82, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5, others 7; distribution of seats as of October 2004 - LDP 114, DPJ 84, Komeito 24, JCP 9, SDP 5, others 6

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP 47.8%, DPJ 36.4%, others 15.8%; seats by party - LDP 296, DPJ 113, Komeito 31, JCP 9, SDP 7, others 24 (2005)
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.88 years


male: 71.2 years


female: 78.95 years (2002 est.)
total population: 81.15 years


male: 77.86 years


female: 84.61 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 99.3%


female: 96.7% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (2002)
Location Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Map references Asia Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: not specified


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the Korea Strait
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 501 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,679,171 GRT/9,172,403 DWT


ships by type: bulk 104, cargo 160, chemical tanker 47, combination bulk 6, container 52, liquefied gas 16, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 73, refrigerated cargo 25, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 5, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, China 1, Greece 1, Japan 1, Malaysia 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
total: 702 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,149,196 GRT/12,680,544 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 136, cargo 29, chemical tanker 23, container 13, liquefied gas 53, passenger 16, passenger/cargo 157, petroleum tanker 160, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 52, vehicle carrier 59


registered in other countries: 2,233 (2005)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard) Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $12.8 billion (FY00) $45.841 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.8% (FY00) 1% (2004)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 14,194,960 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 8,990,488 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 394,397 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Liberation Day, 15 August (1945) Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)
Nationality noun: Korean(s)


adjective: Korean
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)


adjective: Japanese
Natural hazards occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Natural resources coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential negligible mineral resources, fish
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products 455 km; note - additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed gas 2,719 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Democratic People's Party or DPP [CHO Sun, chairman]; Grand National Party or GNP [YI Hoe-chang, president]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [leader NA]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, honorary chairman, KIM Chong-ho, acting president]


note: on 20 January 2000, the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP
Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Seiji MAEHARA, leader; Yukio HATOYAMA, secretary general]; Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII, chairman; Tadayoshi ICHIDA, secretary general]; Komeito [Takenori KANZAKI, president; Tetsuzo FUYUSHIBA, secretary general]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Junichiro KOIZUMI, president; Tsutomu TAKEBE, secretary general]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho FUKUSHIMA, chairperson; Seiji MATAICHI, secretary general]
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 NA
Population 48.324 million (July 2002 est.) 127,417,244 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 4% (2001 est.) NA
Population growth rate 0.85% (2002 est.) 0.05% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu Chiba, Kawasaki, Kiire, Kisarazu, Kobe, Mizushima, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Yohohama
Radio broadcast stations AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001) AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21 (2001)
Radios 47.5 million (2000) -
Railways total: 3,124 km


standard gauge: 3,124 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2000)
total: 23,577 km (16,519 km electrified)


standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 20,265 km 1.067-m gauge (13,227 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2004)
Religions Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1% observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female


total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 20 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: excellent domestic and international services


domestic: NA


international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service


domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind


international: country code - 81; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)
Telephones - main lines in use 24 million (2000) 71.149 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 28 million (September 2000) 86,658,600 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999) 211 plus 7,341 repeaters


note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)
Terrain mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south mostly rugged and mountainous
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.39 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.1% (2002 est.) 4.7% (2004 est.)
Waterways 1,609 km


note: restricted to small native craft
1,770 km (seagoing vessels use inland seas) (2004)
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