Compare Korea, South (2002) - Laos (2006)

Compare Korea, South (2002) z Laos (2006)

	Korea, South (2002)	Laos (2006)

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*	16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone** (khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane), Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun*, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
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: 41.4% (male 1,324,207/female 1,313,454) 15-64 years: 55.4% (male 1,744,206/female 1,786,139) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 89,451/female 111,024) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports	102 (2001)	44 (2006)
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: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 31 (2002)	total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2006)
Area	total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Indiana	slightly larger than Utah
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.	Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three hundred years Lan Xang included large parts of present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997.
Birth rate	14.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	35.49 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $118.1 billion expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6 billion (2000)	revenues: $319.3 million expenditures: $434.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital	Seoul	name: Vientiane geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline	2,413 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	25 February 1948	promulgated 14 August 1991
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: Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos PDR or Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none
Currency	South Korean won (KRW)	-
Death rate	6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	11.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$128.2 billion (2001)	$2.49 billion (2001)
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 Patricia M. HASLACH embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, Box V, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] 21-26 7000 FAX: [856] 21-26 7074
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 PHANTHONG Phommahaxay chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
Disputes - international	Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks/Take-shima/Tok-do disputed with Japan	Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over several areas along Mekong River and Thai squatters; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Economic aid - donor	ODA $200 million (2000)	-
Economic aid - recipient	-	$243 million (2001 est.)
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.	The government of Laos, one of the few remaining official Communist states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% in 1988-2004 except during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis beginning in 1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains a country with a primitive infrastructure. It has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications, though the government is sponsoring major improvements in the road system with possible support from Japan. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid by the IMF and other international sources and from new foreign investment in food processing and mining. Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on exports. This new status may help spur growth. In addition, the European Union has agreed to provide $1 million to the Lao Government for technical assistance in preparations for WTO membership. If the avian flu worsens and spreads in the region, however, prospects for tourism could dim.
Electricity - consumption	254.08 billion kWh (2000)	3.298 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	435 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2000)	230 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	273.2 billion kWh (2000)	3.767 billion kWh (2003)
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: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues	air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing	unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)	Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
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)	kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001)
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: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006) and Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006) head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit [since 8 June 2006], Deputy Prime Minister SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and Deputy Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisolit (since 27 March 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 97%
Exports	$159.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish	garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin
Exports - partners	US 20.7%, China 12.1%, Japan 11.0%, Hong Kong 6.3%, Taiwan 3.9% (2001)	Thailand 29.6%, Vietnam 12%, France 6.1%, Germany 4.6% (2005)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 October - 30 September
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	three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $931 billion (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 4% industry: 42% services: 54% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 45.5% industry: 28.7% services: 25.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	5.8% (2002 est.)	7.3% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	37 00 N, 127 30 E	18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location on Korea Strait	landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Heliports	204 (2002)	-
Highways	total: 87,534 km paved: 65,388 km (including 1,996 km of expressways) unpaved: 22,146 km (1999)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 25% (1998 est.)	lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)
Illicit drugs	-	estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease from 2003; estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons, a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005)
Imports	$146.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners	Japan 18.9%, US 15.9%, China 9.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, Australia 3.9% (2001)	Thailand 66.1%, China 9%, Vietnam 6.7% (2005)
Independence	15 August 1945 (from Japan)	19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	6.5% (2002 est.)	13% (2005 est.)
Industries	electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing	copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement
Infant mortality rate	7.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 83.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 92.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.8% (2002 est.)	7% (2005 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	ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	11 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	11,590 sq km (1998 est.)	1,750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly)	People's Supreme Court (the president of the People's Supreme Court is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of the People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National Assembly Standing Committee)
Labor force	22 million (2001)	2.8 million (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	services 69%, industry 22%, agriculture 10% (2001)	agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km	total: 5,083 km border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Land use	arable land: 17.44% permanent crops: 2.05% other: 80.51% (1998 est.)	arable land: 4.01% permanent crops: 0.34% other: 95.65% (2005)
Languages	Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system	combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice
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	unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 113, independents 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 74.88 years male: 71.2 years female: 78.95 years (2002 est.)	total population: 55.49 years male: 53.45 years female: 57.61 years (2006 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: 66.4% male: 77.4% female: 55.5% (2002)
Location	Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references	Asia	Southeast 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	none (landlocked)
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: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2006)
Military - note	-	Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on the Lao-Burma border (2005)
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)	Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$12.8 billion (FY00)	$11.04 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.8% (FY00)	0.4% (2005 est.)
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)	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality	noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards	occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest	floods, droughts
Natural resources	coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines	petroleum products 455 km; note - additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed	refined products 540 km (2006)
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	Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALY Sayasone]; other parties proscribed
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	noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Population	48.324 million (July 2002 est.)	6,368,481 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	4% (2001 est.)	34% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate	0.85% (2002 est.)	2.39% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors	Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001)	AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006)
Radios	47.5 million (2000)	-
Railways	total: 3,124 km standard gauge: 3,124 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2000)	-
Religions	Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
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: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	20 years of age; universal	18 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: service to general public is poor but improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas domestic: radiotelephone communications international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use	24 million (2000)	90,067 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	28 million (September 2000)	520,546 (2006)
Television broadcast stations	121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999)	7; note - including one station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi (2006)
Terrain	mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate	1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)	4.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	3.1% (2002 est.)	2.4% (2005 est.)
Waterways	1,609 km note: restricted to small native craft	4,600 km note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2005)

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