Compare Korea, South (2007) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

Compare Korea, South (2007) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

	Korea, South (2007)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)

Administrative divisions	9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural) provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang) metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on), Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)	-
Age structure	0-14 years: 18.3% (male 4,714,103/female 4,262,873) 15-64 years: 72.1% (male 18,004,719/female 17,346,594) 65 years and over: 9.6% (male 1,921,803/female 2,794,698) (2007 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish	-
Airports	105 (2007)	1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 68 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 19 (2007)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 37 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 34 (2007)	-
Area	total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Indiana	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
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 14 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. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate	9.93 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $219.5 billion expenditures: $215.7 billion (2006 est.)	-
Capital	name: Seoul geographic coordinates: 37 33 N, 126 59 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	-
Climate	temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	2,413 km	698 km
Constitution	17 July 1948; note - amended or rewritten nine times; current constitution approved on 29 October 1987	-
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	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Death rate	5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-
Debt - external	$187.2 billion (2006 est.)	-
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VERSHBOW embassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, APO AP 96205-5550 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Tae-sik chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205 consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle	none (overseas territory of the UK)
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 Limiting 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	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain
Economic aid - donor	ODA, $744 million (2005)	-
Economy - overview	Since the 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies. Today its GDP per capita is equal to the lesser economies of the EU. This success was achieved by a system of close government/business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, then recovered by 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 7%, despite anemic global growth. Between 2003 and 2006, growth moderated to about 4-5%. A downturn in consumer spending was offset by rapid export growth. Moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income characterize this solid economy.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.
Electricity - consumption	352.5 billion kWh (2005)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - production	366.2 billion kWh (2005)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Environment - current issues	air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing	NA
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	-
Ethnic groups	homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)	-
Exchange rates	South Korean won per US dollar - 955.3 (2006), 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004), 1,191.6 (2003), 1,251.1 (2002)	-
Executive branch	chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003) head of government: Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo (since 2 April 2007); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Woo-sik (since 10 February 2006); KWON O-kyu (since 18 July 2006); KIM Shin-il (since 20 September 2006) cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held on 19 December 2007); prime minister appointed by president with consent of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president on prime minister's recommendation election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports	644,100 bbl/day (2004)	-
Exports - commodities	semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals	-
Exports - partners	China 21.3%, US 13.3%, Japan 8.1%, Hong Kong 5.9% (2006)	-
Fiscal year	calendar year	-
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 six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3.2% industry: 39.6% services: 57.2% (2006 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	5% (2006 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	37 00 N, 127 30 E	6 00 S, 71 30 E
Geography - note	strategic location on Korea Strait	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Heliports	536 (2007)	-
Highways	-	total: NA km paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25% (2005 est.)	-
Imports	2.83 million bbl/day (2004)	-
Imports - commodities	machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics	-
Imports - partners	Japan 16.8%, China 15.7%, US 11%, Saudi Arabia 6.7%, UAE 4.2% (2006)	-
Independence	15 August 1945 (from Japan)	-
Industrial production growth rate	8% (2006 est.)	-
Industries	electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 6.05 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.2% (2006 est.)	-
International organization participation	AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, 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, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC	-
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	8,780 sq km (2003)	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with consent of National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of the court)	-
Labor force	23.98 million (2006 est.)	-
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 6.4% industry: 26.4% services: 67.2% (2006 est.)	-
Land boundaries	total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 16.58% permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.41% (2005)	arable land: NEGL permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Languages	Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school	-
Legal system	combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; 243 members elected in single-seat constituencies, 56 elected by proportional representation; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP 3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 141, GNP 127, DP 12, DLP 9, PFP 5, independents 5 note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party reflect results of 2005 and 2006 by-elections; MDP became DP in May 2005; United Liberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 77.23 years male: 73.81 years female: 80.93 years (2007 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 99.2% female: 96.6% (2002)	-
Location	Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea	Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	Asia	Political Map of the World
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	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Merchant marine	total: 738 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,636,466 GRT/17,371,943 DWT by type: bulk carrier 187, cargo 202, carrier 1, chemical tanker 119, container 81, liquefied gas 26, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum tanker 57, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 8 foreign-owned: 22 (China 2, France 8, Japan 1, Sweden 2, UK 1, US 7, Vietnam 1) registered in other countries: 386 (Belize 4, Cambodia 29, China 1, Cyprus 2, Greece 2, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Liberia 4, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 3, Netherlands 1, Panama 316, Russia 1, Singapore 7, unknown 4) (2007)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Military branches	Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong Goon), Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.7% (2006)	-
National holiday	Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)	-
Nationality	noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean	-
Natural hazards	occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest	NA
Natural resources	coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-
Pipelines	gas 1,482 km; refined products 827 km (2006)	-
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Labor Party or DLP [MOON Seong-hyun]; Democratic Party or DP [PARK Sang-chun]; Grand National Party or GNP [KANG Jae-sup]; People-First Party or PFP [SHIN Kook-hwan and SIM Dae-pyung]; Uri Party [Chung Sye-kyun]	-
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	-
Population	49,044,790 (July 2007 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	15% (2003 est.)	-
Population growth rate	0.394% (2007 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	-	Diego Garcia
Radio broadcast stations	AM 61, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2005)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios	-	NA
Railways	total: 3,472 km standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,342 km electrified) (2006)	-
Religions	Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)	-
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.106 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.038 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.688 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	-
Suffrage	19 years of age; universal	-
Telephone system	general assessment: excellent domestic and international services domestic: NA international: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	26.866 million (2006)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	40.197 million (2006)	-
Television broadcast stations	43 (plus 59 cable operators and 190 relay cable operators) (2005)	1 (1997)
Terrain	mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	1.28 children born/woman (2007 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	3.3% (2006 est.)	-
Waterways	1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)	none

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