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Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Korea, South (2003)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z Korea, South (2003)

 Paracel Islands (2003)Korea, South (2003)
 Paracel IslandsKorea, South
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*
Age structure - 0-14 years: 20.6% (male 5,256,451; female 4,703,853)


15-64 years: 71.5% (male 17,527,407; female 16,991,229)


65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,512,157; female 2,297,940) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products - rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 1 (2002) 102 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
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)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 33


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 31 (2002)
Area total: NA sq km


land: NA sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 98,480 sq km


land: 98,190 sq km


water: 290 sq km
Area - comparative NA slightly larger than Indiana
Background The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. 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. During the Korean War (1950-1953), US and other UN forces intervened 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.
Birth rate - 12.6 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget - revenues: $118.1 billion


expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6 billion (2000)
Capital - Seoul
Climate tropical temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Coastline 518 km 2,413 km
Constitution - 17 July 1948
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Paracel Islands
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
Currency - South Korean won (KRW)
Death rate - 6.03 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external - $135.2 billion (yearend 2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD


embassy: 82 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710


mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550


telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114


FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Sung-chu (HAN Sung-joo)


chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600


FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205


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


consulate(s): New York, Tamuning (Guam)
Disputes - international occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) are disputed with Japan
Economic aid - donor - ODA $200 million
Economy - overview China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. 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 18 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 to a negative 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 had stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 6.2%, despite anemic global growth, followed by moderate 2.8% growth in 2003. In 2003 the six-day work week was reduced to five days.
Electricity - consumption - 270.3 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production - 290.7 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 62.4%


hydro: 0.8%


nuclear: 36.6%


other: 0.2% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m


highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Environment - current issues NA 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, 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
Ethnic groups - homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Exchange rates - South Korean won per US dollar - 1,251.09 (2002), 1,290.99 (2001), 1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998)
Executive branch - chief of state: President NO Mu-hyun (ROH Moo-hyun) (since 25 February 2003)


head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (KOH Kun) (since 27 February 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Chin-p'yo (KIM Jin-pyo) (since 27 February 2003) and YUN Tok-hong (since 6 March 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 - NO Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of vote - NO Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-ch'ang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Exports - 804,700 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities - electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish
Exports - partners - US 20.4%, China 14.7%, Japan 9.4%, Hong Kong 6.3% (2002)
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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $941.5 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 4.4%


industry: 41.6%


services: 54% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $19,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 6.3% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 30 N, 112 00 E 37 00 N, 127 30 E
Geography - note composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group strategic location on Korea Strait
Heliports - 204 (2002)
Highways - total: 86,990 km


paved: 64,808 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)


unpaved: 22,182 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 2.6%


highest 10%: 24.8% (1998 est.)
Imports - 2.965 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities - machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
Imports - partners - Japan 19.6%, US 15.2%, China 11.4%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2002)
Independence - 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
Industrial production growth rate - 6.5% (2002 est.)
Industries - electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Infant mortality rate - total: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.77 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.8% (2002 est.)
International organization participation - AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, 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, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 11 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 11,590 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly)
Labor force - 22 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation - services 69%, industry 21.5%, agriculture 9.5% (2001)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 238 km


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


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 17.44%


permanent crops: 2.05%


other: 80.51% (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
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 April 2003 was: GNP 153, MDP 101, ULD 11, DPP 1, PPR 1, independents 5; one seat vacant
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 75.36 years


male: 71.73 years


female: 79.32 years (2003 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98.1%


male: 99.3%


female: 97% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Map references Southeast Asia Asia
Maritime claims NA 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
Merchant marine - total: 541 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,490,521 GRT/10,602,751 DWT


ships by type: bulk 114, cargo 174, chemical tanker 63, combination bulk 9, container 52, liquefied gas 17, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 69, refrigerated cargo 21, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 5


note: 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, UK 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note occupied by China -
Military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $13,094.3 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.8% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 14,252,851 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 8,994,941 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 345,331 (2003 est.)
National holiday - Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Nationality - noun: Korean(s)


adjective: Korean
Natural hazards typhoons occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Natural resources none coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines - gas 1,433 km; refined products 827 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders - Democratic People's Party or DPP [leader NA]; Grand National Party or GNP [CH'OE Pyong-ryol, chairman]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [CHO Sun-hyong, chairman]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, president]; Uri Party [KIM Kun-t'ae, chairman]
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 no indigenous inhabitants


note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)
48,289,037 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line - 4% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate - 0.66% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu
Radio broadcast stations - AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001)
Railways - total: 3,125 km


standard gauge: 3,125 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2002)
Religions - Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female


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


65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female


total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage - 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)
Telephones - main lines in use - 24 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 28 million (September 2000)
Television broadcast stations - 121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999)
Terrain mostly low and flat mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Total fertility rate - 1.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate - 3.1% (2002 est.)
Waterways none 1,609 km


note: restricted to small native craft
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