Part 453

Environment - international agreements: 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

Geography - note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated

@Korea, North:People

Population: 24,317,004 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (male 3,672,851; female 3,528,590) 15-64 years: 66% (male 7,996,814; female 8,068,347) 65 years and over : 4% (male 372,818; female 677,584) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.68% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 22.27 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.43 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.55 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 25 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.6 years male : 67.5 years female: 73.85 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous

Religions: Buddhism and Confucianism, some Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom

Languages: Korean

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1990 est.)

@Korea, North:Government

Country name: conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea conventional short form: North Korea local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk local short form: none note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country abbreviation : DPRK

Data code: KN

Government type: Communist state; one-man dictatorship

National capital: P'yongyang

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (si, singular and plural); Chagang-do (Chagang Province), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong Province), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae Province), Kaesong-si* (Kaesong City), Kangwon-do (Kangwon Province), Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (P'yongyang City), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province)

Independence: 9 September 1948 note: 15 August 1945, date of independence from the Japanese and celebrated in North Korea as National Liberation Day

National holiday: DPRK Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)

Constitution: adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992

Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction