000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
69.51 years
male:
66.42 years
female:
72.75 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Korean(s)
adjective:
Korean
Ethnic divisions:
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:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
99%
male:
99%
female:
99%
Labor force:
9.615 million
by occupation:
agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%
note:
shortage of skilled and unskilled labor (mid-1987 est.)

*Korea, North, Government

Names:
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
Abbreviation:
DPRK
Digraph:
KN
Type:
Communist state; Stalinist dictatorship
Capital:
P'yongyang
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (jikhalsi,, 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
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
National holiday:
DPRK Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)
Political parties and leaders:
major party - Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KIM Il-song, general secretary,
and his son, KIM Chong-il, secretary, Central Committee; Korean Social
Democratic Party, KIM Yong