nal: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative
Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios: 15,000 (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

Televisions: 0 (1988)

Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 670 km (1996 est.)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km

Waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands

Ports and harbors: Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton

Merchant marine:
total: 1 passenger-cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,291
GRT/1,295 DWT (1998 est.)

Airports: 21 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)

Military

Military branches: no regular military forces; Police Force
(carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties;
small police posts are on all islands)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%

Military--note: Kiribati does not have military forces; defense
assistance is provided by Australia and NZ

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

======================================================================

@Korea, North
------------

Introduction

Background: At the end of World War II, the US and the Soviet
Union agreed that US troops would accept the surrender of Japanese
forces south of the 38th parallel and the Soviet Union would do so
in the north. In 1948, the UN proposed nationwide elections; after
P'yongyang's refusal to allow UN inspectors in the north, elections
were held in the south and the Republic of Korea was established.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established the
following month in the north. Communist North Korean forces invaded
South Korea in 1950. US and other UN forces intervened to defend the
South and Chinese forces intervened on behalf of the North. After a
bitter three-year war, an armistice was signed in 1953, establishing
a military demarcation line near the 38th parallel. The North's
heavy investment in military forces has produced an army of 1
million troops equipped with thousands of tanks and artillery
pieces. Despite