Eternal president: Kim Il-sung (deceased) Chairman, National Defence Commission: Kim Jong-il
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general. Prime minister : Freundel Stuart
Population
24,589,122
287,733
Life Expectancy
69.200 years
74.520 years
Capital City
Bridgetown
Largest city
Pyongyang (population: 3,222,000)
Bridgetown (population: 98,511)
Human Development Index
0
0.889
GDP per capita
$23,700 US
Literacy Rate
99%
99.7%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
7
Percentage of Women in Parliament
20.1%
13.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
12.000%
Death Penalty
NA
Legal
Political System
Communist state one-man dictatorship
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
30 November 1966 (from UK)
Religions
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)
Languages
Korean
English
Exports
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
External Debt
$668,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
6
0
Location
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
