Eternal president: Kim Il-sung (deceased) Chairman, National Defence Commission: Kim Jong-il
President: Traian Basescu
Population
24,589,122
21,848,504
Life Expectancy
69.200 years
74.220 years
Capital City
Bucharest
Largest city
Pyongyang (population: 3,222,000)
Bucharest (population: 1,877,160)
Human Development Index
0
0.825
GDP per capita
$12,600 US
Literacy Rate
99%
97.3%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
3.8
Percentage of Women in Parliament
20.1%
9.6%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Dinu Patriciu ($1.8bn US)
Unemployment Rate
5.100%
Death Penalty
NA
Abolished
Political System
Communist state one-man dictatorship
republic
Independence date
9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)
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
Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)
Languages
Korean
Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%
Exports
machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products
External Debt
$136,100,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
lei (RON) per US dollar - 2.5 (2008 est.), 2.43 (2007), 2.809 (2006), 3 (2005), 3 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
6
8
Location
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
Area
120,538 km sq
238,391 km sq
Coastline
2,495 km
225 km
Climate
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms