Eternal president: Kim Il-sung (deceased) Chairman, National Defence Commission: Kim Jong-il
Head of state: Prime minister - elect : Yingluck Shinawatra
Population
24,589,122
67,091,089
Life Expectancy
69.200 years
73.830 years
Capital City
Bangkok
Largest city
Pyongyang (population: 3,222,000)
Bangkok (population: 5,104,480)
Human Development Index
0
0.786
GDP per capita
$9,500 US
Literacy Rate
99%
92.6%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
3.5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
20.1%
12.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Chaleo Yoovidhya ($3.7bn US)
Unemployment Rate
0.700%
Death Penalty
NA
Legal
Political System
Communist state one-man dictatorship
constitutional monarchy
Independence date
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
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
Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)
Languages
Korean
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
Exports
textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances
External Debt
$115,600,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
baht per US dollar - 33.37 (2008 est.), 34.52 (2007), 37.882 (2006), 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
6
4
Location
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Area
120,538 km sq
513,120 km sq
Coastline
2,495 km
3,219 km
Climate
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
