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Background: |
For centuries China stood as a
leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and
sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset
by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation.
After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an
autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty,
imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of
millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other
leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output
had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved
dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political
controls remain tight. |
|
Location: |
Eastern Asia, bordering the
East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North
Korea and Vietnam |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
35 00 N, 105 00 E |
|
Map references: |
Asia |
|
Area: |
total: 9,596,960 sq km
land: 9,326,410 sq km
water: 270,550 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than the US
|
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 22,117 km
border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185
km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan
858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km,
Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km,
Vietnam 1,281 km
regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34
km |
|
Coastline: |
14,500 km |
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200
nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental
margin |
|
Climate: |
extremely diverse; tropical in
south to subarctic in north |
|
Terrain: |
mostly mountains, high
plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Turpan
Pendi -154 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m |
|
Natural resources: |
coal, iron ore, petroleum,
natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum,
vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential
(world's largest) |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 15.4%
permanent crops: 1.25%
other: 83.35% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land: |
525,800 sq km (1998 est.)
|
|
Natural hazards: |
frequent typhoons (about five
per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis;
earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence |
|
Environment - current issues: |
air pollution (greenhouse
gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid
rain; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from
untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of
agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development;
desertification; trade in endangered species |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the
selected agreements |
|
Geography - note: |
world's fourth largest country
(after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is
the world's tallest peak |
|
Population: |
1,306,313,812 (July 2005 est.)
|
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 21.4% (male
148,134,928/female 131,045,415)
15-64 years: 71% (male
477,182,072/female 450,664,933)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male
47,400,282/female 51,886,182) (2005 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 32.26 years
male: 31.87 years
female: 32.67 years (2005 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
0.58% (2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
13.14 births/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
6.94 deaths/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.12
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91
male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005
est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 24.18
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 72.27
years
male: 70.65 years
female: 74.09 years (2005
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.72 children born/woman (2005
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
840,000 (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
44,000 (2003 est.) |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Chinese (singular
and plural)
adjective: Chinese |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang,
Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other
nationalities 8.1% |
|
Religions: |
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist,
Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%
note: officially atheist (2002
est.) |
|
Languages: |
Standard Chinese or Mandarin
(Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu
(Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan,
Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry) |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 90.9%
male: 95.1%
female: 86.5% (2002) |
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
People's Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short
form: Zhong Guo
abbreviation: PRC |
|
Government type: |
Communist state |
|
Capital: |
Beijing |
|
Administrative divisions: |
23 provinces (sheng, singular
and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4
municipalities (shi, singular and plural)
: provinces: Anhui,
Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan,
Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi,
Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang
: autonomous
regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang (Tibet)
: municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin
note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate
entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau
|
|
Independence: |
221 BC (unification under the
Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a
Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's Republic established) |
|
National holiday: |
Anniversary of the Founding of
the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949) |
|
Constitution: |
most recent promulgation 4
December 1982 |
|
Legal system: |
a complex amalgam of custom and
statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1
January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing
efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and
commercial law |
|
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice President ZENG Qinghong
(since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao
(since 16 March 2003); Vice Premiers HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), WU Yi
(17 March 2003), ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since
17 March 2003)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the National
People's Congress (NPC)
elections: president and vice president
elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms; elections
last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008); premier
nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress
election results: HU Jintao elected president by the Tenth
National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates
voted against him, four abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong
elected vice president by the Tenth National People's Congress with a
total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and
38 did not vote); two seats were vacant |
|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral National People's
Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by
municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next
to be held late 2007-February 2008)
election results: percent
of vote - NA%; seats - NA |
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme People's Court (judges
appointed by the National People's Congress); Local Peoples Courts
(comprise higher, intermediate and local courts); Special Peoples Courts
(primarily military, maritime, and railway transport courts) |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
Chinese Communist Party or CCP
[HU Jintao, General Secretary of the Central Committee]; eight registered
small parties controlled by CCP |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
no substantial political
opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the
Falungong spiritual movement and the China Democracy Party as subversive
groups |
|
International organization participation: |
AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB,
ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG,
OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO,
UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador YANG Jiechi
chancery: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2582
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Los Angeles |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Clark T. RANDT, Jr.
embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3,
100600 Beijing
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP
96521-0002
telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831
FAX: [86]
(10) 6532-6929
consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong
Kong, Shanghai, Shenyang |
|
Flag description: |
red with a large yellow
five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in
a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side
corner |
|
Economy - overview: |
In late 1978 the Chinese
leadership began moving the economy from a sluggish, inefficient,
Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented system.
Whereas the system operates within a political framework of strict
Communist control, the economic influence of non-state organizations and
individual citizens has been steadily increasing. The authorities switched
to a system of household and village responsibility in agriculture in
place of the old collectivization, increased the authority of local
officials and plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety of
small-scale enterprises in services and light manufacturing, and opened
the economy to increased foreign trade and investment. The result has been
a quadrupling of GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity
(PPP) basis, China in 2004 stood as the second-largest economy in the
world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still
poor. Agriculture and industry have posted major gains especially in
coastal areas near Hong Kong and opposite Taiwan and in Shanghai, where
foreign investment has helped spur output of both domestic and export
goods. The leadership, however, often has experienced - as a result of its
hybrid system - the worst results of socialism (bureaucracy and lassitude)
and of capitalism (growing income disparities and rising unemployment).
China thus has periodically backtracked, retightening central controls at
intervals. The government has struggled to (a) sustain adequate jobs
growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned
enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce
corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) keep afloat the large
state-owned enterprises, many of which had been shielded from competition
by subsidies and had been losing the ability to pay full wages and
pensions. From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between
the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying
jobs. Popular resistance, changes in central policy, and loss of authority
by rural cadres have weakened China's population control program, which is
essential to maintaining long-term growth in living standards. At the same
time, one demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China
is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Another
long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment -
notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water
table especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because
of erosion and economic development. As part of its effort to gradually
slow the rapid economic growth seen in 2004, Beijing says it will reduce
somewhat its spending on infrastructure in 2005, while continuing to focus
on poverty relief and through rural tax reform. Accession to the World
Trade Organization helps strengthen its ability to maintain strong growth
rates but at the same time puts additional pressure on the hybrid system
of strong political controls and growing market influences. China has
benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with 94 million
users at the end of 2004. Foreign investment remains a strong element in
China's remarkable economic growth. Shortages of electric power and raw
materials may affect industrial output in 2005. More power generating
capacity is scheduled to come on line in 2006. In its rivalry with India
as an economic power, China has a lead in the absorption of technology,
the rising prominence in world trade, and the alleviation of poverty;
India has one important advantage in its relative mastery of the English
language, but the number of competent Chinese English-speakers is growing
rapidly. |
|
GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$7.262 trillion (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
9.1% (official data) (2004
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$5,600 (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 13.8%
industry and construction: 52.9%
services: 33.3%
(2004 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
46% of GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
10% (2001 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.4% (1998) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
44 (2002) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
4.1% (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
760.8 million (2003) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 49%, industry 22%,
services 29% (2003 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
9.8% in urban areas;
substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas; an official
Chinese journal estimated overall unemployment (including rural areas) for
2003 at 20% (2004 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $317.9 billion
expenditures: $348.9 billion, including capital expenditures of
NA (2004 est.) |
|
Public debt: |
31.4% of GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
rice, wheat, potatoes, corn,
peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed, pork, fish |
|
Industries: |
mining and ore processing,
iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals; coal; machine building;
armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals;
fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics;
food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail
cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment,
commercial space launch vehicles and satellites |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
17.1% (2004 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
1.91 trillion kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 80.2%
hydro: 18.5%
nuclear: 1.2%
other: 0.1%
(2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
1.63 trillion kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
10.38 billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
2.3 billion kWh (2002) |
|
Oil - production: |
3.392 million bbl/day (2003
est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
4.956 million bbl/day (2002
est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
427,800 bbl/day (2002) |
|
Oil - imports: |
2.414 million bbl/day (2002)
|
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
17.74 billion bbl (2004 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
35 billion cu m (2003 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
29.18 billion cu m (2002 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2002 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2002 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
2.23 trillion cu m (2004)
|
|
Current account balance: |
$30.32 billion (2004 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$583.1 billion f.o.b. (2004
est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment,
plastics, optical and medical equipment, iron and steel |
|
Exports - partners: |
US 22.8%, Hong Kong 16.2%,
Japan 12.4%, South Korea 4.4%, Germany 4% (2004) |
|
Imports: |
$552.4 billion f.o.b. (2004
est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment, oil
and mineral fuels, plastics, optical and medical equipment, organic
chemicals, iron and steel |
|
Imports - partners: |
Japan 16.1%, Taiwan 10.9%,
South Korea 10.4%, US 7.7%, Hong Kong 7.4%, Germany 5.4% (2004) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$609.9 billion (2004 est.)
|
|
Debt - external: |
$233.3 billion (3rd quarter
2004 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
NA |
|
Currency: |
yuan (CNY)
note::
also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB) |
|
Currency code: |
CNY |
|
Exchange rates: |
yuan per US dollar - 8.2768
(2004), 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002), 8.2771 (2001), 8.2785 (2000) |
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
263 million (2003) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
269 million (2003) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
domestic and international services are increasingly available for private
use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities,
industrial centers, and many towns
domestic: interprovincial
fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been
installed; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place
international: country code - 86; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); several
international fiber-optic links to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia,
and Germany (2000) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45
(1998) |
|
Radios: |
417 million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
3,240 (of which 209 are
operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations and
nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997) |
|
Televisions: |
400 million (1997) |
|
Internet country code: |
.cn |
|
Internet hosts: |
160,421 (2003) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
94 million (2004)
|
|
Railways: |
total: 70,058 km
standard gauge: 70,058 km 1.435-m gauge (18,668 km electrified)
dual gauge: 22,640 km (multiple track not included in total)
(2001) |
|
Highways: |
total: 1,765,222 km
paved: 395,410 km (with at least 25,130 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,369,812 km (2002 est.) |
|
Waterways: |
121,557 km (2002) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 15,890 km; oil 14,478 km;
refined products 3,280 km (2004) |
|
Ports and harbors: |
Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou,
Haikou, Huangpu, Lianyungang, Nanjing, Nantong, Ningbo, Qingdao,
Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shantou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Xiamen,
Xingang, Yantai, Zhanjiang (2001) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 1,649 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) 18,724,653 GRT/27,749,784 DWT
by type:
barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 362, cargo 696, chemical tanker 38,
combination ore/oil 1, container 135, liquefied gas 30, passenger 7,
passenger/cargo 81, petroleum tanker 246, refrigerated cargo 30, roll
on/roll off 11, vehicle carrier 10
foreign-owned: 9 (Hong Kong
4, Japan 2, South Korea 2, United States 1)
registered in other
countries: 872 (2005) |
|
Airports: |
472 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 383
over
3,047 m: 53
2,438 to 3,047 m: 116
1,524 to 2,437
m: 141
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 50 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 89
over
3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m:
13
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.)
|
|
Heliports: |
15 (2004 est.) |
|
Military branches: |
People's Liberation Army (PLA):
Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force
(includes Airborne Forces), and II Artillery Corps (strategic missile
force); People's Armed Police Force (internal security troops considered
to be an adjunct to the PLA); Militia (2003) |
|
Military manpower - military age and obligation: |
18-22 years of age for
compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum
age for voluntary service; 17 years of age for women who meet requirements
for specific military jobs (2004) |
|
Military manpower - availability: |
males age 18-49:
342,956,265 (2005 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 18-49:
281,240,272 (2005 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age
annually: |
males: 13,186,433 (2005
est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$67.49 billion (2004) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
4.3% (2004) |
| Transnational Issues |
China |
|
Disputes - international: |
in 2005, China and India
initiate drafting principles to resolve all aspects of their extensive
boundary and territorial disputes together with a security and foreign
policy dialogue to consolidate discussions related to the boundary,
regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; recent talks and
confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir,
site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with
portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India
(Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India
does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in
1964; about 90,000 ethnic Tibetan exiles reside primarily in India as well
as Nepal and Bhutan; China asserts sovereignty over the Spratly Islands
together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea"
has eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding "code of
conduct" sought by some parties; in March 2005, the national oil companies
of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine
seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the
Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan have
become more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited
islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared
exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive
hydrocarbon prospecting; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are
in an uncontested dispute with North Korea and a section of boundary
around Mount Paektu is considered indefinite; China seeks to stem illegal
migration of tens of thousands of North Koreans; in 2004, China and Russia
divided up the islands in the Amur, Ussuri, and Argun Rivers, ending a
century-old border dispute; demarcation of the China-Vietnam boundary
proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and
fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation has been
delayed; environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about
China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween
River in Yunnan Province |
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons: |
refugees (country of
origin): 299,287 (Vietnam) estimated 30,000-50,000 (North Korea)
(2004) |
|
Illicit drugs: |
major transshipment point for
heroin produced in the Golden Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse
problem; source country for chemical precursors and methamphetamine
|
| |
