Location Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea

Geographic coordinates 40 00 N, 127 00 E

Map references Asia

Area
total: 120,540 sq km
water: 130 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than Mississippi

Land boundaries
total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km

Coastline 2,495 km

Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
note: military boundary line 50 NM in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned

Climate temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer

Terrain mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m

Natural resources coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower

Land use
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 3%
other: 83% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 14,600 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall

Environment - current issues water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water-borne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation

Environment - international agreements
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

NOTE: The information regarding Korea, North on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Korea, North Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Korea, North Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.