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: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 120,538 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 99
land:
120,408 sq km
water:
130 sq km
slightly smaller than Mississippi
total: 1,671.5 km
border countries:
China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 17.5 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
2,495 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
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
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
More Climate Details
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point:
Paektu-san 2,744 m
coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
arable land: 22.4%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
1.66%
other:
75.94% (2005)
14,600 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
77.1 cu km (1999)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total: 9.02 cu km/yr (20%/25%/55%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita:
401 cu m/yr (2000)
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall
volcanism:
Changbaishan (elev. 2,744 m) (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu or P'aektu-san), on the Chinese border, is considered historically active
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated