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
land:
120,410 sq km
water:
130 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:
2%
permanent pastures:
0%
forests and woodland:
61%
other:
23% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
14,600 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons
during the early fall
Environment?current issues:
localized air pollution attributable to inadequate industrial controls;
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
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, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated
Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of
Japan and the Yellow Sea
Geographic coordinates:
37 00 N, 127 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total:
98,480 sq km
land:
98,190 sq km
water:
290 sq km
Area?comparative:
slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total:
238 km
border countries:
North Korea 238 km
Coastline:
2,413 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
not specified
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point:
Halla-san 1,950 m
Natural resources:
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
19%
permanent crops:
2%
permanent pastures:
1%
forests and woodland:
65%
other:
13% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
13,350 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity
common in southwest
Environment?current issues:
air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage
and industrial effluents; driftnet fishing
Environment?international agreements:
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
Source: CIA World Fact Book