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: 20.76%
permanent crops: 2.49%
other: 76.75% (2001) |
| 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: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - note: | strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
Source: CIA World Factbook
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