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North Korea: GEOGRAPHY
Location: North Korea is located in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, which extends southward from the northeastern corner of the Asian continent and is surrounded on three sides by water. North Korea lies between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to the south, China to the north and northwest, and Russia to the northeast.
Size: North Korea occupies about 55 percent of the total land area of the Korean Peninsula, or approximately 120,410 square kilometers of land area and 130 square kilometers of water area.
Land Boundaries: The three nations that border North Korea are to the south, South Korea (a 238-kilometer border); to the north, China (a 1,416-kilometer border); and to the northeast, Russia (a 19-kilometer border). The border with South Korea is marked by a 4-kilometer-wide Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), at the center of which is the Military Demarcation Line. The DMZ extends 238 kilometers over land and three kilometers over the sea.
Length of Coastline: The total coastline measures 2,495 kilometers. The west coast is on Korea Bay and the Yellow Sea (sometimes referred to as the West Sea). The east coast is on what Koreans call the East Sea but which is recognized by the United Nations and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names as the Sea of Japan.
Maritime Claims: P’y4ngyang claims a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles. It also has established a military boundary line of 50 nautical miles from its east coast and a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea in which all foreign ships and aircraft without permission from the North Korean government are banned. As an extension of the concept of the land-bound Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea, the Northern Limit Line serves as a maritime boundary established by the United Nations Command (UNC) in 1954 to ensure access to islands controlled by South Korea north of the thirty-eighth parallel and to maintain a separation between naval forces. The North rejected this unilateral limit and proposed instead a Maritime Military Demarcation Line south of the Northern Limit Line, which would have allowed a narrow southern access to the islands. The UNC did not agree and has continued to enforce the Northern Limit Line.
Click to Enlarge Image Topography: Approximately 80 percent of the land area is made up of mountain ranges separated by deep, narrow valleys. All mountains on the Korean Peninsula higher than 2,000 meters above sea level are in North Korea. The highest peak, on the northern border with China, is Paektu-san at 2,744 meters above sea level. There are wide coastal plains on the west coast and discontinuous coastal plains on the east coast.
Principal Rivers: North Korea’s longest river is the Amnokgang (Yalu) (790 kilometers), which flows westerly into the northern Korea Bay. It is navigable for 678 kilometers. The Tumangang (Tumen) is the second longest river (521 kilometers); it flows into the Sea of Japan (or East Sea) but is navigable for only 81 kilometers. Both the Amnokgang and Tumangang form part of the boundary between North Korea and China. The third longest river is the Taedonggang (397 kilometers and navigable for 245 kilometers), which flows through P’y4ngyang and into the southern Korea Bay.
Climate: North Korea has long, cold, dry winters and short, hot, humid summers. The temperatures range between –8E C in December and 27E C in August. Approximately 60 percent of the annual rainfall occurs between June and September; August is the wettest month with an average rainfall of 317 millimeters.
Natural Resources: North Korea’s major natural resources include coal, copper, fluorspar, gold, graphite, iron ore, lead, magnesite, pyrites, salt, tungsten, and zinc. Water is an important source of hydroelectric power generation.
Land Use: Based on 2001 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates, 20.7 percent, or 25,000 square kilometers, of the land is arable. Of this arable land, 12 percent is in permanent crops, and, according to a 1998 estimate, there were about 14,600 square kilometers of irrigated land.
Environmental Factors: Current environmental concerns include water pollution, inadequate supplies of potable water, water-borne diseases, deforestation, and soil erosion and degradation.
Time Zone: North Korea has one time zone: P’y4ngyang Standard Time (Greenwich Mean Time—GMT—plus nine hours).
16 Aug 2006 - Viet Nam News, ...storms and floods. North Korea suffered massive floods in mid-July that killed at least 549 people and left 295 missing. — VNS. North Korea defends against US nuclear blackmail 16 Aug 2006 - Magazine of the Party for Socialism and Liberation An early model of the Taepodong missile tested by North Korea, July 2006. ... This weapon is being developed specifically with Iran and North Korea in mind. ... Group: 54,700 dead, missing in N. Korea 16 Aug 2006 - Boston Globe, SEOUL, South Korea --A South Korean aid group claimed Wednesday that massive floods in North Korea last month left about 54,700 people dead or missing and some ... PART 3: Dynamics of the Korea crisis 16 Aug 2006 - Asia Times Online, To oppose with diplomatic theatrics North Korea's missile tests while the US is actively soliciting the participation of Taiwan and Japan in a theater missile ... S. Korea calls for North to rejoin nuclear talks Aug 15, 2006 - Jerusalem Post, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun urged North Korea on Tuesday to return to stalled talks on its nuclear weapons program and said Seoul was ready to provide ... North Korea permits first Russian Orthodox church Aug 13, 2006 - Monsters and Critics.com, Seoul - The first Russian Orthodox church in communist North Korea was opened in the capital Pyongyang Sunday, the official KCNA news agency reported. ... [Another Korea] (193) North Korean Leader’s Taste Aug 13, 2006 - Korea Times, ...instead. Kenji Fujimoto is a Japanese chef who worked in North Korea from 1984, and in 1988 was made Kim’s exclusive sushi chef. ... S.Korea Red Cross plans massive rice aid for North Aug 14, 2006 - Reuters SEOUL, Aug 14 (Reuters) - South Korea's Red Cross can give as much as 100,000 tonnes of rice to flood-ravaged North Korea in a one-time aid package, its ... Hope for new talks with North Korea pinned to aid from South Aug 13, 2006 - The Seoul Times, Scarcely more than a month after refusing to ship food and fertilizer to North Korea, South Korea is proffering "strictly humanitarian" aid to help rescue the ... Newsmakers | Who knew? Ruler of North Korea makes films, too! Aug 13, 2006 - Philadelphia Inquirer, According to entertainment site TMZ.com, Kim, who's long been obsessed with film, has made North Korea's biggest film hit of the year (well, according to the ... Evangelicals break with Bush on North Korea Aug 13, 2006 - The Christian Century When evangelical pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren announced that he would make a preaching mission to North Korea next year, it raised eyebrows in ... 79% back fund restrictions on North Korea Aug 14, 2006 - The Daily Yomiuri, ...support a law being considered by the Liberal Democratic Party to regulate certain financial transactions in order to contain North Korea's illegally earned ... Week of Russian cinema kicks off in North Korea. Aug 14, 2006 - ITAR-TASS, Vladimir Ryasov, deputy director general of Mosfilm Russia’s biggest film-making center, said he has brought to North Korea such popular Soviet and Russian ... Israel, North Korea, Iran Seeking Invulnerability Aug 14, 2006 - Morocco Times, ...flailing pseudo-diplomatic attempts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons -- or, indeed, its equally ham-fisted attempts to force North Korea to give ... North Korea asks South for flood help Aug 9, 2006 - Seattle Post Intelligencer SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea has requested help from South Korea to cope with devastating floods, a South Korean citizens' group said Wednesday, a move ... Seoul to Provide Flood Aid to North Korea Aug 11, 2006 - Voice of America By Naomi Martig. The South Korean government has announced a more than $10 million aid package to help flood ravaged regions of North Korea. ... North Korea seeks flood aid from South for first time Aug 9, 2006 - Ireland Online, North Korea has requested help from South Korea to cope with devastating floods, a South Korean citizens’ group said today, a move that could improve inter ... North Korea Asks South for Flood Help Aug 9, 2006 - CBS News By KWANG-TAE KIM Associated Press Writer. (AP) North Korea has requested help from South Korea to cope with devastating floods, a South Korean citizens' group ... S. Korea wary of sanctions against North Aug 10, 2006 - San Jose Mercury News, GARRISON, South Korea - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun expressed reservations Thursday about possible new US sanctions against North Korea over its recent ... S. Korea Wary of Sanctions Against North Aug 10, 2006 - CBS News ...(AP) South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun expressed reservations Thursday about possible new US sanctions against North Korea over its recent missile tests, a ... This series of profiles of foreign nations is part of the Country Studies Program, formerly the Army Area Handbook Program. The profiles offer brief, summarized information on a country’s historical background, geography, society, economy, transportation and telecommunications, government and politics, and national security. In addition to being featured in the front matter of published Country Studies, they are now being prepared as stand-alone reference aides for all countries in the series, as well as for a number of additional countries of interest. The profiles offer reasonably current country information independent of the existence of a recently published Country Study and will be updated annually or more frequently as events warrant. |
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