Total area: 120,540 km2
land area: 120,410 km2

Comparative area: slightly smaller than Mississippi

Land boundaries: 1,671 km total
China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, USSR 17 km

Coastline: 2,495 km

Maritime claims: Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Military boundary line: 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea (all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned)

Disputes: short section of boundary with China is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea

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

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

Land use: arable land 18%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 74%; other 7%; includes irrigated 9%

Environment: mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated; late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding

Note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and USSR

NOTE: The information regarding Korea, North on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Korea, North Geography 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Korea, North Geography 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.