|
GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean peninsula bordering
the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and Russia
total area: 120,540
sq km
comparative
area: slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land
boundaries: total 1,673 km, China 1,416 km, South Korea 238
km, Russia 19 km
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
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
International
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
Irrigated
land: 14,000 sq km (1989)
current issues: localized
air pollution attributable to inadequate industrial controls;
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
natural hazards:
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional
typhoons during the early fall
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
Note: strategic location
bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior
is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated
Approximately 80% of North
Korea's terrain consists of moderately high mountain ranges and
partially forested mountains and hills separated by deep, narrow
valleys and small cultivate plains. The most rugged areas are the
north and east coasts. Good harbors are found on the eastern coast.
Pyongyang, the capital, near the country's west coast, is located
on the Taedong River.
The climate reaches extremes in the winter and summer. July and
August are normally the warmest and most humid months. January is
the coldest; temperatures often drop below -20 degrees C (-4 degrees
F). Rainfall is concentrated in the summer months, usually occurring
in June and July. Snowfall is generally light, but the ground is
covered for long periods.
|
