Geography of North Korea

North Korea is located on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. The state has a common border with Russia along the Tumen River in the extreme northeast, with China along the Yalu River in the north and north-west, as well as with South Korea along the demilitarized zone in the south. To the west are the Yellow Sea and the Korea Bay, in the east is the Sea of Japan. North Korea covers an area of 120,540 km ², of which 130 km ² water bodies are.

Confines

The borders of the State extending over a length of 1673 km, of which 1416 km on China, South Korea and 19 238 km along Russia omitted. The coastline of about 1000 km of the Korean peninsula, which has a length of 8460 km, is very uneven. 2495 km of coastline here belong to North Korea. Near the coast there are still 3579 islands, most of them in the South and on the West Coast.

The North Korean government lays claim to territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from the coastline. Furthermore, it lays claim to an exclusive economic zone, which extends on both coasts over 200 nautical miles. In addition, a zone of 50 nautical miles in width extends into the Sea of Japan, not drive into the vessels and aircraft without permission of the state or allowed to fly. The same applies to the Yellow Sea, here, however, to a width of 200 nautical miles. The waters of the Yellow Sea in 1953 divided by a unilateral act of the UN forces under the leadership of the U.S. military between North and South Korea at the so-called Northern Limit Line. This limit was not recognized until today by the North Korean government and means that there are still skirmishes between the North and the South Korean Navy.

Topography and watercourses

North Korea consists largely of mountains and hills, which is intersected by deep and narrow valleys. Are located on the west coast of large coastal plains on the east coast, however, these are not contiguous and relatively small.

The deepest point in the country is the shores of the Sea of Japan 0 m, the highest point is Paektu - san, on the border with China, with 2744 m height.

Early European visitors mentioned that Korea would resemble a sea in a heavy gale, as the peninsula of many mountain ranges is crossed. About 80 percent of North Korea is composed of mountains and hills, whose highest peaks are over 2000 m altitude in the north of the country. The majority of the North Korean population lives in the plains and lowlands.

The area around Paektu -san on the Chinese border is of volcanic origin and includes basalt lava plateau at an altitude 1400-2000 m a. The Hamgyŏng Mountains, in the extreme northeast of the peninsula also has several high peaks, including the Kwanmosan with 1756 m height. In the north of the country runs in a north -south direction, the Nangnim Mountains, which additionally complicates the communication between the West and the East of the country. Is still the Kangnam Mountains on the border with China. Finally, the Kumgang Mountains is located ( Diamond Mountains), which spreads over an area of 530 km ² on the border with South Korea on the east coast.

The plains of the country are mostly quite small; the largest among them are the level to Pyongyang and the Chaeryŏng level. Both each extend over an area of approximately 500 km ². Because of the steeply sloping into the sea mountains of the east coast of the levels there are naturally smaller than in the west of the peninsula.

The mountain ranges in the north and east of the country form the catchment area of most rivers in the country, which flow largely to the west and empty into the Yellow Sea or the Korea Bay. The longest tunnel is the Yalu River, which is navigable for 678 790 km in length. The Tumen, one of the few large rivers flowing into the Sea of Japan, is the second longest navigable and only 85 out of 521 km for the course in the mountains. The third largest river, the Taedong River, whose course runs through the capital, Pyongyang, is navigable for 245 of his 297 km. The lakes in the country are due to the lack of glacial activity and the stable crust of the region usually small. In contrast to the neighboring countries of China and Japan, North Korea has been shaken by a few severe earthquakes. North Korea has, according to a government source 124 thermal springs.

Climate

The climate of North Korea is temperate, and the majority of the rainfall occurs in the summer. Under occurring in North Korea natural disasters fall droughts in late spring, which are often followed by severe flooding and typhoons, which occur in the early fall.

Due to its location between the 38 and 43 degrees north latitude North Korea has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. Long winter with very cold and clear weather and intermittent snow storms resulting from northern and northwestern winds from Siberia. The average maximum and minimum temperatures - for Pyongyang in January is -3 ° C and -13 ° C. Snowfall will be held on 37 days per year on average. In the mountainous north of the country prevails inclement weather. The North Korean summer is usually short, hot, humid and rainy, and is marked by the approaching end of a southerly and southwesterly direction monsoon, which brings moist air from the Pacific Ocean. The average minimum and maximum temperatures in Pyongyang in August are 20 ° C or 29 ° C. On average, about 60 percent of all deposits held in the period between June and September. Typhoons usually occur at least once every summer. Spring and autumn are marked by mild temperatures and variable winds and pleasant weather.

Conservation

Current problems of environmental protection are local air pollution caused by inadequate controls industry, water pollution and a consequent insufficient supply of drinking water. North Korea has been subject to the following agreement:

Antarctic Treaty
Convention on Biological Diversity
Framework Convention on Climate
ENMOD Convention
Montreal Protocol
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution

Were signed, but not ratified the following agreements:

Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
Convention

Due to the lack of information from North Korea, the extent of the environmental damage caused by industrialization and urbanization of North Korea, difficult to measure. On the basis of outdated technology from the former Soviet Union and China pursues the country since the end of the Korean War an ambitious industrialization. Air pollution is, however, held by the use of electricity as the main energy source for the industry and for heating limited. In addition, the lack of any motorized individual acts (at least for private individuals ) and the general restriction of the use of gasoline -powered vehicles due to the persistent lack of fuel to air pollution from moderating.

Resources and Land Use

On the following natural resources North Korea can draw:

Coal
Lead
Tungsten
Zinc
Graphite
Magnesite
Iron ore
Copper
Gold
Pyrite
Salt
Hydropower

Land use

14 percent of the land is arable. Of these, 2 percent permanent crops and 14.6 thousand km ² of land to be irrigated. Grazing land is not or hardly available. 61 percent of the country is forested.

Other regions: British Indian Ocean Territory | Hong Kong | Macau | Palestine

Contested States: Abkhazia | Nagorno Karabakh | South Ossetia | Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Geography of the States of: Africa | Europe | North America | Oceania | South America

40128Koordinaten: 40 ° 0 ' N, 128 ° 0' O

Geography (North Korea)

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