Asia and Oceania

Korea, DPR (North Korea)
Last reviewed: 25 June 2009

Country information

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GEOGRAPHY

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) forms the northern half of the Korean peninsula, which lies between China and Japan, and so is often referred to as North Korea. Its capital city, Pyongyang, lies to the west. The DPRK has a land area about the same as England. The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which separates the DPRK from the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the south, is a 250-mile long heavily fortified strip of land, running from the east coast to the west, close to the 38th Parallel.

Mountains or upland account for 80% of the DPRK (compared to 70% in the ROK). But the country has sizeable deposits of coal, other minerals, and non-ferrous metals and many of its rivers are suitable for generating hydroelectric power.