Map of North Korea
North Korea is a country in Asia with its capital at Pyongyang, home to about 26.57 million people across 120,540 km². The interactive map below plots 28 cities and towns, 2 rivers, 1 lakes, 1 mountain summits and 7 ports recorded for North Korea in YearMaps.
- Population
- 26.57 million
- Area
- 120,540 km²
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Continent
- Asia
Interactive Map of North Korea
Centred on Pyongyang at 39.0214° N, 125.7527° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city.
The Korean Peninsula was first inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into Japan. In 1945, after the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Korea was divided into two zones along the 38th parallel, with the north occupied by the Soviet Union and the south occupied by the United States.
In 1948, two separate governments were formed in Korea: the Soviet-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the Western-aligned Republic of Korea in the south. The North Korean invasion of South Korea in 1950 started the Korean War. In 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire and established a demilitarized zone (DMZ). Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader, consolidated power and promoted his personal philosophy of Juche as the state ideology. Pyongyang's international isolation sharply accelerated from the 1980s onwards as the Cold War came to an end. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 then brought about a sharp decline to the North Korean economy. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a famine with the population continuing to suffer from malnutrition. In 2024, North Korea formally abandoned efforts to reunify Korea and designated South Korea as a separate, hostile state.
North Korea is a totalitarian hereditary dictatorship with a comprehensive cult of personality around the Kim family. Amnesty International considers the country to have the worst human rights record in the world. Officially, North Korea is a communist state, and describes itself as a socialist state which holds democratic elections. However, outside observers have described the elections as unfair, uncompetitive, and pre-determined.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: North Korea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of North Korea
The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms -- Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla -- were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula and part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in 688. Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties. Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry among the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. After the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, the northern half came under Soviet-sponsored communist control. In 1948, North Korea (formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) was founded under President KIM Il Sung, who consolidated power and cemented autocratic one-party rule under the Korean Worker's Party (KWP). North Korea failed to conquer UN-backed South Korea (formally the Republic of Korea or ROK) during the Korean War (1950-53), after which a demilitarized zone separated the two Koreas. KIM's authoritarian rule included tight control over North Korean citizens and the demonization of the US as the central threat to North Korea's political and social system. In addition, he molded the country's economic, military, and political policies around the core objective of unifying Korea under Pyongyang's control. North Korea also declared a central ideology of juche ("self-reliance") as a check against outside influence, while continuing to rely heavily on China and the Soviet Union for economic support. KIM Il Sung's son, KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, and he assumed a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. Under KIM Jong Il's reign, North Korea continued developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. KIM Jong Un was publicly unveiled as his father's successor in 2010. Following KIM Jong Il's death in 2011, KIM Jong Un quickly assumed power and has since occupied the regime's highest political and military posts. After the end of Soviet aid in 1991, North Korea faced serious economic setbacks that exacerbated decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation. Since the mid-1990s, North Korea has faced chronic food shortages and economic stagnation. In recent years, the North's domestic agricultural production has improved but still falls far short of producing sufficient food for its population. Starting in 2002, North Korea began to tolerate semi-private markets but has made few other efforts to meet its goal of improving the overall standard of living. New economic development plans in the 2010s failed to meet government-mandated goals for key industrial sectors, food production, or overall economic performance. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, North Korea instituted a nationwide lockdown that severely restricted its economy and international engagement. Since then, KIM has repeatedly expressed concerns with the regime's economic failures and food problems, but in 2021, he vowed to continue "self-reliant" policies and has reinvigorated his pursuit of greater regime control of the economy. As of 2024, despite slowly renewing cross-border trade with China, North Korea remained one of the world's most isolated countries and one of Asia's poorest. In 2024, Pyongyang announced it was ending all economic cooperation with South Korea. The move followed earlier proclamations that it was scrapping a 2018 military pact with South Korea to de-escalate tensions along their militarized border, abandoning the country’s decades-long pursuit of peaceful unification with South Korea, and designating the South as North Korea’s “principal enemy.”
- Location
- Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea.
- Climate
- Temperate, with rainfall concentrated in summer; long, bitter winters.
- Terrain
- Mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; wide coastal plains in west, discontinuous in east.
- Highest point
- Paektu-san 2,744 m.
- Lowest point
- Sea of Japan 0 m.
- Coastline
- 2,495 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 1,607 km; border countries: China 1,352 km; South Korea 237 km; Russia 18 km.
- Natural resources
- Coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, precious metals, hydropower.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 21.6% (2023 est.); arable land: 19.1% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 0.4% (2023 est.); forest: 64% (2023 est.); other: 14.5% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall volcanism: P'aektu-san (2,744 m) (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or Changbaishan), on the Chinese border, is considered historically active.
- Geographic note
- Strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated.
- Languages
- Korean.
- Religions
- Traditionally Buddhist and Confucian, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
- Ethnic groups
- Racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese.
- Economy
- One of the last centrally planned economies; hard hit by COVID-19, crop failures, international sanctions, and isolationist policies; declining growth and trade, and heavily reliant on China; poor exchange rate stability; economic data integrity issues.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
North Korea in Numbers
- Population
- 26.57 million
- Life expectancy
- 73.7 years
- Population growth
- 0.27% a year
- Population density
- 220 per km²
- Urban population
- 64.2%
- Surface area
- 120,540 km²
- Forest cover
- 64.1%
- Arable land
- 19.1%
- Access to electricity
- 61.4%
- Internet users
- 0.0%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
North Korea in Depth
History
In the late 19th century, Korea came under the influence of Japan, which had become a significant regional power after winning the First Sino-Japanese War against Qing China and the Russo-Japanese War against the Russian Empire. Japan compelled Korea to become its protectorate in 1905 and formally annexed it in 1910. What followed was a period of forced assimilation, in which Korean language, culture, and history were suppressed. This led to the March First Movement protests in 1919 and the subsequent foundation of resistance groups in exile, primarily in China. Among the resistance groups was Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. During the Japanese colonial period, most Koreans were peasants engaged in subsistence farming.
Geography
North Korea occupies the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula, lying between latitudes 37° and 43°N, and longitudes 124° and 131°E. It covers an area of 120,540 square kilometers (46,541 sq mi). To its west are the Yellow Sea and Korea Bay, and to its east lies Japan across the Sea of Japan.
Early European visitors to Korea remarked that the country resembled "a sea in a heavy gale" because of the many successive mountain ranges that crisscross the peninsula. Some 80 percent of North Korea is composed of mountains and uplands, separated by deep and narrow valleys. All of the Korean Peninsula's mountains with elevations of 2,000 meters (6,600 ft) or more are located in North Korea.
Economy
North Korea has maintained one of the most closed and centralized economies in the world since the 1940s. For several decades, it followed the Soviet pattern of five-year plans with the ultimate goal of achieving self-sufficiency. Extensive Soviet and Chinese support allowed North Korea to rapidly recover from the Korean War and register very high growth rates. Systematic inefficiency began to arise around 1960, when the economy shifted from the extensive to the intensive development stage. The shortage of skilled labor, energy, arable land and transportation significantly impeded long-term growth and resulted in consistent failure to meet planning objectives.
Demographics
With the exception of a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese, North Korea's 25,971,909 people are ethnically homogeneous. Demographic experts in the 20th century estimated that the population would grow to 25.5 million by 2000 and 28 million by 2010, but this increase never occurred due to the North Korean famine. The famine, which began in 1995 and lasted for three years, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 240,000 to 420,000 North Koreans.
International donors led by the United States initiated shipments of food through the World Food Programme in 1997 to combat the famine.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: North Korea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Korea: Key Facts
| Currency | North Korean won |
|---|---|
| Official languages | North Korean standard language, Korean |
| Head of state | Kim Jong-un |
| Head of government | Pak Thae-song |
| Form of government | one-party state, family dictatorship |
| Calling code | +850 |
| Internet domain | .kp |
| Highest point | Baekdu Mountain |
| Lowest point | Sea of Japan |
| Established | 9 September 1948 |
Facts from Wikidata Q423 (CC0).
History of North Korea: Empires and States
The atlas records 25 polities whose mapped territory included part of North Korea, from Gojoseon in 197 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Gojoseon | 197–92 BCE | Most |
| The Han Dynasty | 91 BCE – 206 CE | Most |
| Dong-okjeo | 36 BCE – 153 CE | A small part |
| Dongye | 36 BCE – 391 CE | A small part |
| Goguryeo | 36 BCE – 673 CE | Nearly all |
| Xin Dynasty | 6–22 CE | A large part |
| Cao Cao | 207–223 CE | A large part |
| Cao Wei | 224–264 CE | A large part |
| Western Jin | 265–312 CE | A large part |
| Silla | 555–681 CE | A small part |
| The Tang Dynasty | 674–704 CE | Most |
| Unified Silla | 682–910 CE | A large part |
| Balhae | 705–925 CE | A large part |
| Taebong | 911–921 CE | A large part |
| Goryeo | 922–1394 CE | Most |
| Liao Dynasty | 926–1125 CE | A large part |
| Great Jin | 1126–1215 CE | Most |
| Vassalage of Western Xia to Great Jin | 1126–1215 CE | Most |
| The Mongol Empire | 1216–1293 CE | Nearly all |
| Yuan Dynasty | 1294–1374 CE | Nearly all |
| The Ming Dynasty | 1375–1439 CE | A small part |
| Joseon | 1395–1897 CE | Nearly all |
| Korean Empire | 1898–1910 CE | Nearly all |
| Empire of Japan | 1911–1945 CE | Nearly all |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 1948–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of North Korea
North Korea on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting North Korea
North Korea (Korean: 조선 Chosŏn), officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK (조선민주주의인민공화국, Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk), is the world's most isolated country and has usually been referred to as the "Hermit Kingdom". It's on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, which has been divided between North and South Korea since the 1950s.
One of the few remaining communist states in the world and the last frontier of the Cold War, North Korean society is dominated and run by a totalitarian government that maintains a tight grip over its people. The government (most specifically the leader) is in firm control of just about everything in the country. For example, they own the country's factories, farms, enterprises, and even all the automobiles driven by its citizens.
Tourists may only travel to North Korea as part of a guided tour and they can expect to be under constant supervision and monitoring by the authorities. Prior to COVID, about 5,000 Western tourists visited North Korea every year.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: North Korea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in North Korea
28 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pyongyang | 3.30 million | P'yongyang | National capital |
| 2 | Nampo | 1.13 million | Namp'o-si | Populated place |
| 3 | Hamhung | 773,000 | Hamgyong-namdo | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Hungnam | 751,322 | Hamgyong-namdo | Populated place |
| 5 | Chongjin | 672,614 | Hamgyong-bukto | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Sunchon | 400,629 | P'yongan-namdo | Populated place |
| 7 | Kaesong | 338,155 | Kaesong | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Wonsan | 329,207 | Kangwon-do | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Kanggye | 299,514 | Chagang-do | Admin-1 capital |
| 10 | Sinuiju | 288,112 | P'yongan-bukto | Admin-1 capital |
| 11 | Hyeson | 227,461 | Ryanggang | Admin-1 capital |
| 12 | Haeju | 224,231 | Hwanghae-namdo | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Kimchaek | 187,270 | Hamgyong-bukto | Populated place |
| 14 | Manpo | 186,827 | Chagang-do | Populated place |
| 15 | Sariwon | 154,942 | Hwanghae-bukto | Admin-1 capital |
| 16 | Chongju | 141,769 | P'yongan-bukto | Populated place |
| 17 | Kilchu | 101,165 | Hamgyong-bukto | Populated place |
| 18 | Musan | 80,146 | Hamgyong-bukto | Populated place |
| 19 | Munchon | 73,619 | Kangwon-do | Populated place |
| 20 | Ongjin | 69,195 | Hwanghae-namdo | Populated place |
| 21 | Pyongsan | 66,260 | Hwanghae-bukto | Populated place |
| 22 | Sonbong | 60,864 | Hamgyong-bukto | Populated place |
| 23 | Changyon | 48,984 | Hwanghae-namdo | Populated place |
| 24 | Anbyon | 38,142 | Kangwon-do | Populated place |
| 25 | Sin-Ni | 19,463 | P'yongan-namdo | Admin-1 capital |
The other 3 (population, region, role)
- Chosan · 7,786 · Chagang-do · Populated place
- Kimhyonggwon · 3,839 · Ryanggang · Populated place
- Taedong · 1,884 · P'yongan-bukto · Populated place
Highest Mountains in North Korea
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paektu-san | 2,744 m | 9,003 ft | Asia |
Paektu-san
Mountain · 2,744 m
Paektu-san is a mountain rising to 2,744 metres (9,003 ft) in North Korea and China, in the Asia region. The summit stands on the border between them. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Mount Paektu or Mount Baekdu (Korean: 백두산) is an active stratovolcano on the Chinese–North Korean border. In China, it is known as Changbai Mountain (Chinese: 长白山). At 2,744 m (9,003 ft), it is the tallest mountain in North Korea and Northeast China and the tallest mountain of the Baekdu-daegan and Changbai mountain ranges. The highest peak, called Janggun Peak, belongs to North Korea. The mountain notably features a caldera that contains a large crater lake called Heaven Lake, which serves as the source of the Songhua, Tumen, and Yalu rivers. Korean and Manchu people assign a mythical quality to the mountain and its lake, and consider the mountain to be their ancestral homeland.
The mountain's caldera was formed by an eruption in 946 that released about 100–120 km3 (24–29 cu mi) of tephra. It was among the largest and most powerful eruptions on Earth in the last 5,000 years. The volcano last erupted in 1903, and is expected to erupt roughly once every hundred years. In the 2010s, concerns over an upcoming eruption prompted several countries to commission research into when the volcano might next erupt.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Paektu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 2,744 m (9,003 ft)
- Global rank
- #289 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Asia (#111)
- Countries
- North Korea, China
- Coordinates
- 42.0000°, 128.0900°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Paektu-san ranks #289 by elevation, below Big Ben (2,745 m) and above Cerro El Pital (2,730 m).
- Ranges:
- Hamgyong Mountains (Asia), Lesser Khingan Range (Asia)
More about Paektu-san
Current geography and geology
Mount Paektu is 2,744 m (9,003 ft) tall, making it the highest mountain in North Korea and Northeast China and the highest mountain of the Baekdu-daegan and Changbai mountain ranges.
Mount Paektu is a stratovolcano whose cone is truncated by a significant caldera. The central section of the mountain rises about 3 mm (0.12 in) per year due to rising levels of magma below the central part of the mountain. Sixteen peaks exceeding 2,500 m (8,200 ft) line the caldera rim surrounding Heaven Lake. The highest peak, called Janggun Peak, is covered in snow about eight months of the year. The slope is relatively gentle until about 1,800 m (5,910 ft). The caldera is about 5 km (3.1 mi) wide and 850 meters (2,790 ft) deep, and is partially filled by the waters of Heaven Lake.
Geological history
The geological origin of Mount Paektu remains a mystery. Two leading theories are a hotspot, or an uncharted portion of the Pacific Plate sinking beneath Mount Paektu.
Beginning about 5 million years ago, Paekdu Mountain erupted, releasing a series of basaltic lava flows that formed a lava plateau. The construction of the cone of the volcano began approximately 1 million years ago, as the eruptive materials transitioned into trachytic, pyroclastic, and lava flows. During the cone-construction stage, major Plinian-type eruptions occurred 448, 67.6, 85.8 and 24.5 thousand years ago (ka) and deposited ash in the Sea of Japan. The cone's growth was halted by two widely-recognized major explosive eruptions: Tianwenfeng and Millennium.
Cultural history
The mountain has been worshipped by the surrounding peoples throughout history. A considerable percentage of the Koreans and Manchus consider it sacred, especially the Heaven Lake in its crater.
The mountain has been considered sacred by Koreans throughout history. According to Korean mythology, it was the birthplace of Dangun, the founder of Gojoseon (2333–108 BC), whose parents were said to be Hwanung, the Son of Heaven, and Ungnyeo, a bear who had been transformed into a woman. Many subsequent kingdoms of Korea, such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Balhae, Goryeo and Joseon recognized this myth.
The Goryeo dynasty (936–1392) first called the mountain Baekdu, recording that the Jurchens across the Yalu River were made to live outside of Mount Baekdu.
Tourism
Most Chinese, Russian, South Korean and international visitors climb the mountain from the Chinese side. The North Korean side of the mountain is also popular among visitors to North Korea. The Chinese tourism area is classified as a AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.
There are a number of monuments on the North Korean side of the mountain. Paektu Spa is a natural spring and is used for bottled water.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Paektu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Paektu-san: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 2,593 m |
|---|---|
| Mountain range | Changbai Mountains |
Facts from Wikidata Q107635 (CC0).
Largest Lakes in North Korea
1 lake recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supung Reservoir | 165 km² | Reservoir |
Rivers in North Korea
2 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
Ports in North Korea
7 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch'Aho | 42.1 m | Very Small | Sea of Japan & Sea of Okhotsk | point_of_interest |
| 2 | Kyomip'O | 38.4 m | Very Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | point_of_interest |
| 3 | Wonsan | 34.7 m | Small | Sea of Japan & Sea of Okhotsk | large vessels |
| 4 | Hungnam | 27.4 m | Small | Sea of Japan & Sea of Okhotsk | medium vessels |
| 5 | Kimch'Aek | 20.1 m | Very Small | Sea of Japan & Sea of Okhotsk | medium vessels |
| 6 | Najin | 12.8 m | Small | Sea of Japan & Sea of Okhotsk | point_of_interest |
| 7 | Nampo | 9.1 m | Small | Yellow Sea & East China Sea | large vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North Korea
2 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goguryeo tombs | 2004 | Cultural | (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 2 | Mount Kumgang | 2025 | Mixed | (iii) (vii) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of North Korea
2 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea | 195,878 km² | Pen/cape | Asia |
| 2 | Hamgyong Mountains | 46,239 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
Korea
Pen/cape · 195,878 km²
Korea is a pen/cape in Asia, covering an estimated 195,878 km². It extends across South Korea and North Korea.
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in Asia in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK). Both countries proclaimed independence in 1948, and the two countries fought the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. The region is bordered by China to the north and Russia to the northeast, across the Amnok (Yalu) and Duman (Tumen) rivers, and is separated from Japan to the southeast by the Korea Strait.
Known human habitation of the Korean peninsula dates to 40,000 BC. The kingdom of Gojoseon, which according to tradition was founded in 2333 BC, fell to the Han dynasty in 108 BC. It was followed by the Three Kingdoms period, in which Korea was divided into Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. In 668 AD, Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo with the aid of the Tang dynasty, forming Unified Silla; Balhae succeeded Goguryeo in the north. In the late 9th century, Unified Silla collapsed into three states, beginning the Later Three Kingdoms period.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Korea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Pen/cape
- Mapped extent
- 195,878 km²
- Size rank
- #42 of 231 landforms
- Region
- Asia
- Countries
- South Korea, North Korea
- Coordinates
- 36.3341°, 127.9913°
- Summits:
- Paektu-san (2,744 m)
- Ranges:
- Hamgyong Mountains (Asia), Greater Khingan Range (Asia)
More about Korea
Geography
Korea consists of a peninsula and nearby islands located in East Asia. The peninsula extends southwards for about 1,100 km (680 mi) from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the east and the Yellow Sea (West Sea) to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the two bodies of water. To the northwest, the Amnok River separates Korea from China and to the northeast, the Duman River separates it from China and Russia. Notable islands include Jeju Island, Ulleung Island, Dokdo.
The southern and western parts of the peninsula have well-developed plains, while the eastern and northern parts are mountainous. The highest mountain in Korea is Mount Paektu (2,744 m), through which runs the border with China.
History
The Korean Academy claimed ancient hominid fossils originating from about 100,000 BCE in the lava at a stone city site in Korea. Fluorescent and high-magnetic analyses indicate the volcanic fossils may be from as early as 300,000 BCE. The best preserved Korean pottery goes back to the Paleolithic times around 10,000 BCE and the Neolithic period begins around 6000 BCE.
Beginning around 300 BC, the Japonic-speaking Yayoi people from the Korean Peninsula entered the Japanese islands and displaced or intermingled with the original Jōmon inhabitants. The linguistic homeland of Proto-Koreans is located somewhere in Southern Siberia / Manchuria, such as the Liao river area or the Amur region.
Economy
One of the best known artefacts of Korea's history of science and technology is the Cheomseongdae, a 9.4-meter high astronomical observatory built in 634 CE.
The earliest known surviving Korean example of woodblock printing is The Great Dharani Sutra. It is believed to have been printed in Korea in 750–51 CE, which if correct, would make it older than the Diamond Sutra.
During the Goryeo period, metal movable type printing was invented by Ch'oe Yun-ŭi in 1234 CE. This invention made printing easier, more efficient and also increased literacy, which observed by Chinese visitors was seen to be so important where it was considered to be shameful to not be able to read. The Mongol Empire later adopted Korea's movable type printing and spread as far as Central Asia.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Korea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Korea: Key Facts
| Area | 219,155 km² |
|---|---|
| On | Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea |
Facts from Wikidata Q18097 (CC0).
Hamgyong Mountains
Range/mtn · 46,239 km²
Hamgyong Mountains is a range/mtn in Asia, covering an estimated 46,239 km². It extends across North Korea and China.
The Hamgyong Mountains (Korean: 함경산맥; Hanja: 咸鏡山脈; RR: Hamgyeong Sanmaek), officially known as the Gangbaekjeonggan and formerly known as the Pepi Shan or Tumen Mountains, is a North Korean mountain range. It lies in the northeast quarter of the country, extending for about 350 kilometers (220 mi) southwest and northeast parallel to the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea). Its northern terminus is in the Tumen Valley. To its west are the Kaema Highlands.
The southwestern end of the range, west of its turn northwards to meet the Tumen, is also known as the Pujollyong or Pujonryong Mountains (부전령산맥; 赴戰岭山脈; Bujeollyeong Sanmaek).
Overall, the Hamgyongs are the highest range of mountains on the peninsula. The tallest mountain in the range is Kwanmo Peak (2,540 m), the second-highest after Paektu (China's "Changbai"). Other notable peaks include Du Peak (2,396 m), Gwesang Peak (2,333 m) and Mount Dury (2,303 m). In total, ten major peaks and 62 subsidiary peaks of the mountains in this range are 2,000 m or higher.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Hamgyong Mountains (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Range/mtn
- Mapped extent
- 46,239 km²
- Size rank
- #88 of 216 mountain ranges
- Region
- Asia
- Countries
- North Korea, China
- Coordinates
- 41.8625°, 128.8741°
- Summits:
- Paektu-san (2,744 m)
- Adjacent ranges:
- Lesser Khingan Range (Asia), Greater Khingan Range (Asia)
States and Provinces of North Korea
1 first-level divisions with their own map.
Countries Bordering North Korea
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Asia
North Korea: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of North Korea?
- The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang.
- What is the population of North Korea?
- North Korea has a population of about 26.57 million, the #56 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is North Korea?
- North Korea covers 120,540 km², ranking #99 by area, with about 220 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is North Korea in?
- North Korea is in Asia.
- Which countries border North Korea?
- North Korea shares a land or maritime border with China, Russia, South Korea.
- What is the largest city in North Korea?
- Pyongyang is the largest city in North Korea, with a metropolitan population of about 3.30 million.
- What is the highest mountain in North Korea?
- The highest summit recorded for North Korea in YearMaps is Paektu-san at 2,744 m (9,003 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in North Korea?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering North Korea is Supung Reservoir, at roughly 165 km².