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| Location | Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea | | | Geographic coordinates | 40 00 N, 127 00 E | | | Zone | Asia | | | Area | total: 120,540 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km
water: 130 sq km | | | Land boundaries | total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km | | | Coastline | 2,495 km | | | Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
note: 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 | | | 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 | | | Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m | | | Natural resources | coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower | | | Irrigated land | 2,495 km | | | Natural hazards | late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall | | Environment -
current issues | water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation | | Environment -
international agreements | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea | | | Geography - note | strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated | |
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