In recent years, North Korea has consistently been featured in the media more than any other country of the same size economically and militarily. However, people know very little about this country, especially the strange information about the laws there or the personality of the Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. Below, we present basic information that you should know about this country.
1.North Korea is located in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, which it shares with its southern neighbor, South Korea. The country covers an area of about 120,000 square kilometers, which is approximately 20,000 square kilometers larger than South Korea.
2. North Korea is separated from South Korea by a land border called a ceasefire line. The latitude of the border between them is about 38 km. North Korea shares a border with China, separated by the Yalu River.
3. The terrain in North Korea consists of mountains and hills. The highest peak in North Korea is Mount Baekdu, located in the northeastern part of the country at an altitude of 2,744 meters above sea level. In the western part, plains dominate the land, making it the main center of agriculture in North Korea.
4. North Korea’s climate is fairly mild, with summers being hotter and wetter. In this season, the country experiences about 60 percent of all rain. Average high temperatures in the capital are from 20 to 29 degrees Celsius, and lows from 3 to 13 degrees Celsius.
5. North Korea has a population of about 25 million, with an estimated average lifespan of 34 years, while life expectancy is 71 years, compared to about 82 years in South Korea.
6. The dominant religions in North Korea are Buddhism and Confucianism at 51 percent, traditional beliefs such as shamanism at 25 percent, while Christians make up 4 percent of the population. The rest follow other religions or are atheists.
7. The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang, which is also its largest city in terms of population. North Korea is a communist country with a single legislature called the Supreme People’s Assembly. The country is divided into nine provinces and two municipalities.
8. The current head of state of North Korea is Kim Jong Un, who took office in 2011, preceded by his father Kim Jong Il, and before that, his great-grandfather Kim Il Sung, who obtained the position of North Korea’s eternal president, meaning as the king.
9. North Korea gained independence on August 15, 1945, during the liberation from the Japanese Empire. In 1948, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was established as a separate communist state, and after the end of the Korean War, North Korea became a closed totalitarian state, almost entirely self-reliant.
10. Since North Korea is focused on self-reliance and closed off to outside countries, more than 90 percent of its economy is under government control, and 95 percent of goods are manufactured by state-owned industries. Industrialization focuses on the production of military weapons, chemicals, and the mining of minerals such as coal, iron ore, graphite, and copper.
Article updated on 16 March 2024
