Country · Asia
North Korea
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
North Korea is a country in Eastern Asia. About 25.5 million people live there, in an area of 120 538 square kilometres. Its capital city is Pyongyang.
Picture credit: Uwe Brodrecht (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Christophe95 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jan Engelhardt (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is North Korea?
North Korea lies in Eastern Asia, on the continent of Asia.
It sits in the northern half of the world, roughly 4 453 km from the equator.
It shares a border with 3 countries: China, Russia and South Korea.
How big is North Korea?
North Korea covers 120 538 square kilometres.
That is about 2.9 times the size of Switzerland.
Among the world's countries that makes it the 97th largest.
Spread everybody out evenly and you get about 212 people on every square kilometre.
That is busier than the world average of roughly 60 people per square kilometre.
Who lives in North Korea?
About 25.5 million people live in North Korea.
That is the 52nd biggest population in the world.
People here speak Korean.
They pay with the North Korean won (₩).
On average, people born here can expect to live about 71 years.
The land of North Korea
The land of North Korea sits on average 400 metres above sea level.
It lies between the tropics and the poles, which is the single biggest reason its weather is the way it is.
What makes North Korea different?
Dishes the country is known for: Galbi and Kimchi.
Websites from here often end in .kp.
North Korea and the rest of the world
Out of every thousand people alive on Earth, about 3 live in North Korea.
It takes up about 0.09 % of all the land that countries stand on.
Within Asia the country ranks 29th of 46 by size, and 21st by population.
North Korea and its neighbours
Russia, its largest neighbour, is about 141.8 times bigger.
Russia has more people: 144.5 million against 25.5 million.
Nature and animals
The highest mountain in the country is Paektu-san, at 2 744 metres. The longest river in the country is the Amnok (Yalu). The largest lake in the country is Sobonpo.
How big is North Korea compared with the United States?
- The United States is about 78 times as big as North Korea: 9 372 610 km² against 120 538 km². See both on one map
- The United Kingdom is about 2 times as big as North Korea: 242 900 km² against 120 538 km². See both on one map
Questions children ask
What is the capital of North Korea?
The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang. It is the city where the country's government works from.
How many people live in North Korea?
About 25.5 million people live in North Korea, which makes it the 52nd most populated country in the world. (Source: World Bank, 2018.)
Which countries border North Korea?
North Korea borders China, Russia and South Korea — 3 neighbours in total.
How big is North Korea?
North Korea covers 120 538 square kilometres, making it the 97th largest country in the world. That is about 2.9 times the size of Switzerland.
What is the highest mountain in North Korea?
The highest mountain in North Korea is Paektu-san, 2 744 metres above sea level. It is the country's highest point.
What is the longest river in North Korea?
The longest river in North Korea is the Amnok (Yalu), about 790 kilometres long.
What is the largest lake in North Korea?
The largest lake in North Korea is Sobonpo. It covers about 18 km².
Which continent is North Korea in?
North Korea is in Asia, in the part called Eastern Asia.
Where these numbers come from
Borders and outlines: Natural Earth. Names, capitals, areas, languages and currencies: ISO 3166 data (world-countries). Population: World Bank, 2018. Every derived figure on this page (ranks, density, distance from the equator) is calculated from those values.
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