1 North Korea Is on a Peninsula North Korea is part of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia It is bordered on the north by China and Russia On the south is South Korea The Sea of Japan is to the east The Yellow Sea is to the west Many small islands are scattered along the western coastline The total area of the country is 46,539 square miles 120,538 sq km This is about the size of the US state of Pennsylvania Much of North Korea is covered by mountains hills and narrow valleys There are wide plains along the western coast Most of the farming takes place here Along the eastern coast narrow plains are backed by mountains The Nangnim Mountains run from north to south through the center of the country The Changbai Mountains in the north include North Korea’s highest peak Mount Paektu It rises 9,022 feet 2,750 m At its top is a large crater lake called Heaven Lake Rivers wind through the country’s many valleys The longest river is the Yalu It flows 491 miles 790 km from Mount Paektu to Korea Bay The Tumen River flows along the boundary of China North Korea and Russia 4
Mount Paektu is sacred to the Korean people 7,722 Approximate square miles 20,000 sq km of land available for farming North Korea is bordered by water on two sides Mountains rivers and valleys define the landscape The country’s farmland is along the western coast MOUNT PAEKTU’S BIG ERUPTION In 946 CE Mount Paektu exploded in one of the largest volcanic eruptions in human history Rocks and ash were flung as far as Japan Today the volcano sleeps but not peacefully Between 2002 and 2005 a number of earthquakes shook the giant volcano Scientists monitor the mountain for signs of trouble They worry that nuclear testing in North Korea might cause Paektu to erupt again 5
2 North Korea Faces Environmental Challenges North Korea has four seasons High temperatures during the summer months reach around 70 degrees Fahrenheit 20 C Summer is a rainy monsoon season Winter lasts from December to March Temperatures in the south fall to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit 7 C In the north they drop to 10 degrees Fahrenheit 23 C Snow falls mostly in the mountains The country has big environmental problems They began in the 1950s during the Korean War North Korea and South Korea were fighting each other The war caused many forest fires and much deforestation In the 1990s droughts and floods destroyed crops Stored grain was washed away Famine spread throughout the country Starving people turned to the forests for firewood and food More of the forest cover was destroyed Deer mountain antelope goats tigers and leopards lost their homes They Limited resources for fertilizer lead to poor harvests 6
The Eastern Curlew uses its long bill to fish out small shellfish from deep mud allowed to visit Some have reported that the country is experiencing an environmental collapse 329 Approximate number of bird species in North Korea North Korea has a rainy monsoon season The environment has been damaged by deforestation The farmland has been overused There are many bird species in the plains 7 migrated to denser forests in the north The farmland in North Korea has been overused The soil has few nutrients Without trees and vegetation to hold the soil in place erosion washes it away Birds can still be seen in the plains region These include wild pigeons herons cranes and many migratory waterfowl The mud flats along the Yellow Sea have become a safe place for many birds The endangered Eastern Curlew makes its home here North Korea knows it has environmental challenges Because it is closed off from most of the world it is hard to get help Only rarely are foreign scientists
