North Korea 🇰🇵
North Korea is a country in Asia with a population of 26,069,416. Its capital is Pyongyang. The official currency is KPW, and the main languages are Korean.
Quick facts
- Capital: Pyongyang
- Continent: Asia
- Population: 26,069,416
- Area: 120,538 km²
- Density: 216 people per km²
- Currency: KPW
- Languages: Korean
- ISO code: KP
Where North Korea sits
North Korea 🇰🇵 is one of 48 countries in Asia, with its capital at Pyongyang. It covers 120,538 square kilometres — 97th in the world — and is home to about 26,069,416 people, 56th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How North Korea compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, North Korea sits closest to Australia and Niger. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Malawi and Eritrea.
At 216 people per square kilometre it is about 3.6 times the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
Korean is an official language in 2 countries here, among them South Korea. The KPW is used by North Korea and no one else.
To see North Korea next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember North Korea
Pyongyang lies on the Taedong River, about 109 km upstream from the Yellow Sea. To keep the two Koreas apart: North Korea's flag has the red star, South Korea's has the red-and-blue circle; capitals are Pyongyang in the north and Seoul in the south.
The flag of North Korea: blue, red and white
🇰🇵 The flag is a wide red stripe edged in white between two blue stripes, with a white disc holding a red five-pointed star near the flagpole. Red stands for revolutionary traditions, white for purity, strength and dignity, and blue for sovereignty, peace and friendship. The red star represents socialism.
Region and neighbours
North Korea is a country in East Asia that makes up the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, bordering China and Russia along the Yalu and Tumen rivers. It shares land borders with 3 countries: China, Russia and South Korea.
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Russia 🇷🇺 — capital Moscow
- South Korea 🇰🇷 — capital Seoul
Three facts about North Korea
- Paektu Mountain, a volcano 2,744 m high, is the highest point in North Korea.
- Korean is written with Chosŏn'gŭl, the alphabet known internationally as Hangul.
- Pyongyang is the capital and largest city of North Korea.
Sources: Wikipedia: North Korea, Wikipedia: Flag of North Korea, Wikipedia: Pyongyang, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on North Korea
- Asian capitals quiz — match North Korea to Pyongyang
- Asian flags quiz — spot the North Korea flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include North Korea
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For North Korea those are:
- Asia map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Asia flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Asia capitals quiz — match it to Pyongyang
- North Korea capital quiz — five quick questions starting with North Korea
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about North Korea
- Capital of North Korea: Pyongyang — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 48 countries of Asia
Nearby countries
- Afghanistan 🇦🇫 — capital Kabul
- Armenia 🇦🇲 — capital Yerevan
- Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 — capital Baku
- Bahrain 🇧🇭 — capital Manama
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- Bhutan 🇧🇹 — capital Thimphu
- Brunei 🇧🇳 — capital Bandar Seri Begawan
- Cambodia 🇰🇭 — capital Phnom Penh
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Georgia 🇬🇪 — capital Tbilisi
- India 🇮🇳 — capital New Delhi
- Indonesia 🇮🇩 — capital Jakarta
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the North Korea flag?
The flag of North Korea is a wide red stripe edged in white between two blue stripes, with a white disc holding a red five-pointed star near the flagpole. Red stands for revolutionary traditions, white for purity, strength and dignity, and blue for sovereignty, peace and friendship. The red star represents socialism.
Which countries border North Korea?
North Korea shares land borders with China, Russia and South Korea.
How can I remember the capital of North Korea?
Pyongyang lies on the Taedong River, about 109 km upstream from the Yellow Sea. To keep the two Koreas apart: North Korea's flag has the red star, South Korea's has the red-and-blue circle; capitals are Pyongyang in the north and Seoul in the south.