North Korea: Forest Cover, 2005
| Total Land Area (ha) | 12,041,000 | | Total Forest Area (ha) | 6,187,000 | | Percent Forest Cover | 51.38% | | Primary Forest Cover (ha) | 852,000 | | Primary Forest, % total forest | 13.77% | | Primary Forest, % total land | 7.08% | | Other wooded land (ha) | - |
North Korea: Forest types
| Tropical (% forest area) | 0% | | Subtropical (% forest area) | 0% | | Temperate (% forest area) | 100% | | Boreal/polar (% forest area) | 0% |
North Korea: Breakdown of forest types, 2005
| Primary forest (ha | %) | 852,000 | 13.8% | | Modified natural (ha | %) | - | - | | Semi-natural (ha | %) | 5,335,000 | 86.2% | | Production plantation (ha | %) | - | - | | Production plantation (ha | %) | - | - |
North Korea: Change in Forest Cover
| TOTAL FOREST COVER | | Forest 1990 (ha) | 8,201,000 | | Forest 2000 (ha) | 6,821,000 | | Forest 2005 (ha) | 6,187,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (138,000) | -1.68% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (126,800) | -1.86% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (2,014,000) | -24.56% | | Change in rate (%) | 10.47% | | PRIMARY FOREST COVER | | Primary 1990 (ha) | 1,129,000 | | Primary 2000 (ha) | 939,000 | | Primary 2005 (ha) | 852,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (19,000) | -1.68% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (17,400) | -1.85% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (277,000) | -24.53% | | Change in rate (%) | 10.11% | | OTHER WOODED LAND | | Other 1990 (ha) | - | | Other 2000 (ha) | - | | Other 2005 (ha) | - | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | - | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Change in rate (%) | - | | PLANTATIONS | | Other 1990 (ha) | - | | Other 2000 (ha) | - | | Other 2005 (ha) | - | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | - | - | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | - | - | | Change in rate (%) | - | TOTAL DEGRADATION/CONSERVSION
Forest area+Wooded Area-Plantations | | Other 1990 (ha) | 8,201,000 | | Other 2000 (ha) | 6,821,000 | | Other 2005 (ha) | 6,187,000 | | Annual Change 1990-2000 (ha | %) | (138,000) | -1.68% | | Annual Change 2000-2005 (ha | %) | (126,800) | -1.86% | | Total Change 1990-2005 (ha | %) | (2,014,000) | -24.56% | | Change in rate (%) | 10.47% |
North Korea: Primary
| Primary or "old-growth" vegetation | | Primary Forest 2005 (ha) | 852,000 | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | - | | Other primary wooded land 2005 (ha) | 852,000 | | Undisturbed vegetation 2005 (% land area) | 7.08% |
North Korea: Forest designation
| Ownership of forest land, 2000 | | Public (%) | 100.0% | | Private (%) | 0.0% | | Other (%) | 0.0% | | Ownership of other wooded land, 2000 | | Public (%) | - | | Private (%) | - | | Other (%) | - | | Designated functions of forest � primary function 2005 | | Production (%) | 86.2% | | Protection (%) | - | | Conservation (%) | 13.8% | | Social Services (%) | - | | Multiple Services (%) | - | | None of Unknown (%) | - |
North Korea: Disturbances affecting forest land 2000
| Forest Area annually affected by | | Fire (%) | 0.67% | | Insects (ha) | - | | Diseases (ha) | - | | Other (ha) | - |
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North Korea: Biodiversity - Plants
| Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Growing stock composition | 3 most common species
% of total growing stock | - | | Number of Native tree species | | | Native tree species | - | | Number of tree species in IUCN red list | | Critically Endangered | | 0 | | Endangered | 0 | | Vulnerable | 1 | | Vascular Plant Species, 2004 | | Total | 2898 | | Number endemic | 107 | | Number of Threatened Plant Species, 2004 | | Species threatened | 3 |
North Korea: Value of forests
| Biomass stock in forest, 2005 | | Above-ground biomass (M t) | 340 | | Below-ground biomass (M t) | 125 | | Dead wood (M t) | 68 | | Total (M t) | 532 | | Carbon stock in forest, 2005 | | Carbon in above-ground biomass (M t) | 170 | | Carbon in below-ground biomass (M t) | 62 | | Carbon in dead wood (M t) | 34 | | Carbon in litter (M t) | - | | Soil carbon (M t) | - | | Change in growing stock 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate (1000 cubic m/yr) | | 1990-2000 | -7,523 | | 2000-2005 | -6,872 | | Growing stock per hectare 1990 - 2005 | | Annual change rate ( cubic m/ha per yr) | | 1990-2000 | 0.14 | | 2000-2005 | 0.18 | | Wood removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (1000 cubic m) | 1,725 | | Wood fuel (1000 cubic m) | 6,967 | | Total wood removal 2005 (1000 cubic m) | 8,692 | | Total wood removal 2005 (% of growing stock) | 2 | | Plant products 2005 | | Food (t) | - | | Fodder (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Raw material for utensils, handicrafts & construction (t) | - | | Ornamental plants (t) | - | | Exudates (t) | - | | Other plant products (t) | - | | Animal products 2005 | | Living animals (units) | - | | Hides, skins and trophies (units) | - | | Wild honey and bee-wax (t) | - | | Bush meat (t) | - | | Raw material for medicine and aromatic products (t) | - | | Raw material for colorants and dyes (t) | - | | Other edible animal products (t) | - | | Other non-edible animal products (t) | - | | Value of wood and non-wood forest product removal 2005 | | Industrial roundwood (US$) | $81,525,000 | | Wood fuel (US$) | $32,925,000 | | Non-wood forest products (US$) | - | | Total value (US$) | $114,450,000 | | Total value ($USD/ha) | $18 | | Employment in forestry 2000 | | Total people employed | 22,000 |
North Korea: Production, trade and consumption of forest products, 2002
| Woodfuel ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 5,620 | | Imports | - | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 5,620 | | Industrial roundwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 1,500 | | Imports | 0 | | Exports | 40 | | Consumption | 1,460 | | Sawnwood ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | 280 | | Imports | 1 | | Exports | 22 | | Consumption | 259 | | Wood-based panels ('000 cubic m), 2002 | | Production | - | | Imports | 9 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 9 | | Pulp for paper ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 106 | | Imports | 45 | | Exports | 0 | | Consumption | 151 | | Paper and paperboard ('000 metric tons), 2002 | | Production | 80 | | Imports | 25 | | Exports | 2 | | Consumption | 103 |
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North Korea: Environment
| 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 | | Natural hazards | late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall |
North Korea: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 20.76%
permanent crops: 2.49%
other: 76.75% (2001) | | Natural resources | coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower |
North Korea: Economy
| Economy - overview: | North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned and isolated economies, faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and spare parts shortages. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel. Despite an increased harvest this year due to more stable weather conditions, fertilizer assistance from South Korea, and an extraordinary mobilization of the population to help with agricultural production, the nation has suffered its eleventh year of food shortages due to on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and chronic shortages of inputs such as tractors and fuel. Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the regime to escape mass starvation since 1995, but the population remains the victim of prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living conditions. Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. In 2004, the regime allowed private markets to sell a wider range of goods and permitted private farming on an experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output but in October 2005 retracted some of those policies by forbidding the sale of grains in markets. The regime also revitalized its food rationing system in October, an apparent backtrack on earlier reforms. Black market prices have continued to rise, leaving some vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and unemployed, less able to buy goods. As of December 2005, the regime intended to expel all nongovernmental organizations by year-end and tightly restrict the activity of governmental and international organization aid organizations such as the World Food Program. Firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will constrain any further loosening of economic regulations. | | GDP - per capita | $1,800 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 1% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 30%, industry: 34%, services: 36% (2002 est.) | | Industries | military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism | | Economic aid - recipient | NA; note - approximately 350,000 metric tons, worth approximately $118 million, in food aid through the World Food Program appeal in 2004 plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmental organizations | | Debt - external | $12 billion (1996 est.) | | Population below poverty line (%) | NA | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64% |
North Korea: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 22,912,177 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 0.90% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 190.3 | | Median age (years) | total: 31.74 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 2.15 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese |
Largest Cities in North Korea
Cities and urban areas in North Korea with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| Pyongyang | North Korea | 2724700 | 3171800 |
| Hamhung | North Korea | 821200 | 821200 |
| Chongjin | North Korea | 674000 | 674000 |
| Nampo | North Korea | 655100 | 655100 |
| Sinuiju | North Korea | 377200 | 377200 |
| Wonsan | North Korea | 347300 | 347300 |
| Phyongsong | North Korea | 315800 | 315800 |
| Sariwon | North Korea | 294100 | 294100 |
| Haeju | North Korea | 265200 | 265200 |
| Kanggye | North Korea | 258500 | 258500 |
| Kimchaek | North Korea | 227300 | 227300 |
| Hyesan | North Korea | 206000 | 206000 |
| Kaesong | North Korea | 198400 | 198400 |
| Songnim | North Korea | 152700 | 152700 |
 Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
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