North Korea
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Capital: Pyongyang
- Eastern Asia
- 3 neighbours in Travle
North Korea overview
North Korea is in Eastern Asia, Asia. Its capital is Pyongyang. The World Bank counts about 26.6 million people for 2025 on 120,540 km² of surface area.
In the Travle map, North Korea has 3 neighbours: China, Russia and South Korea. From there, 125 countries can be reached by land.
Population, density and language
The World Bank counts 26,571,036 people in North Korea for 2025, which is 56th of 170 by population. Spread over 120,540 km² of surface area (2024), that is about 220 people per km², 28th of 169 by density.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.POP.TOTL), data updated 2026-10-08; checked 2026-10-19.Rankings compare the entries in Travle's country list that have World Bank data (170 with population, 169 with surface area). Some list entries are territories, so a rank here is not a rank among sovereign states.
| Language | Share (est.) | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Korean | 88% | official |
CLDR shares are estimates of people who use each language, so they can add up to more than 100%.
How big is North Korea, really?
With 120,540 km² (2024, land plus inland water), North Korea is 100th of 169 by surface area and covers 0.09% of the combined area of those entries.
In that ordering, Eritrea (121,630 km²) is just larger; Malawi (118,484 km²) just smaller.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (AG.SRF.TOTL.K2), data updated 2026-10-08; checked 2026-10-19.North Korea at a glance
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Region
- Eastern Asia, Asia
- Population
- 26,571,036 (2025)
- Surface area
- 120,540 km² (2024)
- Density
- 220 people per km²
- Official languages
- Korean
- Currency
- North Korean Won (KPW)
- Calling code
- +850
- Internet domain
- .kp
- Land neighbours
- 3 (Natural Earth) · 3 (Travle)
Each figure is sourced in its own section below. "Not available" means no source used on this page has the figure.
North Korea within Eastern Asia
Natural Earth places North Korea in Eastern Asia (UN subregion). Of the 6 entries from Travle's country list in that subregion, North Korea is 4th by population and 4th by surface area, with 1.6% of the combined population of those entries.
| Country | Population (2025) | Area km² (2024) |
|---|---|---|
 China | 1,406,585,000 | 9,562,910 |
 Japan | 123,366,734 | 377,975 |
 South Korea | 51,684,564 | 100,460 |
| North Korea | 26,571,036 | 120,540 |
 Mongolia | 3,568,978 | 1,564,116 |
 Taiwan | – | – |
Sources: World Bank WDI (SP.POP.TOTL, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2), data updated 2026-10-08; subregion from Natural Earth 1:110m. A dash means the World Bank has no figure.
Location, borders and position
North Korea is in Eastern Asia, Asia. Its outline in Natural Earth lies in the northern hemisphere and the eastern hemisphere. Its capital, Pyongyang, is at about 39.0° N and 125.8° E.
On land, Natural Earth's boundary data gives North Korea 3 neighbours; the Travle game map gives it 3.
Sources: Natural Earth 1:110m (outline and capital) and 1:10m boundary lines (neighbours), public domain.
Where North Korea is on the map
Countries bordering North Korea
Natural Earth's boundary data and the Travle map agree on these 3 land neighbours. Natural Earth marks part of the line with South Korea as line of control.
| Country | Direction | Land boundary in Natural Earth | Border in Travle |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | west | Yes | Yes |
 Russia | north-west | Yes | Yes |
| South Korea | south | Yes (line of control segment) | Yes |
Geographic column: Natural Earth 1:10m Admin-0 boundary lines (land) 5.1.0 (public domain), checked 2026-10-19; Natural Earth shows de facto boundaries and does not settle disputes. Travle column: the game's own border map.
Money and language in North Korea
Currency
- North Korean Won: code KPW, numeric 408. ISO 4217 lists it for this country only.
Official languages
- Korean: official in 2 territories in CLDR, including North Korea.
CLDR is a technical reference, not a legal text. Laws and constitutions can describe languages differently.
Currency, domain and dialling code
- Currency
- North Korean Won (KPW)
Source: Unicode CLDR release-48-2 currencyData (region KP); code, name and number from ISO 4217 list one (SIX), published 2026-09-17; checked 2026-10-19. - Internet domain
- .kp
Source: IANA Root Zone Database; checked 2026-10-19. - International dialling code
- +850
Source: ITU, List of ITU-T Recommendation E.164 assigned country codes (position on 15 December 2016); checked 2026-10-19. - Time
- UTC+09:00 all year (2026)
IANA zones: Asia/Pyongyang
Source: IANA Time Zone Database 2026e (zone.tab); UTC offsets computed for 15 Jan and 15 Jul 2026 with Node.js ICU tz 2026a; checked 2026-10-19.
North Korea codes and abbreviations
| Standard | Code |
|---|---|
| ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 | KP |
| ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 | PRK |
| ISO 3166-1 numeric | 408 |
| ISO 4217 currency (North Korean Won) | KPW · 408 |
| Country-code top-level domain | .kp |
| ITU-T E.164 country code | +850 |
Sources: Natural Earth (ISO 3166-1), ISO 4217 list one (SIX), IANA Root Zone Database, ITU E.164 list; linked with dates in the sections above.
Fun facts about North Korea
- The longest Travle trip from North Korea takes 13 steps, to Lesotho.
- UNESCO lists 3 World Heritage properties in North Korea; the earliest inscription dates from 2004.
Each fact is calculated from the sources cited on this page.
How far can you travel from North Korea in Travle?
Starting from North Korea and moving one border at a time, this is how many countries in the game's map you reach at each step. Countries that need a sea crossing never appear, because the game only follows land borders.
| Steps | Countries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | |
| 2 | 22 | |
| 3 | 15 | |
| 4 | 15 | |
| 5 | 13 | |
| 6 | 10 | |
| 7 | 4 | |
| 8 | 9 | |
| 9 | 13 | |
| 10 | 13 | |
| 11 | 5 | |
| 12 | 2 | |
| 13 | 1 |
In total 125 of the 171 other countries in the map can be reached by land. The longest trips take 13 steps and end in Lesotho. The other 46 cannot be reached without crossing the sea (18 in North America, 13 in South America, 6 in Oceania, 5 in Asia, 3 in Europe, 1 in Africa).
Nearby routes from North Korea
Shortest land routes in the game's map to the countries up to 3 steps away. There can be several routes of the same length; this list shows one. The section above shows how many countries are reachable in total.
- China: 1 step (North Korea → China)
- Russia: 1 step (North Korea → Russia)
- South Korea: 1 step (North Korea → South Korea)
Afghanistan: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Afghanistan)
Azerbaijan: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Azerbaijan)
Belarus: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Belarus)
Bhutan: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Bhutan)
Estonia: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Estonia)
Finland: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Finland)
Georgia: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Georgia)
India: 2 steps (North Korea → China → India)
Kazakhstan: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Kazakhstan)
Kyrgyzstan: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Kyrgyzstan)
Laos: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Laos)
Latvia: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Latvia)
Lithuania: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Lithuania)- Mongolia: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Mongolia)
Myanmar: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Myanmar)
Nepal: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Nepal)
Norway: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Norway)
Pakistan: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Pakistan)
Poland: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Poland)
Tajikistan: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Tajikistan)
Ukraine: 2 steps (North Korea → Russia → Ukraine)
Vietnam: 2 steps (North Korea → China → Vietnam)
Armenia: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Azerbaijan → Armenia)
Bangladesh: 3 steps (North Korea → China → India → Bangladesh)
Cambodia: 3 steps (North Korea → China → Laos → Cambodia)
Czechia: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Poland → Czechia)
Germany: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Poland → Germany)
Hungary: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Ukraine → Hungary)
Iran: 3 steps (North Korea → China → Afghanistan → Iran)
Moldova: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Ukraine → Moldova)
Romania: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Ukraine → Romania)
Slovakia: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Poland → Slovakia)
Sweden: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Finland → Sweden)
Thailand: 3 steps (North Korea → China → Laos → Thailand)
Turkey: 3 steps (North Korea → Russia → Azerbaijan → Turkey)
Turkmenistan: 3 steps (North Korea → China → Afghanistan → Turkmenistan)
Uzbekistan: 3 steps (North Korea → China → Afghanistan → Uzbekistan)
World Heritage in North Korea
UNESCO lists 3 World Heritage properties in North Korea: 2 cultural and 1 mixed. The first, inscribed in 2004, was Complex of Koguryo Tombs.
- Complex of Koguryo Tombs (cultural, inscribed 2004)
- Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong (cultural, inscribed 2013)
- Mount Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea (mixed, inscribed 2025)
Source: UNESCO World Heritage List (XML feed); checked 2026-10-19. Names as listed by UNESCO; descriptions on this page are our own.
North Korea — frequently asked questions
What is the capital of North Korea?
Pyongyang.
Which countries border North Korea?
On land, China, Russia and South Korea, according to Natural Earth's boundary data. The Travle map uses the same neighbours.
What currency and language does North Korea use?
The currency is the North Korean Won (KPW). Unicode CLDR gives Korean official status.
How far can you travel from North Korea in Travle?
Following land borders only, 125 countries are reachable. The farthest need 13 steps: Lesotho.
How many people live in North Korea?
The World Bank counts 26,571,036 people for 2025.
How big is North Korea?
120,540 km² of surface area (2024), according to the World Bank.
What is the dialling code and internet domain of North Korea?
The international dialling code is +850 and the country-code domain is .kp.
What time zone does North Korea use?
UTC+09:00 all year (2026).
Keep exploring
- Spin the country wheel to get a random country.
- Play Travle and try to cross the map border by border.
- Browse all countries of the world, countries by population, capitals, country codes or try the flag quiz.