Democratic People's Republic of Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), with a geographical area of 120,538 square kilometers and a population of over 24.4 million, is one of the more isolated countries in the region of East and Southeast Asia. Situated between the Republic of Korea and China, it is geographically isolated in the north-east edge of the region, and its government system also creates an isolation of its own as outside travel and trade to and from the country is limited, particularly with developed countries. The DPR of Korea is a socialist industrialized state with advanced industry and agriculture. The DPR of Korea's mountainous forest area occupies 74.2% of its total territory, which comprised 9.02 million ha in 1990. Agriculture in DPR of Korea, one of the two fundamental bases of the national economy, is an important contributor to the development of the national economy. The main crops cultivated in the country are rice and maize. In 1990, total agricultural crops production was 9.1 million tones, of which 4.5 million tones were rice and 3.9 million tones were maize. Animal husbandry is of secondary importance in the agricultural sector. Annual average temperature is 9°C-10°C, 24°C in summer (June-August) and -5.5°p in winter (November-February). The annual average precipitation is 1000-1200 mm, and drought conditions exist from April to June, with flooding during July to August. Climate change issues are considered important in the DPRK. The activities related to climate change are in line with the policy of the government for national and global environmental protection, and benefits are also seen via the country's sustainable development and management of natural resources. (Democratic People's Republic of Korea First National Communication 7 May 2004 and GEF Project Details: Small Wind Energy Development and Promotion in Rural Areas, September 23, 2004).