Mercator
Conformal, cylindrical. Meridians and parallels form a rectangular grid, and the spacing between parallels grows toward the poles, so polar regions are hugely enlarged.
Asia · PRK · Country profile
North Korea: true size, area and map scale
Explore the country's geographic outline, see it in different projections and compare it with a familiar scale.
Simplified outline · Natural Earth120,538 km²
- Total surface area
- 120,538 km² 2024 edition
- Population
- 26,571,036 2025 data
- Population density
- 220.7 per km² Population ÷ land area
- Land area
- 120,410 km² 2023 data
- Capital
- Pyongyang Asia
- Country code
- PRK ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 / UN M49
Explore the shape
Country shape under different projections
The same country, different ways to show the Earth. Each outline opens a map with this country selected.
Globe (Orthographic)
Neither equal-area nor conformal, perspective azimuthal. It looks like a photograph of the globe from space: only one hemisphere is visible, and areas near the edge of the disk are squeezed hard.
Equal Earth
Equal-area, pseudocylindrical. Parallels are straight lines, the poles are flat lines, and the sides of the map are gently rounded, much like Robinson.
Outlines fit their tiles. They show changes in shape, not areas at a shared scale. The Mercator value estimates area inflation at the country's centre.
Understand the scale
How large is North Korea?
A familiar reference, a similar area and a different latitude. Both outlines in each preview share the same scale.
North KoreaOther country
Compare outlines on the map
A familiar reference
North Korea vs Poland
Area ratio (Poland / North Korea): about 2.6.
Compare size 1:1Compare outlines on the map
Similar area
North Korea vs Malawi
Malawi: 117,726 km². Compare their areas.
Compare size 1:1Compare outlines on the map
A different latitude
North Korea vs Greenland
See how location affects the impression of size.
Compare size 1:1The numbers in context
North Korea: true size, population, and map scale without illusions
North Korea covers 120,538 km², ranking 100 out of 200 by area in this dataset. Its scale becomes clearer when placed beside neighbors or a familiar reference country, because a wall map can flatten our intuition. Within Asia, that places it 29 out of 47.
North Korea covers about 39% of the area of Poland. This comparison is deliberately simple: Poland works as an easy reference point, and then it makes sense to move toward a similarly sized country. By area, the closest match is Eritrea.
More about area, population and location
The population is approximately 26,571,036 people, with an average density of 220.7/km². North Korea ranks 56 out of 197 by population and 49 out of 197 by density. That is dense settlement, so comparing it with area helps explain how intensively space is used.
Within its continent, North Korea represents about 0.38% of the area and about 0.55% of the population covered by this dataset. Its continental population rank is 21 out of 47, so area alone does not tell the full story.
Asia spans equatorial regions, deserts, mountains, and the far north, so one map projection can dramatically change the feeling of scale. That is why North Korea is best read through several lenses: raw numbers, an equal-scale outline, a comparison with Poland, and a matchup with Eritrea. Then the map stops being a picture and starts becoming a tool for discovery.
If you want to remember the scale quickly, compare North Korea with a country of similar area and a country of similar population. By population, Syria is a useful next clue.
#100AreaArea rank among 200 countries and territories with a verified area.
#29ContinentNorth Korea covers about 0.38% of the area in Asia.
#56PopulationAbout 26,571,036 people; continental rank 21 of 47.
220.7/km²DensityAverage people per square kilometer; density rank: #49 of 197.EritreaClosest scaleThe most natural same-area outline comparison.The numeric values are used as comparative references for learning scale. Rankings include only countries and territories with a verified value in the selected sources.
Test your intuition
From map to challenge
Questions and sources
Frequently asked questions about size and location
What is the actual area of North Korea?
North Korea covers 120,538 km². In this dataset, that ranks 100 out of 200 by area, and 29 out of 47 within its continent. North Korea covers about 39% of the area of Poland.
How many people live in North Korea, and how dense is it?
The population is approximately 26,571,036 people, with an average density of 220.7/km². North Korea ranks 56 out of 197 by population and 49 out of 197 by density. That is dense settlement, so comparing it with area helps explain how intensively space is used.
What should I compare North Korea with to understand its scale?
Two comparisons work especially well: North Korea vs Poland as a familiar reference point, and North Korea vs Eritrea because their areas are very close. For population, Syria is another useful comparison.
Do world maps show North Korea at the right scale?
Asia spans equatorial regions, deserts, mountains, and the far north, so one map projection can dramatically change the feeling of scale. That is why a country's position on the map can mislead, while same-scale outline comparison usually gives a better intuition than a classic atlas.
Why can North Korea look different in different map projections?
Every projection moves a globe onto a flat surface and must trade something away: shape, area, direction, or distance. On this page, you can compare the impression created by Mercator, orthographic, and equal-area views.
How should I use this page to remember the size of North Korea?
Start with the numbers, open a 1vs1 comparison with a similar country, and then try the size-illusion quiz. That sequence combines facts, visuals, and play, making the scale easier to remember.
Take a closer look at the data
Each value keeps its own reference year or source edition. Boundaries are simplified and are not suitable for geodetic measurements.
Keep exploring
Choose another perspective
Geometry: Natural Earth / world-atlas, public domain. Outlines simplified and transformed into map projections. Sources, licences and data coverage.