North Korea
North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is a country located in East Asia. It occupies the northern half of the Korean peninsula and has an area of 47,573 square miles (123,214 square kilometers). In 2023, it is estimated that the population will be around 26,161,000 people. The capital of North Korea is P’yŏngyang and the ethnic makeup of the population is largely Korean. The official language is Korean and the main religions are Ch’ŏndogyo, traditional beliefs, Christianity, and Buddhism. Foreign missionaries were expelled during World War II. The currency is the "won" and the economy is based on heavy industry such as iron and steel, machinery, chemicals, and textiles, as well as agriculture. The highest peak in North Korea is Mount Paektu at 9,022 feet (2,750 meters). The government is a unitary single-party republic with one legislative house, the Supreme People’s Assembly. The head of state and government is the supreme leader and chairman of the National Defense Commission. Life expectancy at birth for men is 67.4 years and 75.3 years for women. The Gross National Income (GNI) is 17,517 million US dollars and the GNI per capita is 684 US dollars.