North and South Korea -- Page 4

Soils {All of Korea}

Korea's best agricultural soils are alluvial and are found in river valleys and coastal plains. Even these, however, tend to be somewhat infertile and sandy and require heavy fertilizing. Soils in the mountains are generally thin and suitable only for cultivation by the slash-and-burn technique.

Climate {All of Korea}

The climate of Korea is both continental and monsoonal. During the winter, the peninsula is usually swept by cold, dry north and northwest winds blowing from the interior of the Asian continent. As a result, North Korea has long, cold, and snowy winters, with an average January temperature of about - 8 deg C (17 deg F) at Pyongyang; milder, shorter winters occur farther south, with an average January temperature of - 5 deg C (23 deg F) at Seoul. During the summer, southerly monsoon winds, blowing onshore from the surrounding seas, predominate. Temperatures in July average 27 deg C (80 deg F) throughout the peninsula except in mountainous regions. The frost-free period, or growing season, ranges from 220 days in the south, making double cropping possible there, to less than 175 days, suitable for only one crop a year, in the north. Annual precipitation is heaviest in the south, which receives more than 1,525 mm (60 in), and decreases to about 510 mm (20 in) in the north. Most precipitation occurs during the summer months.

Drainage, Vegetation, and Animal Life {All of Korea}

The rivers of Korea are short and swift. They are widely used for irrigation and for generation of hydroelectricity but are of limited value for navigation. The most important rivers are the Yalu and T'umen in the north; the Taedong, Han, and Kum in central Korea; and the Naktong in the southeast.

Coniferous forests, including pine, fir, larch, and spruce trees, grow extensively in the north and at higher elevations farther south. Deciduous trees and pine forests predominate in warmer areas. Such wild animals as wolves, bears, leopards, and tigers are still found in some sparsely settled northern and peninsular upland areas.