Nice Sat image of Korea

[n2doc]

The Korean Peninsula hangs down from northeastern China, dividing the murkier waters of Korea Bay (upper left) and the Yellow Sea (lower left) from the clearer, deeper waters of the Sea of Japan. Because the geography of the peninsula is so mountainous, growing crops is an important and challenging endeavor. Over half of the flat lands are planted with rice, and crops like barley, wheat, and bulgur are grown on whatever surfaces that can support them. Since grazing land is almost nonexistent, most animals are used for labor rather than food. Fish, not red meat, is the prevalent source of meat in Korea. The waters around Korea are some of the best fishing waters in the world, supplementing Korean diet as well as forming a major part of the economy.

North Korea’s capital city of Pyongyang sits to the west on the Taedong River. South Korea occupies the southern edge of the peninsula. While just as mountainous as North Korea, its climate is more temperate, which serves to keep its landscape almost completely snow-free. South Korea's capital, Seoul, is in the north, on the Namhan River.

There are several fires (marked in red) in North Korea, and more near the top left in China. This picture was captured by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite on April 3, 2010.

higher res at link

http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2010-04-12