North Korea: More Surprising Facts About the Hermit Kingdom

Recently, interest in the "hermit kingdom" - North Korea has grown sharply in the world. This is not surprising, because the country claims to be the most closed and very exotic, and the forbidden fruit is known to be sweet.

We present to your attention a few more interesting facts, which, we are sure, few people know.

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1. North Korea is one of the most literate countries in the world: the average literacy rate in the DPRK reaches 100%!

2. Only 28 government-approved hairstyles and haircuts are allowed in the country.

Girls are allowed to wear 14 different haircuts; married women are supposed to wear short hair, and single women can let their hair grow longer. Men are prohibited from growing their hair longer than 5 centimeters, while older people can afford hair lengths up to 7 centimeters.

3. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's annual spending on elite cognac was 800 times the national average.

The father of the current leader of the country, Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong Il spent 700 thousand euros a year to buy Hennessy cognac. The median annual income in North Korea is estimated to be between $1,000 and $2,000.

4. In addition, the dictator was an avid movie fan, and his collection consisted of more than 20 thousand films.

Among his favorites were "Rambo", "Godzilla" and "Friday the 13th".

5. Less than 20% of all land in North Korea is suitable for crops.

The share of arable land in the DPRK accounts for only 19.08%.

6. Residents of the DPRK, especially those born after the Korean War, are almost 6 centimeters shorter than South Koreans.

It is likely that the difference in height is due to the lack of nutrition during the war, as well as the chronic malnutrition of one in three children in the DPRK.

7. North Korea ranks fourth in the world in terms of the size of its regular army.

Up to 1.190 million people are under arms in North Korea.

8. The number of people ready to join the ranks of the North Korean army is approximately equal to the population of the state of Senegal.

6.515 million men and 6.418 million women are fit to serve in the armed forces of the DPRK.

9. The total length of roads in the country is 25,554 kilometers, of which only 724 kilometers are paved.

That is, only 2.83% of all roads in the DPRK are covered with asphalt. This happens because few residents in the country have personal vehicles.

10. Almost 6 million people in the DPRK suffer from food shortages, and 33% of children are chronically malnourished.

According to some reports, 23.4% of North Korea's GDP comes from agriculture. It includes the cultivation of rice, corn, potatoes, legumes, pigs, and cattle. However, according to the World Food Program, due to natural conditions and lack of arable land, the DPRK is experiencing a chronic food shortage.

11. North Korea is called the most corrupt country in the world - along with Afghanistan and Somalia.

According to the results of the Corruption Perceptions Index, in 2013 North Korea, Somalia and Afghanistan were countries where corruption reached a critical level. A score ranging from 0 (highest level of corruption) to 100 (no corruption) is given to 177 countries. North Korea received a score of 8.