North Korea Before
This slide shows the very limited amount of information Google Maps could provide about the notoriously secretive country.
North Korea After
The new maps provide great information about the areas surrounding the capital city, Pyongyang, as well as transportation networks.
Hwasong Gulag
In the process of mapping the country, Google also identified the location of gulags, the country’s labor camps, including this one—which, at 212 square miles in area, is the largest.
Pyongyang
The map of the capital city now includes the locations of its subway stations, monuments and parks, as well as the names of roads and highways.
Border Patrol
North Korea’s Western border with China now includes the location of towns east of Dandong, which weren’t previously available.
Bukchang Gulag
This 28-square-mile labor camp was established to exploit prisoners with hard and dangerous labor. Within the camp borders, there are at least five coal mines, according to the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK).
Hoeryong Gulag
One of the country’s most notorious camps was reportedly closed last year after the warden who ran it, and another officer, fled across the border to China (left).
Yodok Gulag
Located 68 miles northeast of the capital, Yodok is surrounded by a barbed-wire fence about 10 feet tall, according to a HRNK report.
Pyongyang Pyramid
On satellite mode, Google Maps users can pick out landmarks in the capital city, including the Ryugyong Hotel, a 105-story pyramid-shaped skyscraper that has been under construction for a quarter of a century.
Two Sides
This dramatic satellite photo of North Korea (top) and South Korea (bottom) illustrates the difference between the two halves. South Korea’s capital city, Seoul, can be seen left of the center, the brightest area in a country that is lit up at night. To the north is a dark North Korea, with the only real light coming from Pyongyang.