I’ve been reading a fascinating book on the ordinary lives of North Koreans. The book, Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick, describes in depressing detail the backward time warp that is North Korea.

The following satellite photo contrasts city lighting at nighttime between the two Koreas. The lack of infrastructure and energy in the North means little to no lighting at night (or for that matter electricity in general).

Korean Peninsula at Night

The book is well worth reading in order to understand this strange and desperate country.