North Korea is almost entirely dark at night

not really sure when these images are from, but...

asia in general: http://subdude-site.com/WebPics/WebPicsEarthLights/asia_east...

more here: http://subdude-site.com/WebPics/WebPicsEarthLights/WebPicsEa...

I don't want to be in North Korea at night, but isn't the way the US landscape is illuminated a major waste of energy? It just seems whack for the car dealership to be lit up like a sports arena at 2am, or for the interstate to be so bright at night you don't even need your headlights.

Wikipedia on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution#Energy_waste

You can see Egypt here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/5146231463/

In fairness, the dark areas outside the Nile aren't dark because of economic or political oppression; they're dark because that's a desolate desert with no water at all.