Article content

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Why Canada would be directly in the way of a North Korean nuclear war Back to video

Now that North Korea has developed missiles that can hit the eastern United States, it also means that any missile attack would spend much of its flight time over Canadian soil.

Given Canada’s awkward geographic position between North Korea and the United States, any North Korean missile launched at a U.S. target east of California would necessarily enter Canadian airspace.

With the launch of Hwasong-14 on Friday, North Korea proved itself capable of launching a nuclear-capable missile that could reach of most of the continental United States.

Photo by AFP/Getty Images

A subsequent analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists specifically highlighted the missiles’ risk to five major U.S. cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Boston and New York.

“Washington, D.C. may be just out of range,” wrote researcher David Wright.

Although it may seem counterintuitive on a standard map, the shortest distance between North Korea and much of the United States involves plotting a course over the Arctic Circle.

It’s what’s known to navigators as a “great circle track,” and it’s the same reason why a direct flight from Los Angeles to London will pass over Northern Quebec.

Photo by Google Maps/DaftLogic.com

Any missile fired at New York City, in particular, would pass over Gjoa Haven, NU, Hudson Bay and Ottawa. A Boston-bound missile would pass near Montreal.