Korea, North

Korea, North

area:	120,540sq km (46,540sq mi)
population:	24,789,100
capital (population):	Pyongyang (2,724,700)
government:	Single-party dictatorship
ethnic groups:	Korean 99%
languages:	Korean (official)
religions:	Traditional beliefs 16%, Chondogyo 14%, Buddhism 2%, Christianity 1%
currency:	North Korean won = 100 chon

Republic in e Asia. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea occupies the n part of the Korean peninsula. North Korea is largely mountainous. The capital, Pyongyang, lies on the w coastal plain. North Korea's border with South Korea is based on the 38th Parallel. (For land, climate, and pre-1953 history, see Korea and Korean War)

History and Politics

In 1948, North Korea established a communist government led (1948–94) by Kim Il Sung. Kim Il Sung's Stalinist regime exploited North Korea's rich mineral resources. Industry was nationalized. Heavy industry and arms production greatly increased. Agriculture was collectivized and mechanized.

After the Korean War (1950–53), several million Koreans fled Kim Il Sung's dictatorial regime, and North Korea became a secretive society, largely closed to outside interests. It built alliances with China and the Soviet Union, and the collapse of the latter devastated North Korea's economy. North Korea's emphasis on its military sector destabilized regional politics and internal economic planning. In 1991, North and South Korea signed a non-aggression pact and agreed to a series of meetings on reunification. The process temporarily halted in 1994 with the death of Kim Il Sung. His son, Kim Jong Il, succeeded him.

During the early 1990s, North Korea's nuclear weapons' building programme gathered momentum. In 1994, North Korea briefly withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. They rejoined after agreeing to halt the reprocessing of plutonium, in return for US$5 billion of fuel supplies. In 1995, flooding caused more than US$15 billion of damage and devastated agricultural production. In 1996, the United Nations (UN) sent emergency food aid to relieve famine. Aid agencies estimate that up to 2 million people died of famine in the 1990s. In 1998, North Korea launched a rocket over Japanese airspace. In 2000, Kim Jong Il met South Korean President Kim Dae Jung.

Economy

North Korea has considerable mineral resources, including coal, copper, iron ore, lead, tin, tungsten, and zinc. Despite these resources, it is a net consumer of energy and relies on oil imports (2000 GDP per capita, US$1000). Agriculture employs more than 40% of the workforce. Rice is the major crop. Industries: chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, processed food, and textiles.

Political map

Physical map

Websites

http://www.korea-dpr.com