cabbages, and soybeans. Fish and pigs
are also important sources of food.
However, North Korea does not produce
enough food to feed its people. Hundreds
of thousands of people died of
starvation in the late 1990s.
History
People have lived on the Korean peninsula
for more than 12,000 years. These
early people settled along rivers and the
seacoast. Sometime after 3000 BC the
ancient kingdom of Choson rose up in
the northwest. The Han Dynasty, or
Han ruling family, of China conquered
Choson in 108 BC.
The Three Kingdoms
By AD 400 three Korean states controlled
the peninsula. Koguryo ruled the
north, Paekche ruled the southwest, and
Silla ruled the southeast. They are
known as the Three Kingdoms.
The Three Kingdoms battled each other
for centuries.With help from China,
Silla defeated the Paekche and Koguryo
kingdoms in the AD 600s. Silla then
controlled most of Korea.
by 400 936 1392 1910 1948 1950 2000
Three
Kingdoms rule
ancient Korea.
The Koryo state
unites Korea.
The Choson
state takes
control.
Japan takes
over Korea.
North Korea
and South
Korea gain
independence
as separate
countries.
The Korean
War begins.
The leaders of
North and
South Korea
meet.
T I M E L I N E
Women wear traditional Korean clothing
during a festival in Pyongyang, North Korea.
80 Korea, North BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
During the peacetime that followed,
Korea made advances in astronomy,
medicine, metal casting, sculpture, and
cloth making. Ships from Silla and
China traded many products.
Koryo and Choson Periods
The Koryo state united Korea again in
936. The Koryo ruled from what is now
the city of Kaesong, North Korea.
In 1392 a Korean general took power.
He named his state Choson, after the
ancient kingdom. The Choson capital
was in the south, at what is now Seoul,
South Korea.
Division into North and South
Korea
In 1910 Japan made Korea into a Japanese
colony. The Japanese brought modern
ways, but they treated the Koreans
very poorly. During WorldWar II
(1939–45) Japan forced Koreans to fight
in the Japanese army. Japan lost control
of Korea at the end of the war. In 1945,
the Soviet Union took over the northern
part of Korea. The United States sent its
forces into the south.
North Korea became an independent
country in 1948, one month after South
Korea. Like the Soviet Union, North
Korea adopted a Communist form of
government.
The KoreanWar
In 1950 North Korea started the Korean
War by invading South Korea. The
United States and other countries helped
South Korea. China, a Communist
country, helped North Korea. The war
ended in 1953 with the peninsula still
divided.
North Korea After theWar
North Korea’s government ruled
harshly. After President Kim Il-sung
died in 1994, his son Kim Jong Il came
to power.
In 2000 the leaders the two Koreas met
for the first time. They agreed to work
toward a peaceful, reunited Korea. However,
the relationship between the two
countries remained tense.
..More to explore
Communism • Korea, South • Korean
War • Pyongyang
A lake lies near the top of Mount Paektu, which is the highest point in North Korea. Much
of the country is mountainous.
Facts About
NORTH KOREA
Population
(2008 estimate)
23,867,000
Area
47,399 sq mi
(122,762 sq km)
Capital
Pyongyang
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Pyongyang,
Nampo, Hamhong,
Chongjin,
Kaesong, Sinuiju
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Korea, North 81
Korea, South
For many centuries Korea was a single
state on the Korean peninsula. The
Korean peninsula is a piece of land that
sticks out from East Asia. In the mid-
1900s Korea divided into two countries:
North Korea and South Korea. South
Korea, also known as the Republic of
Korea, covers the southern half of the
peninsula. Seoul is South Korea’s capital
and largest city.
Geography
South Korea’s only land border is with
North Korea. South Korea’s eastern border
lies along the East Sea, or Sea of
Japan. The Yellow Sea is to the west. The
East China Sea is to the south. A large
island named Cheju lies off South
Korea’s southwest coast.
Low mountains cover most of South
Korea. The country’s highest peak is
Mount Halla on Cheju Island. South
Korea’s three largest rivers are the Naktong,
the Han, and the Kum. The lowlands
near the rivers provide the
country’s best farmland.
South Korea has cold, dry winters. Its
summers are hot and humid. The southern
coast is the wettest part of the country.
Plants and Animals
Evergreen forests of camellia, camphor,
and other trees grow on the southern
coast and on Cheju Island. Pines, oaks,
maples, and birches also grow in South
Korea.
Deer and rabbits are among the most
common animals. Many types of birds,
reptiles, and fish also live in the country.
South Korea’s national parks protect
some plants and animals.
People
Almost all the people of South Korea are
ethnic Koreans. They speak the Korean
People walk down a busy street in Seoul,
South Korea.
82 Korea, South BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
language. There is also a small group of
Japanese people. Most South Koreans
live in cities and towns. Many of the
cities are very crowded.
Half of the population follows no religion.
About one in four South Koreans
is Christian. About the same number of
