The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly called North Korea, is situated in East Asia on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea is a communist state with a one man dictatorship. In North Korea the Communist Party is known as the Korean Workers' Party. Kim Jong-il has served as supreme leader since 1997.
With a total area of 120,540 square kilometers (47.918 square miles), the country is comparative in area size to the state of Mississippi. North Korea is bordered by China to the north, the Sea of Japan to the east, South Korea to the south, and the Korea Bay to the west. It also shares a small border area (19 km / 11.8 miles) with Russia. North Korea's 2009 population is estimated at about 22.6 million people.
Throughout its history Korea has been fought over by its larger neighbors. The country was occupied by Japan in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese war. Korea gained its independence from Japan on August 15, 1945. Following World War II, Korea split into North Korea and South Korea, with the USSR Soviet regime sponsoring the government of the Northern half. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established on September 9, 1948. North Korea attempted to take control of the Southern, U.S.-supported half, called the Republic of Korea, in 1950, resulting in the Korean Conflict (1950-1953).
The United States has no formal diplomatic representation in North Korea, but the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, the country's capital city, handles U.S. consular interests.
Web Sites
- CIA: The World Factbook
- U.S. Department of State
- Library of Congress Country Studies
- BBC News Country Profile
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for North Korea.
Databases
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