|RNature and climate:|N Very mountainous with narrow valleys and rugged coasts. Highest peak, Changbaishan, reaches 2744 m.a.s.l.
Average temperature in January - 10°C and in July 24°C.
Percipitation between 1000 and 1500 mm.
|RPeople:|N Homogeneous Korean.
|REconomy:|N 48% of the labour force is occupied in agriculture and 40% in industry. Most important crops are corn, potatoes, fruits, vegetables and rice. Agriculture is highly mechanized.
North Korea have many minerals. Coal, lead, tungsten, graphite, magnesite, iron, copper, gold, phosphate, salt and flourspar are the most important. North Korea also have big resources of hydro electric power.
Industry is well developed. There are big steel works, but the most important industries are textiles, petrochemical and food processing.
|RHistory:|N At about 100 BC China established colonies in Korea and later a number of tribal countries were established on the peninsula. most important of these were Koguryo in the north and Silla and Paekshe in the south. These realms prospered and was an important link, both in trade and culture, between China and Japan.
In 660 AD Silla conquered Paekse and in 668 Koguryo and thus a united Korea was created. This realm prospered in the 8th century, but later a time of decline started.
In 918 the rebel leader Wang Kou founded a new dynasty, the Koryo, which is the origin of the European name Korea.
In 1270 Korea was forced to sign a treaty that made it a province in China.
In the 1590:ies Japan made several attempts to conquer Korea but failed.
In 1627 and 1636 Manchues invaded but during the following centuries Korea was protected by China and there was a political and cultural decline in Korea.
In 1894 Japan attacked China with the only aim to increase the Japanese influences in Korea. In 1895 China was forced to recognize Korea as an independent country. After the Russian-Japanese war in 1904 to 1905 Korea became a Japanese protectorate and in 1910 it was incorporated i Japan as a province.
A national liberation movement was established and during World War II it was decided that Korea would become an independent country as soon as Japan had been defeated.
during the last years of the war the northern part of Korea was liberated by Soviet troops and the southern part by troops from the USA. The negotiations about creating a unified independent Korea came to no conclusion and in 1948 a People's Republic was established in the north area occupied by the soviet Union and a democratic republic was established in the southern part.
in 1950 troops from North Korea and China attacked South Korea and occupied most of it. A couple of months later a UN action led by the USA started a counterattack and soon most of North Korea was occupied by the South.
A new Chinese attack forced the UN troops back and a frontline was established along the 38th degree.
A cease-fire was signed in 1953. The war was extremely bloody. The north side lost 2 million men and the south side lost 400 000 men.
The cease-fire has since 1953 been supervised by the UN.
The communist leader Kim Il Sung ruled North Korea from the start and was succeeded by his son when he died in 1995.
In 1972 an agreement was signed with South Korea with the common goal of reunification in a peaceful way. In 1985 the two nations started to discuss economic issues.
In 1992 China established diplomatic relations with South Korea, leaving North Korea even more isolated.
In 1993 North Korea withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, but suspended its withdrawal after UN threats of economical sanctions.
