Portal:Korea

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
edit  

The Korea Portal

Location of Korea
Entrance to Gyeongbokgung

Korea is a civilization and geographical area situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, bordering China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast, with Japan situated to the southeast across the Korea Strait. It is often called the "Land of the Morning Calm".

One of the world's oldest civilizations, Korea has a recorded history dating back approximately 3,000 years. It enjoyed long periods of relative peace punctuated by foreign invasions. In 1905, Korea was occupied by Japan, becoming a colony in 1910. Following World War II, it was liberated by Soviet Union and United States troops and divided into two political entities, North Korea and South Korea.

North Korea is a communist state that is sometimes described as Stalinist and isolationist. South Korea is a capitalist liberal democracy, and its world economic ranking is 10th (based on GDP).

Korea is populated by a relatively homogeneous ethnic group, the Koreans, who speak a distinct language called Korean and use the unique script hangul.

More about Korea ...

Wikinews about North Korea and South Korea...

edit  

Selected article

Gyeongju is a city (see Administrative divisions of South Korea) and prominent tourist destination in eastern South Korea. It lies in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, on the coast of the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Nearby cities include the industrial centers Ulsan and Pohang. Numerous low mountains, outliers of the Taebaek range, are scattered throughout the city.

Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla, a fact to which it owes its present-day prominence. The Silla kingdom arose at the turn of the 1st millennium, and ruled most of the Korean Peninsula from the 7th to the 9th centuries. A vast number of sites from this period remain in the city today. After the kingdom fell, the city gradually declined in importance.

Today Gyeongju is a typical medium-sized city, having shared in the economic, demographic, and social trends that have shaped modern South Korea. However, amidst these trends the city has retained a distinctive identity. In tourism, it is one of South Korea's best-known destinations. In manufacturing, it profits from its proximity to major industrial centers such as Ulsan. Gyeongju is connected to nationwide rail and expressway networks, which facilitate both industrial and tourist traffic. (more...)

Nominate an article

edit  

Selected picture

Seoul listen  is the capital of South Korea and is located on the Han River in the country's northwest.

Nominate a picture

edit  

Things you can do

Collaboration of the month

Articles to work on:

edit  

Korea news

edit  

Selected biography

Kim Jong-il (born February 16, 1942) is the leader of North Korea. He is the Chairman of the National Defense Commission, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (the ruling party since 1948). He succeeded his father Kim Il-sung, founder of North Korea, who died in 1994.

(more...)

Nominate a biography

edit  

Did you know...

...that the first contact between Russia and Korea occurred when Joseon Dynasty forces under Shin Ryu defeated a Russian expedition in the 1650s?

...that South Korea was the first country in the world to provide high-speed internet access to every primary, junior, and high school?

...that Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, would be the tallest hotel in the world, if completed?

...that Jikji (Baekun Hwasang Chorok Buljo Jikji Simche yojeol, printed 1377) is the world's oldest extant metal-type printed book?

edit  

Web resources

edit  

Categories

edit  

Korea topics

edit  

Related portals

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Purge server cache


Personal tools
In other languages