North Korea

Capital City - Pyongyang
Currency - North Korean Won
Population - 23,906,000 (as of 2009)
National Language - Korean
Religion - The North Korean Constitution states that freedom of religion is strictly prohibited.  With that said, unofficial records indicate that only 64% of the populous is truly devoid of any religious practice.  Religions practiced (albeit, in secret) include Shamanism, Cheondoism, Buddhism and Christianity.
Type of Government - Socialist Republic
Leaders - Kim Jong-il (Supreme Leader); Kim Il-sung (deceased - Eternal President)
Country's Motto - "강성대국" ("Powerful and Prosperous Nation")

Geographical Highlights - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a state in East Asia.  Located in the northern half of the Korean peninsula, it is bordered in the north by China and Russia.  A mountainous nation, its highest peak, Paektu-san, sits on the northern border of the country.  To the east, densely populated coastal plains make up the remaining landscape.

History - Prior to their creation of an independent nation in 1945, the entire Korean peninsula enjoyed a rich and ancient history.  From 108 B.C. to 313 A.D., the Chinese conquered much of the northern part of the country.  Mongol forces also overtook the nation in the 13th century.  However, by 1388 Yi Songgye founded a dynasty of rulers that would reign over the country until 1910.  From the 17th century forward, Korea was nicknamed the "Hermit Kingdom" due to the fact that they went to great lengths to prevent foreigners from entering their country.  This lasted until 1876 when Japan forced Korea to open some of its ports.  After that time, trade took place between Korea and Russia, the United States and many European nations.  By 1910, Korea became a Japanese colony.

Following World War II, Korea was divided up, with the south being occupied by the United States and the north being occupied by the Soviets.  Since that time, a Communist government has been in place in the North.  The Korean War began in 1950, when North Korean troops invaded the south.  North Korea was aided by China and the Soviet Union and the south was offered aid by the United States.  The war ended in 1953 and tensions remained in place between the two nations until well after the end of the cold war. 

Kim Il-sung ruled the nation as a dictator from 1948 to 1994.  His son, Kim Jong-il, currently rules the country and has become a force of much concern on the world's stage.  It has been recognized that, despite a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, North Korea has the capability of making nuclear weapons.   Also concerning, a drought in 1997 lead to large scale famine in North Korea.  Though many of the citizens suffered from malnutrition as a result, the government officially rejected food aid in 2005 because it was more concerned that taking such aid would be viewed by the world as a sign of weakness.

Landmarks -

• Ryugyong Hotel - The notoriously unfinished hotel in Pyongyang - also called the 105 Building.  Construction began in 1987 but came to a halt in 1992 when the country ran out of funds to complete the project.  It remains an eyesore in Pyongyang and has been touted as the "worst building in the history of mankind."
• Arch of Triumph - Monument in Pyongyang meant to honor Kim Il-sung for liberating the country from Japanese rule.
• Taedong Gate - On the shore of the Taedong river, the Taedong gate was the eastern wall of the inner fort of the walled city of Pyongyang.  It was built in the mid 6th century.
• Kwangbop Temple - Just outside of Pyongyang, the temple was built in 392 during the Kogyuro dynasty.  It was built in the rare style of Korean Buddhist temples.

Interesting Trivia -

• The word "Korea" in Korean translates to mean "land of the morning calm."
• The national sport of Korea is Tae Kwon Do.
• Kim Jung-il is a known cinema buff.  According to some sources, he has over 20,000 films in his personal library.  In 1973, he wrote a book entitled "On The Art of Cinema."  He even produced six films in the 1970's.  His enthusiasm extended so far that in 1978, prior to becoming leader of North Korea, he was known to have orchestrated the kidnapping of a South Korean actress and her ex-husband Shin Sang Ok, a well known Korean film producer. Both were kidnapped while on a visit in Hong Kong and were taken back to North Korea. The reason behind this was supposedly to help improve the quality of North Korean cinema.  Needless to say, it did not work.
• According to his biography, Kim Jong-il plays the piano and violin.  It is also said that he has conducted a chamber orchestra at one of his private parties.  

Music - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXrbDJHkpjE&feature=related