The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) lies on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and has an area of 123,000 square km with a population of some 24 million people as of 2010.

With the capital of Pyongyang, the country borders China to the north, Russia to the northeast and South Korea to the south. About 80 percent of its territory is mountainous or hilly and the country boasts many beautiful landscapes.

History

In 1894, Japan invaded the Korean Peninsula and occupied it from 1910 to 1945. Korea was liberated from Japan's colonial rule after World War II.

On September 9, 1948, the DPRK proclaimed its founding.

In 1950, the Korean War broke out. The army and people of the DPRK and the Chinese People's Volunteers fought side by side against the U.S.-led aggression and finally won a victory.

In 1953, the DPRK people started rebuilding their country under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea after the Korean War ended.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the DPRK government has called on its people to concentrate their efforts on developing the national economy.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency)