Portal:Korea

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The Korea Portal

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.

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Gyeongju is a city (see Subdivisions 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...)

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Seoul listen (help·info) is the capital of South Korea and is located on the Han River in the country's northwest.

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Articles to work on: Goguryeo, achieve consensus and neutral point of view. 2007-03-16 Comfort women, achieve stability. 2007-3-29 Tteok, expand. 2007-03-16 Jeongol (전골), create. 2007-03-16 Science and technology in Korea, create. 2007-03-17 Naval history of Korea, create. 2007-03-17 Revised Romanization of Korean, include reasonably complete rule set. 2007-03-29

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Ahn Eak-tai (1906–1965) was a Korean classical composer and conductor. He conducted numerous major orchestras across Europe, including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra. Ahn composed the Aegukga, now the national anthem of South Korea, Korean Dance, Nongae, and the Symphonic Fantasy Korea. His unpublished works, some of which having been discovered recently, include Poema Synfonic ‘Mallorca, Lo Pi Formentor, and The Death of Emperor Gojong.

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