North Korea - Nuts and Bolts

After the Japanese surrender of 1945, Korea was divided into two directorates: The USSR occupied the north, while the United States controlled the south below the 38th parallel. In 1948, the division between the two zones was made permanent. Trade was cut off between the two zones at the advent of the Cold War in the late 1940s.

The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) is very much a communist nation. Before the demise of the Soviet Union, the DPRK imported nearly three-quarters of a million tons of oil from the USSR per year. These supplies have been essentially cut off. North Korea is nearly US$6 billion in debt.

The country is covered almost entirely by north-south mountain ranges and is about the size of Pennsylvania.

The language in North Korea is Korean, with indigenous elements in the vocabulary. Religions in North Korea include Buddhism and Confucianism. However, religious activities within the country basically don't exist. There is no public worshipping of deities in the DPRK. The currency is the won. The won=100 jon. Per-capita income is US$1,000.

The time in North Korea is GMT plus nine hours. Electricity is 220 V/60 Hz. Overseas phone calls can be made from the major hotels, and IDD is available in certain establishments. Mail can be received at some hotels and the Korea International Tourist Bureau. But it will be read by the government. Fax services are readily available.

The climate in North Korea is cold and dry in the winter with warm summers. More than 60 percent of the annual rainfall occurs from June through September.

The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang.

Koreascope

http://www.koreascope.org/english/index.htm

Durham University Korean Page

http://www.dur.ac.uk/~dmu0rcp/aksepage.htm

Harvard Korean Page

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hoffmann/