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Korea is a country in East Asia. Located between the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east, it consists of the Korean Peninsula and 3,960 nearby islands. Korea spans an area of 223,658 square kilometers with a population of over 108 million, making it the fifteenth-most populous country in the world. Its 20 local autonomies share land borders with China to the north and the Soviet Union to the northeast, across the Yalu and Tumen rivers. Korea’s capital and largest city is Hansŏng, followed by Phyŏngyang, Busan, and Inchŏn.

The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. The first state to emerge was Gojosŏn, which fell to the Han dynasty of China in 108 BCE. During the first half of the 1st millennium, Korea was divided into three states: Goguryŏ, Baekce, and Shilla, together known as the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms into Shilla and Balhae in the late 7th century, the Goryŏ dynasty was established by Wang Gŏn in 918, which proclaimed to be the successor state to Goguryŏ.

Buddhism was Goryŏ's state religion. Commerce flourished with merchants coming from as far as West Asia. It pursued policies of centralization and northern expansion, the latter resulting in constant clash with northern empires such as the Liao (Khitans) and the Jin (Jurchens). Following a coup d'état in 1170, a military dictatorship was established until it subordinated to the Mongols from 1270 to 1356. A final proposed attack against the Ming dynasty resulted in a coup d'état led by General Yi Sŏnggye in 1392 that resulted in the overthrow of Goryŏ and the establishment of the Josŏn dynasty.

During its 500-year duration, Josŏn encouraged the entrenchment of Confucain ideals and doctrines in Korean society. It consolidated effective rule over the Korean peninsula and saw the height of classical culture, literature, and science and technology. After the Japanese and Manchu invasions throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the Josŏn dynasty entered a period of decline although with peace and economic prosperity, during which in the early 19th century dominated by the oligarchic Sedo clans.

In 1842, a purge of the Sedo clans led to the consolidation of monarchical power. After defeating a Chinese invasion, the Empire of Korea began its northern conquest and colonization, pursued programs for industrialization and modernization, and adopted a Western-modeled constitution. A brief period of liberal democracy followed throughout the early 20th century, until the fascists seized power in 1936. Amidst a rise in militarism and totalitarianism, Korea invaded China in 1937 and joined World War II as an Axis power in 1941. Following a revolution and its surrender in 1945, Korea came under an eight-year allied occupation, during which adopted a new constitution.

Korea is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature, the National Diet. It is considered a developed country and a great power, with its economy ranked as the fifth-largest by nominal GDP and by GDP (PPP). In recent years, the country has been facing an aging population and a population decline due to its very low birth rate. Korea’s armed forces rank as one of the world’s strongest militaries. It is part of multiple major international and intergovernmental institutions.

Korea is considered a cultural superpower as the culture of Korea is well known around the world, including its art, cuisine, film, music, and popular culture, which encompasses prominent mansŏl, manyŏng, and television dramas.