Short Essay on Korea. Divided politically into North and South by an artificial barrier roughly along the 38th parallel at the end of World War II, Korea has been historically and culturally a single nation. Because of its strategic location between China, Japan, and the Russian Far East, it has suffered from the aggressive inroads of its Estimated Reading Time: 10 mins South Korea Essay Korea is known as the “Land of the Morning Calm.” This expression comes from the beginning of the modern history of Korea. Koryo means “high” and “clear.” This word symbolizes the clear blue sky of Korea. The beautiful nature of Korea is expressed through this ancient name Prize: 1st Prize - Free Trip to Korea Student Name: Sarvesh Prabhu School: Delhi Public School, Raipur, Semariya-2, Chhattisgarh Prize: 2nd (a) - Free Trip to Korea Student Name: Satakshi Sharma School: Khaitan Public School, Sector 5, Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh Prize: 2nd (b) - Free Trip to Korea Student Name: Shaurya Chanana School: Shishu Niketan Model Sr. Sec. School, Sector 22 D, Chandigarh
Descriptive Essay About South Korea | blogger.com
Divided politically into North and Korea essay by an artificial barrier roughly along the 38th parallel at the end of World War II, Korea has been historically and culturally a single nation.
Because of its strategic location between China, Japan, korea essay, and the Russian Far East, it has korea essay from the aggressive inroads of its powerful neighbors. The peninsular shape has also been a critical factor in its history, as it has acted historically as a bridge between Asian mainland and the maritime powers, korea essay. The peninsula is still divided by a demilitarized zone that cuts across the land in which North Korea is ruled by what may be described as one of the few remaining outposts of Communist totalitarian ideology, and South Korea by an administration that owes allegiance to market economy, and liberal democratic forces.
North and South Koreas are small countries—the peninsula stretches some miles km in length and to miles to km in width. It reaches to within miles of the island of Honshu in Japan, separated by the Sea of Japan and approximately the same distance of the Shandong Peninsula of China off the Yellow Sea. There are about 3, islands, mainly along the southern and western coastline. Korea split into two countries disregarded the essential cultural and historical unity of the peninsula.
The demilitarized zone originally created as a temporary zone separating the northern from the American zone for the purpose of accepting Japanese surrender has hardened into political division of the nation, korea essay. Following the division inthe government of North Korea was strongly influenced by Russia and China, korea essay, and established a repressive, highly secretive, and authoritarian regime and South Korea by an equally repressive anti-Communist government, korea essay.
The split not only ignored the basic cultural and economic interests and desire of the Korean people, it was against the logic of geography. InNorth Korea sought to reunite the country by force and invaded South Korea across the 38th parallel precipitating a U. military response led by the United States, and the devastating Korean War The Red Chinese army entered the peninsula to assist the North Korean army, korea essay.
Eventually, the ceasefire was arranged in after a good deal of devastation of the Korean peninsula. Geographically, there are a number of regional differences between the North and South that have created korea essay corresponding interdependence. The north is far more mountainous, korea essay, and contains much less arable land than korea essay south.
Climatically, korea essay, the north is more continental. Food production is heavily concentrated in South Korea, korea essay, and North Korea is food-deficit.
Formerly food deficiency in north was made up by shipments of food from the south. Given the concentration of population and trade centered in south, korea essay, there is need for regional interchange. The distribution of several raw korea essay for industry also reveals regional contrasts, korea essay.
There is much greater concentration of mineral resources in the north. Hydro power is also concentrated in the north, korea essay, which produces twenty times as much as the south.
Thus, two Koreas are potentially interdependent. At the end of the Russo-Japanese warkorea essay, Japan occupied the country, korea essay lasted until the Second World War The Japanese during their occupation introduced changes in Korean development that had direct impact on the Japanese nation, rather than on the amelioration of the Koreas.
Food production was nearly doubled, but the new output went largely to Japan to feed the expanding Japanese population, korea essay, the Korean farmer was no better off. The fishing industry was greatly expanded, but eighty percent of the catch went to Japan to feed the Japanese people there.
That greatly worsened erosion and seriously aggravated the fuel shortage. Meanwhile population of Korea began to increase resulting from eradication of famines with the construction of an extensive transport network by the Japanese, and from the public health measures. These measures were essential to the Japanese so that they could exploit the Korean economy. The net result of such developments was a big increase in population but a corresponding deterioration of Korean standard of living.
Japan had to relinquish control of Korea after it surrendered to the American forces at the end of World War II. Korea at that time was drained of its economic resources, had no political leadership and was poorly prepared to the demanding task of establishing an independent existence in the troubled postwar world.
The Japanese surrender was followed by the unfortunate division of the country into two states—a Korea essay north, and an anti-Communist south. The actual dividing line, that closely followed the 38th parallel along a demilitarized zone, dates from The direct result of the rivalry between the two sides completely overlooked the Korean interests and national desire for unity and independence.
Korea is largely mountainous, korea essay, and contains only small valleys and narrow coastal plains. The Taebaek-San Maek Taebaek Mountains are the largest chain that runs along the eastern coastline in a generally north- south direction, curving from northwest in North Korea to southeast in South Korea.
From this chain branch of several ranges, korea essay, and the principal rivers have sources in it. Of the other rivers—Yalu that make boundary with China, is the most important. In the southern part of Korea, korea essay, the topography is of lesser altitude. But most korea essay the topography contains a profusion of ranges of hills in the interior, often lapped by small encircling alluvial korea essay. Other lowlands that fringe the coastal areas are not extensive; they are narrow on the eastern side of the peninsula, and relatively broader though irregular on the korea essay. The eastern coast is korea essay straight; the western is indented, and contains many islands.
The climatic characteristics of Korea resemble those of central and northern China than of Japan. In winter it comes under the influence of a high-pressure system and drifts of cold, dry air from north and west. During fall and spring, conditions are tempered by the passage of cyclonic storms which bring more precipitation in the south than in the north. Snow also stays on the ground longer on the ground in the north, but melts quickly in the mild temperatures korea essay the south.
The korea essay interior has bitterly cold winters. Only in the extreme southern fringe the mean January temperature is above freezing. The frost-free period lasts from days korea essay the northern interiors to days in the southern parts.
Summers are hot and humid, and receive a larger amount of precipitation. The annual range of temperature is much greater in the north and in the interior regions than in the south. The average monthly temperature in January at Seoul South Korea is about 23°F -5°C and about 78°F 25°C in August, korea essay.
In Poyangyang January temperatures average 17°F -8°C and summer temperatures average a few degrees short of Seoul, korea essay. The annual rainfall ranges from 25 to 50 inches to 1, mmand occasionally, late summer typhoons and storms cause heavy showers along korea essay southern coast. Precipitation varies with orographic topographic position.
The highest amounts are in the south with nearly 60 inches in the hills in South Korea essay, and least in korea essay sheltered upper Yalu Basin in North Korea about 25 inches. Terrain and climatic conditions favor the growth of extensive forests in Korea. Nearly three-quarters of North Korea and close to two-thirds of South Korea is forest land. The best timbers lie along the China border in North Korea which contains large strands of birch, spruce, and pine trees, korea essay.
However, most of the commercial quality timber has largely been removed in the densely settled areas and coastal slopes. Forestry has considerably declined since the World War II, korea essay, although recent reforestation programs have stressed economic forestry particularly in North Korea.
The Koreans share a common racial origin with peoples of North Asia and the society is homogeneous, with only small percentage less than one percent of foreigners, most of them of urban Chinese, located mostly in South Korea. Cultural korea essay racial characteristics reflect typically Mongoloid features and vary only slightly from one region to another.
All Koreans speak the Korean language, which belongs to the Altaic family and is related to Japanese but contains Chinese loan words. Although Koreans have borrowed cultural elements from their powerful neighbors—China and Japan—culturally, they are quite distinct and have developed their own language, literature, korea essay, and national mores.
There is little uniformity of religious beliefs within Korea. In a typical family in South Korea, for example, the women may follow Buddhism, korea essay, while the men may adhere to the Confucian ethical system.
In North Korea nearly 68 percent of the people were listed as atheists or non-religious in In South Korea, however, majority of the population 52 percent declares themselves as religious who actively participate in religious functions regularly, and 48 percent as non-religious. The latter was founded by a Confucian teacher inand combines elements of Buddhism, Confucianism, korea essay, and Christianity and even Taoism.
Basically, the way of life and value system Koreans are grounded in Confucian teachings, including ancestor worship, that is particularly strong in the rural areas. Christianity korea essay new in Korea, but claims a large following, numbering 5 to 6 million korea essay which 4 million are Protestants and has a profound effect on the modernization of Korean society.
Shamanism—a religious belief in gods, demons, korea essay, and ancestral spirits responsive to a priest or shaman remains strong korea essay rural areas, especially among women. The Communist regime in North Korea has constitutionally allowed freedom of religion but does korea essay practice it, allegedly for the fear that it will weaken the Communist party and government.
After the Korean War from andchurches and Buddhist temples were confiscated and many were converted to other purposes, korea essay. At the time of partitioning of the peninsula inNorth Korea inherited a much larger share of the resources—80 to 90 percent of all mineral deposits on the peninsula, korea essay, korea essay it was essentially a peasant economy. The means of production under the Communist korea essay since then have been socialized, and priorities and emphasis in economic development set by the government.
As in other Communist countries special emphasis was placed on capital goods rather than on consumer goods. North Korea contained korea essay much larger territory 48, sq. miles as compared to less than 40, sq. miles of South Korea but a much smaller population base. But it was relatively less developed economically than its southern neighbor—a contrast that intensified since the partition of the peninsula, korea essay.
Of the or so known minerals of economic value, iron ore, coal, tungsten, sulphur and zinc are especially plentiful in North Korea, korea essay. Iron ore reserves are estimated at over 2 billion tons although production is less than 10 million tons annually. Rich deposits of coal both bituminous and anthracite also found in the southern part of the country, not far from Pyongyang.
The Japanese paid special attention to the development of the hydro power along the Yalu River and its tributaries during their occupation. Power production is therefore based primarily on hydroelectricity, but thermal electricity is becoming increasingly important because of growing korea essay of industrialization.
Since World War II Korea changed from an agricultural to an industrial nation. Mining and manufacturing together now account for nearly one-third of the labor force and represent an important segment of the economy. Major industrial development during and since the s has been concerned with the production of iron and steel particularly of heavy metallurgical machinery centered at Chongju; agricultural machinery near Pyongyang; and of textiles located mostly at Pyongyang.
Production of electricity, both coal-derived thermal and from hydro sources also increased during this period, although it has not kept pace with industry.
Agriculture makes a much smaller contribution to economy, although more than 40 percent of the labor force is engaged in it. Because of the chronic labor shortage korea essay productivity remains low. There has been an increase in cultivated land, and irrigation facilities, as also in the increased use of chemical fertilization and mechanization through the government programs of socialization.
The country remains chronically deficient in food grain production.
The Understanding Korea Essay Contest
, time: 2:54Short Essay on Korea
Prize: 1st Prize - Free Trip to Korea Student Name: Sarvesh Prabhu School: Delhi Public School, Raipur, Semariya-2, Chhattisgarh Prize: 2nd (a) - Free Trip to Korea Student Name: Satakshi Sharma School: Khaitan Public School, Sector 5, Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh Prize: 2nd (b) - Free Trip to Korea Student Name: Shaurya Chanana School: Shishu Niketan Model Sr. Sec. School, Sector 22 D, Chandigarh South Korea Essay Korea is known as the “Land of the Morning Calm.” This expression comes from the beginning of the modern history of Korea. Koryo means “high” and “clear.” This word symbolizes the clear blue sky of Korea. The beautiful nature of Korea is expressed through this ancient name Essay on South Korean Culture Words 3 Pages South Korea is one of the most homogeneous countries in the world, in which it has its own culture, language,
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