
East Asian country of North Korea. North Korea occupies the northern half of the Korean peninsula, which protrudes from the Asian continent between the East Sea (Sea of Japan) and the Yellow Sea. The peninsula's land area accounts for about 55% of the island. China, Russia, and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) are all about the nation's northern and southern borders. Pyongyang, the country's capital, is a significant industrial and transportation hub close to the west coast. The Yalu, also known as the Amnok in Korea, is the longest river in North Korea. It begins on the southern slope of Mount Paektu and travels about 500 miles (800 km) southwest before emptying into Korea Bay. Additionally, the Tumen River begins. However, it extends northeast for roughly 325 miles (520 km) to the East Sea from Mount Paektu. One of these is the Korean peninsula, the world's area with the most consistent ethnic makeup. Most people in North Korea, which has been essentially isolated since 1945, are Korean; the only other significant ethnic minority is a very small number of Chinese. The Korean language, which all Koreans speak, is debatably connected to other languages; it may be related to Japanese or languages of the Altaic group and contains many Chinese loanwords.