BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) lies on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and has an area of 122,762 square km with a population of over 22 million.

    It borders China to the north, Russia to the northeast and South Korea to the south.

    About 80 percent of its territory are mountainous or hilly areas and the country boasts many beautiful landscapes. The capital city is Pyongyang.

    The Korean people had endured misery and hardship in history. In 1894, Japan invaded the Korean Peninsula. It occupied the peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

    Determined to get rid of the shackles of Japanese colonial rule,the Korean people waged a protracted arduous struggle. After Japan's defeat in World War Two, Korea was liberated from Japan's colonial rule.

    On Sept. 9, 1948, the founding of the DPRK was proclaimed.

    In 1950, the United States ignited flames of war which wrecked havoc on the new-born country and left it in a state of devastation.

    After the outbreak of the Korean War, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the army and people of the DPRK fought side by side against US aggression and finally won a signal victory.

    After the war ended in 1953, the DPRK people started rebuilding their beautiful country under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea.

    In the past 50 years, the hardworking people of the DPRK have made remarkable achievements in various fields such as industry, agriculture, national defense, science and technology, culture and education.

    Thanks to the free health-care system implemented in the country since1953, the average life span in the country has reached 74.5 years, compared with 36 years before liberation.

    In 1972, the DPRK introduced the system of 11-year compulsory education.

    Since the beginning of the 21st Century, the party and government of the DPRK have called on the people to concentrate their efforts on developing the national economy so as to catch up with the rest of the world in the pace of development.

    In the past decade, the DPRK has scored brilliant achievements in developing the national economy despite years of natural disasters and the West's economic blockade. More than 49,000 power plants and factories have been built and put into production. Over1,000 km of roads have been built and 1,600 housing complexes constructed. Scientific research institutes have made breakthroughs in bioengineering, telecommunications and other fields.

    The DPRK and China enjoy a very friendly relationship between them. The two countries established diplomatic ties on Oct. 6, 1949. Enditem