The Korean Peninsula extends off the east coast of Asia between China and Japan. In area, the peninsula is about the same size as Minnesota. Though small, the peninsula is divided into two nations. North Korea, or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a Communist country, and South Korea, or the Republic of Korea, has a non-Communist government. Despite their political differences, the people of the Korean Peninsula share a common history and an ancient culture.
Historians believe that the first people who lived in Korea came from regions to the north and northwest. Throughout more than 2,000 years of Korea's recorded history, invading armies from Mongolia, China, and Japan have swept through the peninsula on numerous occasions.
Koreans adapted Chinese cultural ways to their own existing culture. They borrowed extensively from the Chinese writing system and adapted many Chinese words. The Korean language, however, is actually a branch of the Altaic group, which includes Finnish, Turkish, and Hungarian.
As did the Japanese, many Koreans accepted and integrated more than one religion and philosophy into their way of life. Daoism and Confucianism, for example, came from China. Later, many Koreans also adopted Buddhism, but they modified its teachings to fit their own existing culture. Today, Buddhism is the most common religion among Koreans; although, in the north the Communist government discourages people from holding any religious beliefs.
