Korea (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)

The Republic of Korea (Korean: 고려민국 Goryeo Minguk), is a sovereign state in the Korean Peninsula. The name "Korea" is derived from the country's native name, "Goryeo", which also a name of the dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages. Its neighbors are China to the west, Manchuria to the north, Japan to the northeast and east, and the East China Sea to the south. Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain. It covers a total area of 220,847 square kilometers and has a population of almost 90 million. The capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of 10,521,782.

Climate
The climate of the Korea differs dramatically from north to south. The southern regions experience a relatively warm and wet climate similar to that of Japan, affected by warm ocean waters including the East Korea Warm Current. The northern regions experience a colder and to some extent more inland climate, in common with Manchuria. For example, the annual precipitation of the Yalu River valley (600 mm (24 in)) is less than half of that on the south coast (1,500 mm (59 in)). Likewise, there is a 20 °C (68 °F) difference in January temperature between the peninsula's southern and northern tips.

The entire peninsula, however, is affected by similar general patterns, including the East Asian monsoon in midsummer and the frequent incidence of typhoons in autumn. The majority of rainfall takes place during the summer months, with nearly half during the monsoon alone. Winters are cold, with January temperatures typically below freezing outside of Jeju Island. Winter precipitation is minimal, with little snow accumulation outside of mountainous areas.

History
Around 3000 BC, the proto-Korean city-states that existed around the modern border of Manchuria and Korea was united by semi-mythical tribal chief called Dangun Wanggeom and formed a confederacy of tribes named Joseon with its capital in Asadal in the present-day area of Manchuria. To distinguish it from the Joseon Dynasty established in the late 14th century, this proto-Korean entity called as "Gojoseon" (Old Joseon).

In the time around 1200 BC, this city-state confederacy later replaced by a new dynasty founded by a semi-legendary figure, Gija, from Shang Dynasty in China. Under Gija Dynasty, the Joseon people began to incorporate some Chinese influences into its aspects of life.

In 195 BC, King Jun of Gija Dynasty appointed a refugee from the Han Dynasty state of Yan named Wiman to fortify Gojoseon's northwestern border by King Jun of Gojoseon. However by solidifying power over the Yan refugees, Wiman ursurped the throne and established a new dynasty in 194 BC. Wiman moved the capital from Asadal to Wanggeom-seong, around the Liao River in modern Manchuria.

In 108 BC, the Chinese Han Dynasty defeated Wiman Dynasty and installed the Four Commanderies of Han in the area of the northwestern Korean Peninsula and part of the Liaodong Peninsula, leaving many smaller kingdoms and confederacies such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Okjeo, Dongye in the southern and eastern parts of the peninsula. By 75 BC, three of those commanderies had fallen, but the Lelang Commandery remained as a center of cultural and economic exchange with successive Chinese dynasties.

At beginning of the 1st century AD, the Korean peninsula was divided into three kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. They competed with each other both economically and militarily. The three kingdoms of Korea often warred with each other and Silla often faced pressure from Baekje and Goguryeo but at various times Silla also allied with Baekje and Goguryeo in order to gain dominance over the peninsula.

Goguryeo, gradually conquered and absorbed all its neighbors around 1st and 2nd century, and finally destroyed the Lelang Commandery in 313. it reached its zenith in the 5th century, when reign of the Gwanggaeto the Great and his son, Jangsu expanded territory into almost all of Manchuria and part of inner Mongolia, and took the Seoul region from Baekje. Gwanggaeto and Jangsu subdued Baekje and Silla during their times.

Located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, Samhan refers to the three confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan. Baekje was founded in 18 BC in Mahan territory and began to slowly overtake it. Baekje expanded far beyond Pyongyang during the peak of its powers in the 4th century by subjugated most of the western Korean peninsula to a centralised government. Baekje acquired Chinese culture and technology through contacts with the Southern Dynasties during the expansion of its territory.

Silla was founded by the unification of six chiefdoms within the Jinhan around first century, while Byeonhan was absorbed into the later Gaya confederacy in 42 CE. Silla began to gain power when it annexed the Gaya confederacy in AD 562. Gaya people was believed to be part of proto-Japonic people called "Wa" that also dominating the western part of Kyushu Island in modern Japan. Prior its annexation to Silla, Gaya was the subject of Kingdom of Wa and served as Wa military base during its invasion to Korean peninsula. In 391, Wa from Kyushu invaded Korean peninsula and shortly subjugated Baekje and Silla, before its finally defeated by Goguryeo in 407.

Allied with China under the Tang dynasty, Silla conquered Goguryeo in 668, after having already conquered Gaya in 562 and Baekje in 660. After repelling Chinese forces, Silla partially unified the peninsula, beginning a period often called Unified Silla, Later Silla, or Husilla. In Husilla, poetry and art was encouraged, and Buddhist culture thrived. Relationships between Korea and China remained relatively peaceful during this time. In the north, former Goguryeo General, Dae Joyeong, led a group of Goguryeo refugees to the Jilin area in Manchuria and founded Balhae (698–926) as the successor to Goguryeo. During its height, Balhae controlled most of Manchuria and parts of Soviet Far East. It fell to the Khitan in 926. Balhae was destroyed by the Khitans in 926.

Husilla fell apart in the late 9th century and giving way to the tumultuous warring era between Hushilla, Hubaekje and Taebong (later being Goryeo Dynasty). The Goryeo Dynasty that founded in 918 emerged as the winner, unified the three kingdoms, and replaced Husilla as the ruling dynasty of Korea in 936.

Like Silla, Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in 1377, using the world's oldest movable metal type printing press. The Mongol invasions in the 13th century greatly weakened Goryeo. After nearly 30 years of war, Goryeo continued to rule Korea, though as a tributary ally to the Mongols. After the Yuan Dynasty in China collapsed, severe political strife followed and the Goryeo Dynasty was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388 following a rebellion by General Yi Seong-gye.

King Taejo declared the new name of Korea as "Joseon" in reference to Gojoseon, and moved the capital to Seoul. The first 200 years of the Joseon Dynasty were marked by relative peace and saw the creation of Hangul by King Sejong the Great in the 14th century and the rise in influence of Confucianism in the country.

Between 1592 and 1596, the Japanese invaded Korea to made the country as the one of its tributaries. But, the invasion was eventually repelled by the Righteous army and assistance from Ming China. This war also saw the rise of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his renowned "turtle ship". In the 1620s and 1630s, Joseon suffered from invasions by the Manchu who eventually conquered all of China.

After another series of wars against Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo particularly led a new renaissance of the Joseon Dynasty.