Geography of Pyongyang
Pyongyang, North Korea, the nation's capital and largest city. It is on the Taedong River in west-central North Korea, about 30 miles (48 km) east of Korea Bay, an arm of the Yellow Sea.
Pyongyang is North Korea's leading commercial and industrial center. Principal manufactured goods include chemicals, machinery, electronic equipment, textiles, and food products. Large coal fields and iron and steel manufacturing facilities are nearby. A subway, opened in 1973, serves the city.
Pyongyang is also the educational and cultural center of North Korea. Located here are Kim Il Sung University, medical and polytechnical institutes, the Central Library, and a number of historical, fine arts, and ethnological museums.
According to legend, Pyongyang was founded in the 12th century B.C. Its recorded history, however, begins about the first century B.C. The city's industrialization began during Japan's occupation of Korea from 1910 until 1945. Pyongyang was heavily damaged during the Korean War.
Population: 1,280,000.