Conventional long name	Korea
Countries	North Korea South Korea
Common name	Korea
Official languages	Korean
Area rank	84th if reunified
Area km2	219,140
Area footnote
Area sq mi	84,610
Percent water	2.8
Population estimate rank	18th if reunified
Population estimate year	2010
Population estimate	73,000,000
Population density km2	328.48
Population density sq mi	850.7
Currency	Won (₩) (N/S)
Time zone	KST
Utc offset	+9 }}

Korea ( ; ''Hanguk'' or ''Joseon'' – (see etymology)) is an East Asian country that is currently divided into two separate states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea), and separated from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the south by the East China Sea.

Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest the origins of the Korean people were Altaic language-speaking people from south-central Siberia, who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age. The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

Korea was united by Emperor Taejo of the Goryeo Dynasty in 936. Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in the 14th century, using the world's first movable metal type printing press. The Mongol invasions in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation which was forced to become a tributary state. After the Mongol Empire's collapse, severe political strife followed and Goryeo was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388.

The first 200 years of Joseon were marked by relative peace and saw the creation of the Korean alphabet Hangul by King Sejong the Great in the 14th century and the rise in influence of Confucianism in the country. During the latter part of the dynasty, however, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname the "Hermit Kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the object of the colonial designs of Japan. In 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan and remained so until the end of World War II in August 1945.

In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender of Japanese forces in Korea and Soviet troops occupied north of the 38th parallel, while U.S. troops took surrender south of it. This decision by allied armies soon became the basis for the division of Korea by the two superpowers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean independence. The two Cold War rivals then established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's current division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea. The ensuing conflict between the two was largely a proxy war.

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a single-party state with a centrally planned industrial economy. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a free market, democratic, and developed country with membership in the United Nations, WTO, OECD and G-20 major economies.

Etymology

"Korea" derives from the Goryeo period of Korean history, which in turn referred to the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo, the first Korean dynasty visited by Persian merchants who referred to Koryŏ (Goryeo) (고려) as Korea . Koryŏ (Goryeo) is also the name of Goguryeo, which changed its name to Koryŏ (Goryeo) in the 5th century (during the reign of King Jangsu of Goguryeo). Korea is now commonly used in English contexts by both North and South Korea. In the Korean language, Korea as a whole is referred to as ''Han-guk'' (한국) in South Korea, and ''Chosŏn'' (조선) in North Korea. The latter name, also Romanised ''Joseon'', is from the Joseon Dynasty and the earlier Gojoseon. "The Land of the Morning Calm" is an English language title for the country loosely derived from the hanja characters for ''Joseon''.

History

Prehistory and Gojoseon

The Korean Academy of North America discovered ancient human fossils originating from about 100,000 BC in the lava at a stone city site in Korea. Fluorescent and high-magnetic analyses indicate the volcanic fossils may be from as early as 300,000 BC. The best preserved Korean pottery goes back to the paleolithic times around 10,000 BC, and the Neolithic period begins around 6000 BC.

Gojoseon's founding legend describes Dangun, a descendent of heaven, as establishing the kingdom in 2333 BC until the fall in 108 BC.

The original capital may have been at the Manchuria-Korea border, but was later moved to what is today Pyongyang, North Korea. In 108 BC, the Chinese Han Dynasty defeated Wiman Joseon and installed the Four Commanderies of Han in the area of Liaonin region. 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 until 313, when it fell to Goguryeo.

Proto–Three Kingdoms

The Proto–Three Kingdoms period, sometimes called the Several States Period, is the earlier part of what is commonly called the Three Kingdoms Period, following the fall of Gojoseon but before Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla fully developed into kingdoms.

This time period saw numerous states spring up from the former territories of Gojoseon. Buyeo arose in today's North Korea and southern Manchuria, from about the 2nd century BCE to 494. Its remnants were absorbed by Goguryeo in 494, and both Goguryeo and Baekje, two of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, considered themselves its successor. Okjeo and Dongye of northern Korea were eventually absorbed into the growing Goguryeo.

Located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, Samhan refers to the three confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan. Mahan was the largest and consisted of 54 states. Byeonhan and Jinhan both consisted of twelve states, bringing a total of 78 states within the Samhan. These three confederacies eventually developed into Baekje, Silla, and Gaya.

Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje) dominated the peninsula and parts of Manchuria during the early Common Era. They competed with each other both economically and militarily.

Goguryeo united Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye and other states in the former Gojoseon territory. Goguryeo was the most dominant power; 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. After the 7th century, Goguryeo was constantly at war with the Sui and Tang dynasties of China.

Founded around modern day Seoul, the southwestern kingdom Baekje expanded far beyond Pyongyang during the peak of its powers in the 4th century. It had absorbed all of the Mahan states and subjugated most of the western Korean peninsula (including the modern provinces of Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Jeolla, as well as part of Hwanghae and Gangwon) to a centralised government. Baekje acquired Chinese culture and technology through contacts with the Southern Dynasties during the expansion of its territory. Historic evidence suggests that Japanese culture, art, and language was strongly influenced by the kingdom of Baekje and Korea itself.

Although later records claim that Silla, in the southeast, was the oldest of the three kingdoms, it is now believed to have been the last kingdom to develop. By the 2nd century, Silla existed as a large state, occupying and influencing nearby city states. Silla began to gain power when it annexed the Gaya confederacy in 562 CE. The Gaya confederacy was located between Baekje and Silla. 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.

In 660, King Muyeol of Silla ordered his armies to attack Baekje. General Kim Yu-shin (Gim Yu-sin), aided by Tang forces, conquered Baekje. In 661, Silla and Tang moved on Goguryeo but were repelled. King Munmu, son of Muyeol and nephew of General Kim launched another campaign in 667 and Goguryeo fell in the following year.

North-South States Period

In the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries, Silla's power gradually extended across the Korean Peninsula. Silla first annexed the adjacent Gaya confederacy. By the 660s, Silla formed an alliance with the Tang Dynasty of China to conquer Baekje and later Goguryeo. After repelling Chinese forces, Silla partially unified the Peninsula, beginning a period often called Unified Silla.

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. At its height, Balhae's territory extended from northern Manchuria down to the northern provinces of modern-day Korea. Balhae was destroyed by the Khitans in 926.

Unified Silla fell apart in the late 9th century, giving way to the tumultuous Later Three Kingdoms period (892-935). Goryeo unified the Later Three Kingdoms and absorbed Balhae refugees.

Goryeo

The country Goryeo was founded in 918 and replaced Silla as the ruling dynasty of Korea. ("Goryeo" is a short form of "Goguryeo" and the source of the English name "Korea".) The dynasty lasted until 1392.

During this period laws were codified, and a civil service system was introduced. Buddhism flourished, and spread throughout the peninsula. The development of celadon industry flourished in 12th and 13th century. The publication of Tripitaka Koreana onto 80,000 wooden blocks and the invention of the world's first movable-metal-type printing press in 13th century attest to Goryeo's cultural achievements.

Their dynasty was threatened by Mongol invasions from the 1230s into the 1270s, but the dynastic line continued to survive until 1392 since they negotiated a treaty with the Mongols that kept its sovereign power.

In 1350s, King Gongmin was free at last to reform a Goryeo government. Gongmin had various problems that needed to be dealt with, which included the removal of pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officials, the question of land holding, and quelling the growing animosity between the Buddhists and Confucian scholars.

Joseon Dynasty

In 1392, the general Yi Seong-gye established the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) with a largely bloodless coup. He named it the Joseon Dynasty in honor of the previous Joseon before (Gojoseon is the first Joseon. "Go", meaning "old", was added to distinguish between the two).

King Taejo moved the capital to Hanseong (formerly Hanyang; modern-day Seoul) and built the Gyeongbokgung palace. In 1394 he adopted Confucianism as the country's official religion, resulting in much loss of power and wealth by the Buddhists. The prevailing philosophy was Neo-Confucianism.

Joseon experienced advances in science and culture. King Sejong the Great (1418–1450) promulgated hangul, the Korean alphabet. The period saw various other cultural and technological advances as well as the dominance of neo-Confucianism over the entire peninsula. Slaves, ''nobi'', are estimated to have accounted for about one third of the population of Joseon Korea.

Between 1592 and 1598, the Japanese invaded Korea. Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the forces and tried to invade the Asian continent through Korea, but was completely defeated by a Righteous army, Admiral Yi Sun-sin and assistance from Ming China. This war also saw the rise of the career of Admiral Yi Sun-sin with the "turtle ship". In the 1620s and 1630s Joseon suffered invasions by the Manchu.

After invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo led a new renaissance of the Joseon dynasty.

However, during the last years of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the name the "Hermit Kingdom", primarily for protection against Western imperialism before it was forced to open trade beginning an era leading into Japanese colonial rule.

Korean Empire

Beginning in the 1870s, Japan began to force Korea out of the Manchu Qing Dynasty's traditional sphere of influence into its own. As a result of the Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), the Qing Dynasty had to give up such a position according to Article 1 of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which was concluded between China and Japan in 1895. That same year, Empress Myeongseong was assassinated by Japanese agents.

In 1897, the Joseon dynasty proclaimed the Korean Empire (1897–1910), and King Gojong became Emperor Gojong. This brief period saw the partially successful modernisation of the military, economy, real property laws, education system, and various industries, influenced by the political encroachment into Korea of Russia, Japan, France, and the United States.

In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War pushed the Russians out of the fight for Korea. In Manchuria on October 26, 1909, An Jung-geun assassinated the former Resident-General of Korea, Itō Hirobumi for his role in trying to force Korea into occupation.

Japanese occupation

In 1910, an already militarily occupied Korea was a forced party to the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty. The treaty was signed by Lee Wan-Yong, who was given the General Power of Attorney by the Emperor. However, the Emperor is said to have not actually ratified the treaty according to Yi Tae-jin. There is a long dispute whether this treaty was legal or illegal due to its signing under duress, threat of force and bribes.

Korean resistance to the brutal Japanese occupation was manifested in the nonviolent March 1st Movement of 1919, where 7,000 demonstrators were killed by Japanese police and military. The Korean liberation movement also spread to neighbouring Manchuria and Siberia. Over five million Koreans were conscripted for labour beginning in 1939, and tens of thousands of men were forced into Japan's military. Close to 400,000 Korean labourers lost their lives due to the war. Approximately 200,000 girls and women, mostly from China and Korea, were forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military. In 1993, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono acknowledged the terrible injustices faced by these euphemistically named "comfort women".

During the Japanese Colonial rule, the Korean language was suppressed in an effort to eradicate Korean national identity. Koreans were forced to take Japanese surnames, known as Sōshi-kaimei. Traditional Korean culture suffered heavy losses, as numerous Korean cultural artifacts were destroyed or taken to Japan. To this day, valuable Korean artifacts can often be found in Japanese museums or among private collections. One investigation by the South Korean government identified 75,311 cultural assets that were taken from Korea, 34,369 in Japan and 17,803 in the United States. However, experts estimate that over 100,000 artifacts actually remain in Japan. Japanese officials considered returning Korean cultural properties, but to date this has not occurred. Korea and Japan still dispute the ownership of the Liancourt Rocks, islets located east of the Korean Peninsula.

There was a significant level of emigration to the overseas territories of the Empire of Japan during the Japanese colonial period, including Korea. By the end of World War II, there were over 850,000 Japanese settlers in Korea. After World War II, most of these overseas Japanese repatriated to Japan.

Korean War

With the surrender of Japan in 1945 the United Nations developed plans for a trusteeship administration, the Soviet Union administering the peninsula north of the 38th parallel and the United States administering the south. The politics of the Cold War resulted in the 1948 establishment of two separate governments, North Korea and South Korea.

In June 1950 North Korea invaded the South, using Soviet tanks and weaponry. During the Korean War (1950–1953) millions of civilians died and the three years of fighting throughout the nation effectively destroyed most cities. Around 125,000 POWs were captured and held by the Americans and South Koreans on Geojedo (an island in the south). The war ended in an Armistice Agreement at approximately the Military Demarcation Line.

Division of Korea

The aftermath of World War II left Korea partitioned along the 38th parallel, with the north under Soviet occupation and the south under the occupation of other allied countries. Consequently, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a Soviet-style socialist regime, was established in the north while the Republic of Korea, a Western-style republic, was established in the south. The Korean War broke out when Soviet-backed North Korea invaded South Korea, though neither side gained much territory as a result. The Korean Peninsula remains divided, the Korean Demilitarized Zone being the ''de facto'' border between the two states.

Since the 1960s, the South Korean economy has grown enormously and the economic structure was radically transformed. In 1957 South Korea had a lower per capita GDP than Ghana, and by 2008 it was 17 times as high as Ghana's.

The North Korean famine began in 1995 and peaked in 1997. According to South Korea intelligence agency, an internal report by North Korea's Public Security Ministry estimates North Korea lost 2.5 million to 3 million lives from 1995 to March 1998.

Geography

Korea is located on the Korean Peninsula in North-East Asia. To the northwest, the Amnok River (Yalu River) separates Korea from China and to the northeast, the Duman River (Tumen River) separates Korea from China and Russia. The Yellow Sea is to the west, the East China Sea and Korea Strait is to the south, and the Sea of Japan is to the east. Notable islands include Jeju Island (Jejudo), Ulleung Island (Ulleungdo), and Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo).

The southern and western parts of the peninsula have well-developed plains, while the eastern and northern parts are mountainous. The highest mountain in Korea is Mount Paektu or Paektusan (2,744 m), through which runs the border with China. The southern extension of Mount Paektu is a highland called Gaema Heights. This highland was mainly raised during the Cenozoic orogeny and partly covered by volcanic matter. To the south of Gaema Gowon, successive high mountains are located along the eastern coast of the peninsula. This mountain range is named Baekdudaegan. Some significant mountains include Mount Sobaek or Sobaeksan (1,439 m), Mount Kumgang or Kumgangsan (1,638 m), Mount Seorak or Seoraksan (1,708 m), Mount Taebaek or Taebaeksan (1,567 m), and Mount Jiri or Jirisan (1,915 m). There are several lower, secondary mountain series whose direction is almost perpendicular to that of Baekdudaegan. They are developed along the tectonic line of Mesozoic orogeny and their directions are basically northwest.

Unlike most ancient mountains on the mainland, many important islands in Korea were formed by volcanic activity in the Cenozoic orogeny. Jeju Island, situated off the southern coast, is a large volcanic island whose main mountain Mount Halla or Hallasan (1950 m) is the highest in South Korea. Ulleung Island is a volcanic island in the Sea of Japan, whose composition is more felsic than Jeju-do. The volcanic islands tend to be younger, the more westward.

Because the mountainous region is mostly on the eastern part of the peninsula, the main rivers tend to flow westwards. Two exceptions are the southward-flowing Nakdong River (Nakdonggang) and Seomjin River (Seomjingang). Important rivers running westward include the Amnok River, the Chongchon River (Chongchongang), the Taedong River (Taedonggang), the Han River (Hangang), the Geum River (Geumgang), and the Yeongsan River (Yeongsangang). These rivers have vast flood plains and provide an ideal environment for wet-rice cultivation.

The southern and southwestern coastlines of Korea form a well-developed ria coastline, known as ''Dadohae-jin'' in Korean. Its convoluted coastline provides mild seas, and the resulting calm environment allows for safe navigation, fishing, and seaweed farming. In addition to the complex coastline, the western coast of the Korean Peninsula has an extremely high tidal amplitude (at Incheon, around the middle of the western coast. It can get as high as 9 m). Vast tidal flats have been developing on the south and west coastlines.

Demographics

The combined population of the Koreans is about 73 million (North Korea: 23 million, South Korea: 50 million). Korea is chiefly populated by a highly homogeneous ethnic group, the Koreans, who speak the Korean language. The number of foreigners living in Korea has also steadily increased since the late 20th century, particularly in South Korea, where more than 1 million foreigners currently reside. It is estimated that only 26,700 of the old Chinese community now remain in South Korea. However, in recent years, immigration from mainland China has increased; 624,994 persons of Chinese nationality have immigrated to South Korea, including 443,566 of ethnic Korean descent. Small communities of ethnic Chinese and Japanese are also found in North Korea.

Language

Korean is the official language of both North and South Korea, and (along with Mandarin) of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Manchuria area of China. Worldwide, there are up to 80 million speakers of the Korean language. South Korea has around 50 million speakers while North Korea around 23 million. Other large groups of Korean speakers are found in China (around 1.8 million speakers), the United States (around 900,000 speakers), the former Soviet Union (around 350,000), Japan (around 700,000), Canada (100,000), Malaysia (70,000) and Australia (150,000). It is estimated that there are around 700,000 people scattered across the world who are able to speak Korean because of job requirements (for example, salespersons or businessmen with Korean contacts), marriages to Koreans or out of pure interest in the language.

The genealogical classification of Korean is debated. Some linguists place it in the Altaic language family; others consider it to be a language isolate. Korean is agglutinative in its morphology and SOV in its syntax. Like Japanese and Vietnamese, Korean has borrowed much vocabulary from the Chinese or created vocabulary on Chinese models.

Modern Korean is written almost exclusively in the hangul script, which was invented in the 15th century. While hangul may appear logographic, it is actually a phonemic alphabet organised into syllabic blocks. Each block consists of at least two of the 24 hangul letters (''jamo''): at least one each of the 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Historically, the alphabet had several additional letters (see obsolete jamo). For a phonological description of the letters, see Korean phonology. Hanja (Chinese characters) and Latin alphabets are sometimes included within hangul texts, particularly in South Korea.

Culture and arts

In ancient Chinese texts, Korea is referred to as "Rivers and Mountains Embroidered on Silk" (, ) and "Eastern Nation of Decorum" (, ). During the 7th and 8th centuries, the silk road connected Korea to Arabia. In 845, Arab traders wrote, "Beyond China is a land where gold abounds and which is named Silla. The Muslims who have gone there have been charmed by the country and tend to settle there and abandon all idea of leaving."

Korean festivities often showcase vibrant colors, which have been attributed to Mongolian influences: bright red, yellow, and green often mark traditional Korean motifs. These bright colors are sometimes seen in the traditional dress known as hanbok.

One peculiarity of Korean culture is its age reckoning system. Individuals are regarded as one year old when they are born, as Koreans reckon the pregnancy period as one year of life for infants, and age increments increase on New Year's Day rather than on the anniversary of birthdays. Thus, one born immediately before New Year's Day may only be a few days old in western reckoning, but two years old in Korea. Accordingly, a Korean person's stated age (at least among fellow Koreans) will be one or two years more than their age according to western reckoning. However, western reckoning is sometimes applied with regard to the concept of legal age; for example, the legal age for purchasing alcohol or cigarettes in the Republic of Korea is 19, which is measured according to western reckoning.

Literature

Korean literature written before the end of the Joseon Dynasty is called "Classical" or "Traditional." Literature, written in Chinese characters (hanja), was established at the same time as the Chinese script arrived on the peninsula. Korean scholars were writing poetry in the classical Korean style as early as the 2nd century BC, reflecting Korean thoughts and experiences of that time. Classical Korean literature has its roots in traditional folk beliefs and folk tales of the peninsula, strongly influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

Modern literature is often linked with the development of hangul, which helped spread literacy from the aristocracy to the common people and women. Hangul, however, only reached a dominant position in Korean literature in the second half of the 19th century, resulting in a major growth in Korean literature. ''Sinsoseol'', for instance, are novels written in hangul.

The Korean War led to the development of literature centered on the wounds and chaos of war. Much of the post-war literature in South Korea deals with the daily lives of ordinary people, and their struggles with national pain. The collapse of the traditional Korean value system is another common theme of the time.

Religion

Confucian tradition has dominated Korean thought, along with contributions by Buddhism, Taoism, and Korean Shamanism. Since the middle of the 20th century, however, Christianity has competed with Buddhism in South Korea, while religious practice has been suppressed in North Korea. Throughout Korean history and culture, regardless of separation; the influence of traditional beliefs of Korean Shamanism, Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism have remained an underlying religion of the Korean people as well as a vital aspect of their culture; all these traditions have coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years up to today despite strong Westernisation from Christian missionary conversions in the South or the pressure from Communism's Juche government in the North.

According to 2005 statistics compiled by the South Korean government, about 46% of citizens profess to follow no particular religion. Christians account for 29.2% of the population (of which are Protestants 18.3% and Catholics 10.9%) and Buddhists 22.8%.

Islam in South Korea is practiced by about 45,000 natives (about 0.09% of the population) in addition to some 100,000 foreign workers from Muslim countries.

Cuisine

Korean cuisine is probably best known for kimchi, a side dish which uses a distinctive fermentation process of preserving vegetables, most commonly cabbage. Kimchi is said to relieve the pores on the skin, thereby reducing wrinkles and providing nutrients to the skin naturally. It is also healthy, as it provides necessary vitamins and nutrients. Gochujang (Korean traditional sauce made of red pepper) is also commonly used, often as pepper (chilli) paste, earning the cuisine a reputation for being spicy.

Bulgogi (roasted marinated meat, usually beef), galbi (marinated grilled short ribs), and samgyeopsal (pork belly) are popular meat entrees. Fish is also a popular commodity, as it is the traditional meat that Koreans eat. Meals are usually accompanied by a soup or stew, such as galbitang (stewed ribs) and doenjang jjigae (fermented bean paste soup). The center of the table is filled with a shared collection of sidedishes called banchan.

Other popular dishes include bibimbap which literally means "mixed rice" (rice mixed with meat, vegetables, and red pepper paste) and naengmyeon (cold noodles). A common snack in Korea is kimbab, which is rice mixed with vegetables and meat wrapped with seaweed. While an increasingly wide variety of ingredients are used in kimbap, fish in either raw or cooked form is rarely used, perhaps due to kimbap's origin as a portable, packable snack and fish could quickly spoil if unrefrigerated.

Instant noodles are also a very popular snack food. Koreans also enjoy food from ''pojangmachas'' (street vendors), where one can buy tteokbokki (rice cake and fish cake with a spicy gochujang sauce), fried squid and glazed sweet potato. Soondae, a sausage made of cellophane noodles and pork blood, is widely eaten.

Additionally, some of other common snacks includes "chocopie", shrimp cracker, "bbungtigi" (fried rice cracker), and "nu lung ji" (slightly burnt rice). Nu lung ji can be eaten as it is or boiled with water to make a soup. Nu lung ji can be eaten as a snack or a dessert.

Education

The modern Korean school system consists of six years in elementary school, three years in middle school, and three years in high school. Students are required to go to elementary and middle school, and do not have to pay for their education, except for a small fee called a "School Operation Support Fee" that differs from school to school. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks South Korea's science education as the third best in the world and being significantly higher than the OECD average.

Korea also ranks second on math and literature and first in problem solving. Although South Korean students often rank high on international comparative tests, the education system is sometimes criticised for its emphasis on passive learning and memorization. The Korean education system is much more strict and structured than the education systems of most Western societies. Also, high cost and dependence on non-school private institutions (Hagwon (학원)), a for-profit private institute, academy or cram-school prevalent in South Korea, is criticised as a major social problem. After students enter university, however, the situation is markedly reversed.

Science and technology

One of the best known artifacts of Korea's history of science and technology is Cheomseongdae (첨성대, ), a 9.4-meter high observatory built in 634.

The earliest known surviving Korean example of woodblock printing is the Mugujeonggwang Great Dharani Sutra. It is believed to have been printed in Korea in 750-751 AD which, if correct, would make it older than the Diamond Sutra. Goryeo silk was highly regarded by Westerners and Korean pottery made with blue-green celadon was of the highest quality and sought after by even Arabian merchants. Goryeo had a bustling economy with a capital that was frequented by merchants from all over the known world.

During the Joseon period the Geobukseon (turtle Ship) was invented, which were covered by a wooden deck and iron with thorns, as well as other weapons such as the bigyeokjincheolloe cannon (비격진천뢰, ) and the hwacha.

The Korean alphabet hangul was also invented during this time by King Sejong the Great.

Sport

While association football remains one of the most popular sports in Korea, the martial art of taekwondo is still considered to be the national traditional sport. Baseball is also increasing in popularity.

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is the national sport of Korea and one of the country's most famous sports. According to ancient Korean history, soldiers learned taekwondo as a principal source of physical training. Besides fighting skills, taekwondo is known to enhance the spirit of the practitioner, through its mind and body training. Taekwondo has become an official Olympic sport, starting as a demonstration event in 1988 and becoming an official medal event in 2000.

Ssireum

Ssireum is a form of wrestling that has been practiced in Korea for thousands of years, with evidence discovered from the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC to 688). Ssireum is the traditional national sport of Korea. During a match, opponents grip each other by sash belts wrapped around the waist and the thigh, attempting to throw their competitor to the sandy ground of the ring. The first opponent to touch the ground with any body part above the knee or to lose hold of their opponent loses the round.

Ssireum competitions are traditionally held twice a year, during the Tano Festival (the 5th day of the fifth lunar month) and Chuseok (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month). Competitions are also held throughout the year as a part of festivals and other events.

See also

Famous Korean people

Inter-Korean Summit

Korean name

List of rulers of Korea

National treasures of North Korea

National treasures of South Korea

Notes

References

Cumings, Bruce. ''Korea's Place in the Sun'', Norton, 1997. ISBN 0-393-31681-5

Kim, et al. ''Women of Korea: A History from Ancient Times to 1945'', Ewha Womans University Press, 1976. ISBN 89-7300-116-7.

Asian Info website

Park's Associates

STJI.edu.cn

UMSL.edu

Diamond-dilemma.com

Korea Expat Community WorknPlay's Korea information page

(Review of ).

Further reading

Chun, Tuk Chu. "Korea in the Pacific Community". ''Social Education'' 52 (March 1988), 182. EJ 368 177.

Cumings, Bruce. ''The Two Koreas''. New York: Foreign Policy Association, 1984.

''Focus On Asian Studies''. Special Issue: "Korea: A Teacher's Guide". No. 1, Fall 1986.

Gi-Wook Shin/Michael Robinson (Ed.). ''Colonial modernity in Korea,'' Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.]: Harvard University, Asia Center; Distributed by Harvard Univ. Press 1999. ISBN 0-674-14255-1.

Joe, W.J. & Choe, H.A. ''Traditional Korea: A Cultural History'', Seoul: Hollym, 1997.

Joungwon, A.K. ''Divided Korea: The Politics of Development'', Harvard University Press, 1975.

Lee Ki-baik. ''A New History of Korea''. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1984.

Lee Sang-sup. "The Arts and Literature of Korea". ''The Social Studies'' 79 (July–August 1988): 153–60. EJ 376 894.

Tae-Jin, Y. "The Illegality of the Forced Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of the Great Han Empire", In the ''Korean National Commission for UNESCO'', Vol. 36, No. 4, 1996.

Dennis Hart, ''From Tradition to Consumption: Construction of a Capitalist Culture in South Korea''. Seoul: Jimoondang Pub., 2003.

The Gloucestershire Regiment and The Battle of the Imjin River, Korean War

Briefing note for OECD Health Data 2009: How Does Korea Compare: Organisation For Economic Co-operation and Development. (2009).

External links

The official website of the Republic of Korea (Korea.net)

Category:East Asia Category:Disputed territories in Asia Category:Divided regions

af:Korea ang:Corēa ar:كوريا ast:Corea bo:ཀོ་རི་ཡ། bs:Koreja br:Korea bg:Корея cs:Korea cy:Corea da:Korea de:Korea et:Korea es:Corea eo:Koreio eu:Korea fa:کره (کشور) fr:Corée gl:Corea xal:Солңһудин Орн ko:한국 hi:कोरिया hr:Koreja io:Korea id:Korea ia:Corea os:Корей it:Corea he:קוריאה jv:Koréa krc:Корея csb:Kòreja sw:Rasi ya Korea la:Corea lv:Koreja lt:Korėja jbo:dcosyn/xanguk mk:Кореја mr:कोरिया ms:Korea nl:Korea ne:कोरिया ja:朝鮮 no:Korea nn:Korea oc:Corèa tpi:Koria nds:Korea pl:Korea pt:Coreia ro:Coreea qu:Kuriya ru:Корея sm:Kolea sa:कोरिया sc:Corèa scn:Corea simple:Korea sk:Kórea sl:Koreja so:Kuuriya sr:Кореја (држава) fi:Korea sv:Korea tl:Korea ta:கொரியா kab:Kurya roa-tara:Coree th:ประเทศเกาหลี tr:Kore uk:Корея ug:چاۋشيەن vi:Triều Tiên fiu-vro:Korea war:Korea yi:קארעע yo:Korea zh-yue:朝鮮 bat-smg:Kuoriejė zh:朝鲜 (称谓)

name	Yahir Reyes
birth place	Tijuana, Mexico
nationality	Mexican
height
weight
weight class	Featherweight
style	Freestyle
fighting out of	Tijuana, Mexico
team	Team Reyes
mma kowin	4
mma subwin	8
mma decwin	2
mma koloss	3
mma subloss	3
mma decloss	1
sherdog	6114
updated	}}

Yahir Reyes (born August 14, 1985 in Tijuana) is a Mexican mixed martial artist. He is most known for his stint with Bellator Fighting Championships, fighting in their first season featherweight tournament. Reyes made it to the final round of the tournament which took place at Bellator 10, fighting Joe Soto. Reyes lost via submission, also losing him the featherweight title.

Mixed martial arts record

|- |Loss |14-6 | Joe Soto |Submission (Rear Naked Choke) |Bellator 10 | |2 |4:11 |Ontario, California, United States | |- |Win |14-5 | Estevan Payan |KO (Spinning Back Fist) |Bellator 6 | |2 |1:56 |Robstown, Texas, United States | |- |Win |13-5 | Nick Gonzalez |Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) |Bellator 1 | |1 |2:11 |Hollywood, Florida, United States | |- |Win |12-5 | Paris Ruiz |KO (Punches) |COF 13: Aztec Alliance | |2 |4:22 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Win |11-5 | Fred Leavy |Decision (Split) |MMA Xtreme 18 | |3 |5:00 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Win |10-5 | Zus Gutierrez |Submission (Rear Naked Choke) |MMA Xtreme 17 | |1 |2:03 |Honduras | |- |Win |9-5 | Charles Williams |Submission (Triangle Choke) |MMA Xtreme 15 | |1 |3:00 |Mexico City, Mexico | |- |Loss |8-5 | Jose Luis Cocafuego |Submission (Heel Hook) |MMA Xtreme 12 | |1 |1:22 |Mexicali, Mexico | |- |Win |8-4 | Art Diaz |Submission (Armbar) |MMA Xtreme 11 | |1 |0:51 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Win |7-4 | Robert Peralta |Submission (Rear Naked Choke) |MMA Xtreme 9 | |1 |N/A |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Win |6-4 | Benjamin la Cobra |Submission (Armbar) |MMA Xtreme 8 | |2 |N/A |Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |- |Win |5-4 | Rick Screeton |Submission (Armbar) |MMA Xtreme 7 | |2 |0:13 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Win |4-4 | John Wallace |KO (Punches) |MMA Xtreme 6 | |2 |1:01 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Loss |3-4 | Landon Piercey |TKO (Corner Stoppage) |MMA Xtreme 3 | |2 |5:00 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Win |3-3 | Issac Peralta |TKO |MMA Xtreme 1 | |1 |N/A |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Loss |2-3 | Angelo Catsouras |TKO (Corner Stoppage) |Total Combat 12 | |1 |5:00 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |NC |2-2 | Rick Screeton |No Contest |Total Combat 9 || |N/A |N/A |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Loss |2-2 | Chris David |TKO (Punches) |Total Combat 4 | |1 |N/A |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Win |2-1 | Michael Chupa |Decision (Unanimous) |Total Combat 2 | |3 |3:00 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Win |1-1 | Angel Yocupicio |Submission (Armbar) |Reto Maximo 2 | |2 |3:19 |Tijuana, Mexico | |- |Loss |0-1 | Ivan Lopez |Decision (Unanimous) |Reto Maximo 1 | |2 |5:00 |Tijuana, Mexico |

References

External links

Category:Living people Category:1985 births Category:Mexican mixed martial artists Category:Featherweight mixed martial artists Category:People from Tijuana

name	Shahrukh Khan
other names	Shah Rukh Khan, King Khan, SRK
birth date	November 02, 1965
birth place	New Delhi, India
years active	1988–present
spouse	Gauri Khan (1991–present)
occupation	Actor, producer, television presenter }}

Shahrukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "The King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films.

Khan began his career appearing in several television serials in the late 1980s. He made his film debut in ''Deewana'' (1992). Since then, he has been part of numerous commercially successful films and has earned critical acclaim for many of his performances. Khan has won fourteen Filmfare Awards for his work in Indian films, eight of which are in the Best Actor category (a record). In 2005, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri for his contributions towards Indian Cinema.

Khan's films such as ''Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'' (1995), ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' (1998), ''Chak De! India'' (2007), ''Om Shanti Om'' (2007) and ''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' (2008) remain some of Bollywood's biggest hits, while films like ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (2001), ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (2003), ''Veer-Zaara'' (2004), ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (2006) and ''My Name Is Khan'' (2010) have been top-grossing Indian productions in the overseas markets, thus making him one of the most successful actors of India.

Since 2000, Khan branched out into film production and television presenting as well. He is the founder/owner of two production companies, Dreamz Unlimited and Red Chillies Entertainment. Globally, Khan is considered to be one of the biggest movie stars, with a fan following numbering in the billions and a net worth estimated at over . In 2008, ''Newsweek'' named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.

Biography

Khan was born in 1965 to Muslim parents of Pathan descent in New Delhi, India. His father, Taj Mohammed Khan, was an Indian independence activist from Peshawar, British India. According to Khan, his paternal grandfather was originally from Afghanistan. His mother, Lateef Fatima, was the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Janjua Rajput clan, who served as a General in the Indian National Army of Subash Chandra Bose. Khan's father came to New Delhi from Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar before the partition of India, while his mother's family came from Rawalpindi, British India. Khan has an elder sister named Shehnaz.

Growing up in Rajendra Nagar neighbourhood, Khan attended St. Columba's School where he was accomplished in sports, drama, and academics. He won the ''Sword of Honour'', an annual award given to the student who best represents the spirit of the school. Khan later attended the Hansraj College (1985–1988) and earned his Bachelors degree in Economics (honors). Though he pursued a Masters Degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia, he later opted out to make his career in Bollywood.

After the death of his parents, Khan moved to Mumbai in 1991. In that same year, before any of his films were released, he married Gauri Chibber, a Hindu, in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on 25 October 1991. They have two children, son Aryan (b. 1997) and daughter Suhana (b. 2000). According to Khan, while he strongly believes in Allah, he also values his wife's religion. At home, his children follow both religions, with the Qur'an being situated next to the Hindu deities.

In 2005, Nasreen Munni Kabir produced a two-part documentary on Khan, titled ''The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan''. Featuring his 2004 Temptations concert tour, the film contrasted Khan's inner world of family and daily life with the outer world of his work. The book ''Still Reading Khan'', which details his family life, was released in 2006. Another book by Anupama Chopra, ''King of Bollywood: Shahrukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema'', was released in 2007. It describes the world of Bollywood through Khan's life.

Film career

Background

Khan studied acting under celebrated Theatre Director Barry John at Delhi's Theatre Action Group (TAG). In 2007, John commented thus on his former pupil, "The credit for the phenomenally successful development and management of Shahrukh's career goes to the superstar himself." Khan made his acting debut in 1988 with the television series, ''Fauji'', playing the role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai. He went on to appear in other television serials, such as the 1989 serial, Aziz Mirza's ''Circus'', which depicted the life of circus performers. The same year, Khan also had a minor role in the made-for-television English-language film, ''In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones'', which was based on life at Delhi University and was written by Arundhati Roy. When Khan appeared in those teleserials, people found in him some resemblance with legendary actor Dilip Kumar and also compared his acting style with the thespian.

1990s

Upon moving from New Delhi to Mumbai in 1991, Khan made his Bollywood movie debut in ''Deewana'' (1992). The movie became a box office hit, and launched his career in Bollywood. His performance won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. He went on to star in ''Maya Memsaab'', which generated some controversy because of his appearance in an "explicit" sex scene in the movie.

In 1993, Khan won acclaim for his performances in villainous roles as an obsessive lover and a murderer, respectively, in the box office hits, ''Darr'' and ''Baazigar''. In Khan's entry in Encyclopedia Britannica's "Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema" it was stated that "he defied the image of the conventional hero in both these films and created his own version of the revisionist hero." ''Darr'' marked his first collaboration with renowned film-maker Yash Chopra and his banner Yash Raj Films, the largest production company in Bollywood. ''Baazigar'', which saw Khan portraying an ambiguous avenger who murders his girlfriend, shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula. His performance won him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award. In that same year, Khan played the role of a young musician in Kundan Shah's ''Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa'', a performance that earned him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Khan maintains that this is his all-time favourite among the movies he has acted in. In 1994, Khan once again played an obsessive lover/psycho's role in ''Anjaam'', co-starring alongside Madhuri Dixit. Though the movie was not a box office success, Khan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award.

In 1995, Khan starred in the two biggest hits of the year in India. His first release was Rakesh Roshan's ''Karan Arjun''. The film, which dealt with reincarnation, became the second-highest grossing film of the year. He followed it with Aditya Chopra's directorial debut, the romance ''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge''. A major critical and commercial success, the movie became the year's top-grossing production in India. In 2007, it entered its twelfth year in Mumbai cinemas. By then the movie had grossed over 12 billion rupees, making it one of India's biggest movie blockbusters. ''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'' won ten Filmfare Awards, and Khan's performance as a young NRI who falls for Kajol's character while on a college vacation, won him his second Best Actor Award. In 2005, ''Indiatimes Movies'' ranked the movie amongst the ''25 Must See Bollywood Films'', citing it as a "trendsetter of sorts". In that same year's retrospective review by Rediff, Raja Sen stated, "Khan gives a fabulous performance, redefining the Lover for the 1990s with great panache. He's cool and flippant, but sincere enough to appeal to the junta. The performance itself is, like the best in the business, played well enough to come across as effortless, as non-acting."

1996 was a disappointing year for Khan as all his movies released that year failed to do well at the box office. This was, however, followed by a comeback in 1997. He saw success with Subhash Ghai's social drama ''Pardes'' – one of the biggest hits of the year – and Aziz Mirza's comedy ''Yes Boss'', a moderately successful feature. His second project with Yash Chopra as a director, ''Dil to Pagal Hai'' became that year's second highest-grossing movie, and he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role as a stage director who falls in love with one of his new actresses.

In 1998, Khan starred in Karan Johar's directorial debut, ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'', which was the biggest hit of the year. His performance won him his fourth Best Actor award at the Filmfare. He won critical praise for his performance in Mani Ratnam's ''Dil Se''. The movie did not do well at the Indian box office, though it was a commercial success overseas. Khan's only release in 1999, ''Baadshah'', was an average grosser.

2000s

Khan's success continued with Aditya Chopra's 2000 film, ''Mohabbatein'', co-starring Amitabh Bachchan. It did well at the box office, and Khan's performance as a college teacher won him his second Critics Award for Best Performance. He also starred in Mansoor Khan's action film ''Josh''. The film starred Khan as the leader of a Christian gang in Goa and Aishwarya Rai as his twin sister, and was also a box office success. In that same year, Khan set up his own production house, ''Dreamz Unlimited'' with Juhi Chawla (see below). Both Khan and Chawla starred in the first movie of their production house, ''Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani''. His collaboration with Karan Johar continued in 2001 with the family drama ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'' which was the second biggest hit of the year. He also received favourable reviews for his performance as Emperor Asoka in the historical epic, ''Asoka'', a partly fictionalised account of the life of Ashoka the Great (304 BC–232 BC).

In 2002, Khan received acclaim for playing the title role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's award-winning period romance, ''Devdas''. This was the third Hindi movie adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's well-known novel of the same name, and surfaced as one of the biggest hits of that year. Khan also starred opposite Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit in the family-drama ''Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam'', which did well at the box office. In 2003, Khan starred in the moderately successful romantic drama, ''Chalte Chalte''. That same year, he starred in the tearjerker, ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'', written by Karan Johar and directed by Nikhil Advani. Khan's performance in this movie as a man with a fatal heart disease was appreciated. The movie proved to be one of the year's biggest hits in India and Bollywood's biggest hit in the overseas markets.

2004 was a particularly good year for Khan, both commercially and critically. He starred in Farah Khan's directorial debut, the action comedy ''Main Hoon Na''. The movie did well at the box office. He then played the role of an Indian officer, Veer Pratap Singh in Yash Chopra's love saga ''Veer-Zaara'', which was the biggest hit of 2004 in both India and overseas. The film relates the love story of Veer and a Pakistani woman Zaara Haayat Khan, played by Preity Zinta. Khan's performance in the film won him awards at several award ceremonies. In that same year, he received critical acclaim for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker's drama ''Swades''. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for all three of his releases in 2004, winning it for ''Swades''.

In 2006, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the fourth time with the melodrama ''Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna''. It did well in India and much more so in the overseas market, becoming the biggest Bollywood hit in the overseas market of all-time. His second release that year saw him playing the title role in the action film ''Don: The Chase Begins Again'', a remake of the 1978 hit ''Don''. The movie was a success.

Khan's success continued with a few more highly popular films. One of his most successful works was the multiple award-winning 2007 film, ''Chak De! India'', about the Indian women's national hockey team. Earning over Rs 639 million, ''Chak De! India'' became the third highest grossing movie of 2007 in India and won yet another Filmfare Best Actor Award for Khan. The film was a major critical success. In the same year Khan also starred in Farah Khan's 2007 film, ''Om Shanti Om''. The film emerged as the year's highest grossing film in India and the overseas market, and became India's highest grossing production ever up to that point. It earned him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony. His 2008 release, the romantic drama ''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' was a box office success. His only 2009 release was ''Billu'' where he played film superstar Saahil Khan who is reunited with his childhood friend Billu played by Irrfan Khan.

2010s

Khan's next film was ''My Name Is Khan'', his fourth collaboration with director Karan Johar and the sixth movie in which he is paired with Kajol. Filming commenced in December 2008 in Los Angeles and ended in October 2009. While on one shoot in Los Angeles, along with his wife Gauri and director Karan Johar, he took a break from filming to attend the 66th Golden Globe Awards, held in Los Angeles, on 11 January 2009, where he was introduced as the ''King of Bollywood''. Khan introduced ''Slumdog Millionaire'', a movie he had previously turned down, along with a star from the film, Freida Pinto. ''My Name Is Khan'' was released on 12 February 2010. Based on a true story, and set against the backdrop of perceptions on Islam post 11 September attacks, ''My Name Is Khan'' stars Khan as Rizwan Khan, a Muslim man suffering from Asperger syndrome who sets out on a journey across America on a mission to meet the country's President and clear his name. During a promotional visit to the United States, Khan was detained at Newark Airport, New Jersey because of the similarity of his last name to known terrorists. Upon release, the film received positive reviews from critics and became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time in the overseas market. Khan won his eighth Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his portrayal, thereby joining Dilip Kumar as the record holder in this category. He has completed filming for Anubhav Sinha's science fiction ''Ra.One'' opposite Kareena Kapoor, which is due for release on 26 October 2011. While shooting for the film, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Yash Raj Studios, to watch Khan at work.

Producer

Khan turned producer when he set up a production company called ''Dreamz Unlimited'' with Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza in 1999. The first two of the films he produced and starred in: ''Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani'' (2000) and ''Asoka'' (2001) were box office failures. However, his third film as a producer and star, ''Chalte Chalte'' (2003), proved a box office hit.

In 2004, Khan set up another production company, ''Red Chillies Entertainment'', and produced and starred in ''Main Hoon Na'', another hit. The following year, he produced and starred in the fantasy film ''Paheli'', which did poorly. It was, however, India's official entry to the Academy Awards for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film, but it did not pass the final selection. Also in 2005, Khan co-produced the supernatural horror film ''Kaal'' with Karan Johar, and performed an item number for the film with Malaika Arora Khan. ''Kaal'' was moderately successful at the box office. His company has further gone on to produce ''Om Shanti Om'' (2007), ''Billu'' (2009), ''Always Kabhi Kabhi'' (2011), as well as his forthcoming releases ''Ra.One'' and ''Don 2: The Chase Continues''.

Apart from film production, the company also has a visual effects studio known as ''Red Chillies VFX''. It has also ventured into television content production, with shows like, ''The First Ladies'', ''Ghar Ki Baat Hai', and ''Knights and Angels''. Television advertisements are also produced by the company.

In 2008, Red Chillies Entertainment became the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the BCCI-backed IPL cricket competition.

Television

In 2007, Khan replaced Amitabh Bachchan as the host of the third series of the popular game show ''Kaun Banega Crorepati'', the Indian version of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?''. The previous had hosted the show for five years from 2000–05. On 22 January 2007, ''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' aired with Khan as the new host and later ended on 19 April 2007.

On 25 April 2008, Khan began hosting the game show ''Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?'', the Indian version of ''Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?'', whose last episode was telecasted on 27 July 2008, with Lalu Prasad Yadav as the special guest.

In February 2011, he began hosting Zor Ka Jhatka, the Indian version of the American game show Wipeout, on Imagine TV.

Awards and nominations

Apart from acting awards, Khan has been awarded several honours which include the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award from the Government of India in 2005. In April 2007, a life-size wax statue of Khan was installed at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, London. Another statue was installed at the Musée Grévin in Paris, the same year. During the same year, he was accorded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) award by the French government for his “exceptional career”. There are also statues in Hong Kong and New York

In October 2008, Khan was conferred the ''Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka'' which carries the honorific Datuk (in similar fashion to "Sir" in British knighthood), by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, the head of state of Malacca in Malaysia. Khan was honoured for "promoting tourism in Malacca" by filming ''One Two Ka Four'' there in 2001. Some were critical of this decision. He was also honoured with an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire in 2009.

Filmography

Film actor

''Maya Memsaab'' ''Anjaam'' ''Karan Arjun'' ''English Babu Desi Mem'' ''Gudgudee'' ''Duplicate (1998 film) ''Baadshah'' ''Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani'' ''One 2 Ka 4'' ''Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam'' ''Chalte Chalte (2003 film) ''Yeh Lamhe Judaai Ke '' ''Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye'' ''Alag'' ''Chak De ''Krazzy 4'' ''Luck by Chance'' ''Dulha Mil Gaya'' ''Always Kabhi Kabhi'' ''Koochie Koochie Hota Hain''

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Film	Role	Notes
rowspan="5"	1992	Deewana (1992 film)>Deewana''	Raja Sahai
''Idiot (1992 film)	Idiot''	Pawan Raghujan
''Chamatkar''	Sunder Srivastava
''Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman''	Raju (Raj Mathur)
''Dil Aashna Hai''	Karan
rowspan="5"	1993	|	Lalit Kumar
''King Uncle''	Anil Bhansal
''Baazigar''	Ajay Sharma/Vicky Malhotra
''Darr''	Rahul Mehra
''Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa''	Sunil
1994	|	Vijay Agnihotri	Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
rowspan="7"	1995	|	Arjun Singh/Vijay
''Zamana Deewana''	Rahul Malhotra
''Guddu''	Guddu Bahadur
''Oh Darling	Yeh Hai India!''	Hero
''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge''	Raj Malhotra
''Ram Jaane''	Ram Jaane
''Trimurti (film)	Trimurti''	Romi Singh
rowspan="4"	1996	|	Vikram/Hari/Gopal Mayur
''Chaahat''	Roop Rathore
''Army (film)	Army''	Arjun
''Dushman Duniya Ka''	Badru
rowspan="5"	1997	|		Special appearance
''Koyla''	Shankar
''Yes Boss''	Rahul Joshi
''Pardes (film)	Pardes''	Arjun Saagar
''Dil To Pagal Hai''	Rahul
rowspan="4"	1998	Duplicate'' ||	Bablu Chaudhry/Manu Dada	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
''Achanak (1998 film)	Achanak''	Himself
''Dil Se''	Amarkant Varma
''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''	Rahul Khanna
1999	|	Raj Heera/Baadshah	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role
rowspan="6"	2000	|	Ajay Bakshi
''Hey Ram''	Amjad Ali Khan
''Josh (2000 film)	Josh''	Max
''Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega''	Rahul
''Mohabbatein''	Raj Aryan Malhotra
''Gaja Gamini''	Himself
rowspan="3"	2001	|	Arun Verma
''Asoka (2001 film)	Asoka''	Asoka
''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...''	Rahul Raichand
rowspan="4"	2002	|	Gopal
''Devdas (2002 film)	Devdas''	Devdas Mukherjee
''Shakti (2002 film)	Shakti: The Power''	Jaisingh
''Saathiya''	Yeshwant Rao
rowspan="2"	2003	Chalte Chalte'' ||	Raj Mathur
''Kal Ho Naa Ho''	Aman Mathur
rowspan="4"	2004	|	Dushant
''Main Hoon Na''	Maj. Ram Prasad Sharma
''Veer-Zaara''	Veer Pratap Singh
''Swades''	Mohan Bhargava
rowspan="5"	2005	|	Himself	Special appearance
''Kaal (2005 film)	Kaal''
''Silsilay''	Sutradhar
''Paheli''	Kishenlal/The Ghost
''The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan	The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan''	Himself (Biopic)
rowspan="4"	2006	|		Special appearance in song "Sabse Alag"
''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''	Dev Saran
''Don: The Chase Begins Again''
''I See You (film)	I See You''
rowspan="3"	2007	India''	Kabir Khan
''Heyy Babyy''	Raj Malhotra
''Om Shanti Om''	Om Prakash Makhija/ Om Kapoor
rowspan="4"	2008	|		Special appearance in song "Break Free"
''Bhoothnath''	Aditya Sharma
''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi''	Surinder Sahni/Raj
''Kismat Konnection''	Narrator
rowspan="2"	2009	|	Himself	Guest appearance
''Billu''	Sahir Khan
rowspan="3"	2010	|	Pawan Raj Gandhi (PRG)	Extended appearance
''My Name Is Khan''	Rizwan Khan
''Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu''	Himself
rowspan="3"	2011	|		Special appearance in song "Antenna"
''Ra.One''	G.One
''Don 2: The Chase Continues''	Don
2012	|	Rocky	Post-production

Producer

''Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani'' (2000)

''Asoka'' (2001)

''Chalte Chalte'' (2003)

''Main Hoon Na'' (2004)

''Kaal'' (2005)

''Paheli'' (2005)

''Om Shanti Om'' (2007)

''Billu'' (2009)

''Always Kabhi Kabhi'' (2011)

''Ra.One'' (2011)

''Don 2: The Chase Continues'' (2011)

Television appearances

''Dil Dariya'' (1988)

''Fauji'' (1988) ... Abhimanyu Rai

''Doosra Keval'' (1989) ... Keval

''Circus'' (1989)

''In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones'' (1989)

''Kareena Kareena'' (2004) ... Special appearance

''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' (2007) ... Host

''Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?'' (2008)  .... Host

''Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout'' (2011) ... Host

See also

List of Indian Actors

Newark Airport Incident

Notes

Bibliography

Nasreen Munni Kabir. ''The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan'' (Documentary, 2005).

''Shahrukh Khan – Still Reading Khan''. A1Books Distributor 2007. ISBN 9788187107798.

Gahlot, Deepa; Agarwal, Amit. ''King Khan SRK''. Augsburg Weltbild 2007. ISBN 9783828988699.

Ghosh, Biswadeep. ''Hall of fame: Shahrukh Khan'' (in English). Mumbai: Magna Books, 2004. ISBN 8178092379.

Chopra, Anupama. ''King of Bollywood : Shah Rukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema'' (English). New York: Warner Books, 2007. ISBN 9780446578585.

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Hindi film actors Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian film producers Category:Indian Muslims Category:Indian Premier League franchise owners Category:Indian singers Category:Indian television actors Category:Indian voice actors Category:Indian television presenters Category:Indian people of Afghan descent Category:Jamia Millia Islamia alumni Category:Living people Category:Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Category:Pashtun people Category:People from Delhi Category:People from Peshawar Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:University of Delhi alumni Category:Indian game show hosts

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Name	Lara Dutta
Occupation	Actress, model
Birth place	Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Birth date	April 16, 1978
Yearsactive	2001–present
Birth name	Lara Dutta
Height
Weight
Measurements	35-25-37
Spouse	Mahesh Bhupathi (2011–present)
Domesticpartner	}}

Lara Dutta Bhupathi (; born 16 April 1978) is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and former Miss Universe.

Biography

Early life

Lara was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to a Punjabi father and an Anglo-Indian mother. Her father is Wing Commander L.K. Dutta (retired) and her mother is Jennifer Dutta. She also has two elder sisters, one of whom serves in the Indian Air Force and a well known younger sister. Famed composer and DJ Nitin Sawhney is Lara's cousin. The Dutta family moved to Bangalore in 1981 where she completed high school from St.Francis Xavier Girls' High School and the Frank Anthony Public School. Lara graduated in economics with a minor in communications from the University of Mumbai. She was crowned Miss Universe in 2000 which led to her appointment as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in 2001.

Modeling career

Lara Dutta won the annual Gladrags modeling competition in her native India, thus winning the right to be the first Indian representative at the 1997 Miss Intercontinental, in which she took first place. Later, she was crowned Femina Miss India Universe and Miss Universe in 2000.

At Miss Universe 2000 in Cyprus, Lara was the clear favorite ahead of fierce competition from Venezuela, Spain, USA and Canada. She achieved the highest score in the swimsuit competition and her finalist interview score was the highest individual score in any category in the history of the Miss Universe contest, as her perfect interview saw a majority of the judges giving her the maximum 9.99 mark. After her final question, in which she delivered a passionate defense of the Miss Universe contest (and other beauty pageants), she became the second Indian Miss Universe.

In the same year, Priyanka Chopra and Dia Mirza won their respective Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific titles which gave India a rare triple victory in the world of beauty pageants.

Acting career

Lara primarily signed up to do the Tamil film, ''Arasatchi'' in 2002, but due to financial problems, it only released in mid-2004. She made her Hindi debut in 2003 with the film ''Andaaz'' which was a box office success and won her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. She then appeared in a number of films, some of which failed at the box office and some of which were moderately successful. Her box office "hits" include ''Masti'' (2004), ''No Entry'' (2005), ''Partner'' (2007) and ''Housefull'' (2010).

In 2006, she starred in the comedy, ''Bhagam Bhag'' which did well at the box office.

In 2005, Sania Mirza and Lara Dutta Bhupathi both participated in Kaun Banega Crorepati (season 2) on 13 November 2005. Dutta's first release of 2007 was Shaad Ali's ''Jhoom Barabar Jhoom''. The film was a box office failure in India but did better overseas, especially in the U.K. She received mixed reviews for her performance in the film. Her later release, ''Partner'' opened to a good response and became a hit.

Her 2009 release, ''Blue'' was one of the most expensive movies of Indian cinema. Lara had initially walked out of the project because the movie was entirely shot in the ocean and she did not know how to swim. However the male protagonist Akshay Kumar encouraged her in learning how to swim and she immediately started training with a special coach. ''Blue'' was released on 16 October 2009. She stated that "The moment I got to know of it, I called Akshay and told him that I wouldn't be able to accept the assignment. He knew the reason behind my decision. Not many people are aware that I had almost drowned while shooting for Andaaz, Akshay had rescued me. When I reminded him I couldn't swim, he told me to forget my phobia and learn swimming pronto," said Dutta. "Today, I feel Blue has not merely made me overcome my phobias, but has also taught me something that will stay with me for the rest of my life".

Her 2010 release ''Housefull'' was a hit across India. The movie starred Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone and Riteish Deshmukh. It was the 4th biggest hit in the country with Rs 955 Millions of gross revenue . She played the role of Hetal Petal, one of the main characters in the movie.

In 2011, her first movie as a producer, Chalo Dilli was released.

Personal life

Lara dated New York Yankees star Derek Jeter when she lived in New York City. There she was spotted at a baseball game in Yankees Stadium and a news items was carried on ESPN.

In September 2010, she got engaged to Indian tennis player, Mahesh Bhupathi. They got married on February 16, 2011 in a civil ceremony in Bandra, and later followed it by a Christian ceremony on 20 February 2011 at Sunset Point in Goa.

On 1 August 2011, Lara confirmed that she is pregnant with their first child.

Filmography

''Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost'' ''Khakee'' ''Masti'' ''Bardaasht'' ''Arasatchi'' ''Aan: Men at Work'' ''Insan'' ''Elaan'' ''Jurm'' ''Kaal'' ''No Entry'' ''Ek Ajnabee'' ''Dosti: Friends Forever'' ''Zinda (film) ''Fanaa (film) ''Alag'' ''Bhagam Bhag'' ''Jhoom Barabar Jhoom'' ''Partner (2007 film) ''Om Shanti Om (film) ''Jumbo (film) ''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' ''Billu Barber'' ''Satyameva Jeyathe'' ''Do Knot Disturb'' ''Blue (2009 film) ''Housefull (film) ''Chalo Dilli'' ''Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai'' ''Don 2 - The Chase Continues''

Year !! Film !! Role !! Other notes
2003	''Andaaz''	Kajal
2003	|	Kesar
2004	|		Special appearance in song "Aisa Jadoo"
2004	|	Monica
2004	|	Advocate Payal
2004	|	Lara	Tamil cinema>Tamil film
2004	|	Kiran
2005	|	Meghna
2005	|	Sonia
2005	|	Sanjana Malhotra
2005	|	Ishika
2005	|	Kajal
2005	|	Adult Anamika	Special appearance
2005	|	Kajal
2006	Zinda'' ||	Jenny Singh
2006	Fanaa'' ||	Zeenat	Special appearance
2006	|		Special appearance in song "Sabse Alag"
2006	|	Munni/Nisha/Aditi
2007	|	Anaida Raza/Laila
2007	Partner'' ||	Naina
2007	Om Shanti Om'' ||	Herself	Special appearance in song "Deewangi Deewangi"
2008	Jumbo'' ||	Sonia
2008	|		Special appearance in song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte"
2009	|	Bindiya
2009	|		Telugu language>Telugu filmSpecial appearance "Aisa Jadoo" song dubbed in telugu
2009	|	Dolly
2009	Blue'' ||	Mona
2010	Housefull'' ||	Hetal Patel
2011	|	Mihika Mukherjee
2011	|		Releasing on November 4, 2011
2011	|	Anita	Releasing on December 23, 2011

Awards

;Wins

2004: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female, ''Andaaz''

2004: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, ''Andaaz'' (joint winner with Priyanka Chopra)

2008: Rajiv Gandhi awards (female contribution to film cinema)

;Nominations

2006: IIFA Awards Best supporting actress for ''No Entry''

2009: Stardust Awards Best Actress for ''Billu''

References

External links

Official Website of Lara Dutta Bhupathi

}}

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Femina Miss India winners Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian female models Category:Military brats Category:Miss Universe winners Category:Miss Universe 2000 contestants Category:People from Uttar Pradesh Category:University of Mumbai alumni Category:People from Ghaziabad Category:Hindi film actors Category:Indian actors Category:Indian Christians Category:Punjabi people

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playername	Michael Page
country	United States
fullname	Michael Stephen Page
living	yes
dayofbirth	17
monthofbirth	6
yearofbirth	1941
countryofbirth	United States
batting	Right-handed batsman (RHB)
bowling	Right-arm off-break
club1	Derbyshire
year1	1964–1975
type1	First-class cricket
type1	First-class
debutdate1	3 June
debutyear1	1964
debutfor1	Derbyshire
debutagainst1	Worcestershire
lastdate1	23 August
lastyear1	1975
lastfor1	Derbyshire
lastagainst1	Gloucestershire
deliveries	balls
columns	2
column1	First-class
matches1	254
runs1	11538
bat avg1	28.55
100s/50s1	9/63
top score1	162
deliveries1	888
wickets1	7
bowl avg1	75.28
fivefor1	-
tenfor1	-
best bowling1	1-0
catches/stumpings1	248/0
column2	List A
matches2	80
runs2	1262
bat avg2	16.38
100s/50s2	-/4
top score2	83
deliveries2	13
wickets2	-
bowl avg2	-
fivefor2	-
tenfor2	N/A
best bowling2	-
catches/stumpings2	34/0
date	16 June
year	2010
source	http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/31/31850/31850.html }}

Michael Harry Page (born 17 June 1941) is a former English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1964 and 1975.

Page was born in Blackpool. He began his career with Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, for whom he played briefly for the Second XI, though it was with Derbyshire that he was to decide to play first-class cricket. He signed a professional contract in 1964. Page's Derbyshire debut, in June 1964, was a steady one, as he scored 25 and aided team-mate Edwin Smith in a seventh-wicket partnership of 57 against Worcestershire. In August of the same year he scored 112 against Leicestershire at Chesterfield, the first of nine centuries which included a career-best of 162 in the 1969 season. Page also helped the Derbyshire team to the runners-up spot in the Gillette Cup competition of 1969. Page remained a first-team choice for the first half of the 1970s. He played for Derbyshire until the 1975 season, playing his final match for the first team in August 1975.

Page was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. At the beginning of his career, Page bowled occasionally, and he took four wickets on one occasion for Derbyshire's Second XI. But it was clear early on that his primary role would be one of a middle-order batsman, though there was an early attempt to turn him into an opener.

External links

Michael Page at Cricket Archive

Category:1941 births Category:English cricketers Category:Living people Category:Derbyshire cricketers Category:International Cavaliers cricketers Category:People from Blackpool