KEY POINTS:
Why are we asking this now?
In a rare visit to the isolated nation of North Korea, Foreign Minister Winston Peters is discussing with its leaders dismantling the country's nuclear programmes. Mr Peters' visit is the first by a New Zealand minister since the country was formed
after the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945.
Where is North Korea?
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a state in East Asia in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. It has a land mass of 122,762 sq km. The capital city is Pyongyang, on the Taedong River.
South and North Korea are separated by the Korean Demilitarised Zone. The nations were united until after World War II.
At its northern Yalu River border is China and northeast, separated by the Tumen River, is Russia.
The highest point in North Korea is Baekdu Mountain at 2744m. The longest river is the Amnok River which flows for 790km.
North Korea's climate is usually temperate. Winters can be extremely cold.
Who are the people?
North Korea's population of about 23 million is considered one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous in the world.
There are small numbers of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Europeans.
North Korea shares the Korean language with South Korea but there are subtle dialect differences between them. Both Koreas use the Hangul writing system, called Chosongul in North Korea. The main religions are Buddhism and Confucianism, but there are a small number of Protestant, Christian and Chondogyo movements.
Who rules the country?
The country's dictatorship government styles itself on the Juche ideology, developed by Kim Il-sung, the country's first and only President. Juche translates to mean main body or subject.
The governing party is the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, a coalition made up of three smaller parties; the Workers' Party of North Korea, the North Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party.
The parties nominate all candidates for office and hold all seats in the Supreme People's Assembly.
The present leader is Kim Jong-il - Il-sung's son - who chairs the National Defence Commission and heads the party and military hierarchy. Second in charge is the president of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Young-Nam, whom Mr Peters was to meet this week.
The next election is next year.
So what about the human rights?
Many international human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, accuse North Korea of having the worst human rights in the world because of the restricted political and economic freedoms.
There have been reports of prison and detention camps with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 inmates.
It has also been said that torture, starvation, rape, murder, medical experimentation, forced labour and forced abortions take place regularly in North Korea.
How do other countries get along with North Korea?
Since the ceasefire of the Korean War in 1953, the relations between North Korea, South Korea, the United States and Japan have been tense.
The war between the two Koreas has not officially been declared over but, last month, South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun signed a peace agreement with Jong-il.
The agreement included discussions on permanent peace, economic co-operation, renewal of train, highway and air travel, and a joint Olympic cheering squad.
In 2002, US President George W. Bush labelled North Korea part of an "axis of evil" and an "outpost of tyranny".
The highest-level contact the North Korean Government has had with the US was with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who visited Pyongyang in 2000.
North Korea's ties are strong with the other communist states of Vietnam, Laos and China.
What about its culture?
Much of North Korea's literature, music, theatre and film glorify the country's leaders.
In every city, there are state-run theatres and stadiums.
Large buildings committed to culture include the People's Palace of Culture or the Grand People's Palace of Studies.
A government-organised festival called the Mass Games involves more than 100,000 performers and glorifies the country's two leaders.
