The Republic of Korea is an East Asian state on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. To the north, it is bordered by North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), with which it was united until 1945. To the west, across the Yellow Sea, lies China, and to the southeast, across the Korea Strait, lies Japan. The Repubic of Korea is a democracy, with the Capital city being in Seoul. Major cities include Seoul, and Pusan.  South Korea's population is 48.8 million. The climate is temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter. Snow is common in mountain regions.