South Korea:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of South Korea:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several millennia. Between its initial unification in the 7th century - from three predecessor Korean states - until the 20th century, Korea existed as a single independent country. In 1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il. In October 2007, a second North-South summit took place between the South's President ROH Moo-hyun and the North Korean leader.

Location	Definition Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Geographic coordinates	Definition 37 00 N, 127 30 E
Map references	Definition Asia
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries	Definition total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km
Coastline	Definition 2,413 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified
Climate	Definition temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain	Definition mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Natural resources	Definition coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 16.58% permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.41% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 8,780 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 69.7 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 18.59 cu km/yr (36%/16%/48%) per capita: 389 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Environment - current issues	Definition air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition strategic location on Korea Strait

South Korea: Geography

South Korea:
Geography