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South Korea:
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Other pages in this profile of South Korea:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
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. |
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Location |
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea |
Geographic coordinates |
37 00 N, 127 30 E |
Map references |
Asia |
Area |
total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km |
Area - comparative |
slightly larger than Indiana |
Land boundaries |
total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km |
Coastline |
2,413 km |
Maritime claims |
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 |
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter |
Terrain |
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m |
Natural resources |
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential |
Land use |
arable land: 16.58% permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.41% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
8,780 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards |
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest |
Environment - current issues |
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing |
Environment - international agreements |
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 |
strategic location on Korea Strait |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |