| Introduction :: Korea, South |
Background:
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| 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. Harsh rhetoric and unwillingness by North Korea to engage with President LEE Myung-bak following his February 2008 inauguration has strained inter-Korean relations. |
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| Geography :: Korea, South |
Location:
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| Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
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Geographic coordinates:
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37 00 N, 127 30 E
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Area:
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total: 99,720 sq km
country comparison to the world: 115
land:
96,920 sq km
water:
2,800 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Indiana
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Land boundaries:
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total: 238 km
border countries:
North Korea 238 km
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Coastline:
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2,413 km
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Maritime claims:
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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
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Climate:
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temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
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Terrain:
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mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point:
Halla-san 1,950 m
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Natural resources:
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coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
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Land use:
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arable land: 16.58%
permanent crops:
2.01%
other:
81.41% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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8,780 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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69.7 cu km (1999)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 18.59 cu km/yr (36%/16%/48%)
per capita:
389 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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strategic location on Korea Strait |
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Population:
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| 48,508,972 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 16.8% (male 4,278,581/female 3,887,516)
15-64 years:
72.3% (male 17,897,053/female 17,196,840)
65 years and over:
10.8% (male 2,104,589/female 3,144,393) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 37.3 years
male:
36 years
female:
38.5 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.266% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
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Birth rate:
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8.93 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
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Death rate:
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5.94 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
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Net migration rate:
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-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 81% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
0.6% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.67 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 4.26 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 204
male:
4.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
4.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.72 years
country comparison to the world: 40
male:
75.45 years
female:
82.22 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.21 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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13,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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fewer than 500 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
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Nationality:
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noun: Korean(s)
adjective:
Korean
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Ethnic groups:
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homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
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Religions:
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Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)
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Languages:
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Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
97.9%
male:
99.2%
female:
96.6% (2002)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 17 years
male:
18 years
female:
15 years (2007)
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Education expenditures:
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4.6% of GDP (2004)
country comparison to the world: 85
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