| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Asia |
| Geographical Location |
37° 00' North Latitude
127° 30' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
98,480 sq km |
| Climate |
Temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter |
| Natural Resources |
Coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Korea |
| Capital City |
Seoul |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural)
Provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong),
Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang)
Metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on), Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan) |
| Independence Day |
15 August 1945 (from Japan) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
48,422,644 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Korean |
| Ethnic Groups |
Homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese) |
| Religion |
no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%, Confucianist 1%, other 1% |
| Languages |
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.38% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
South Korean won (KRW) |
| Industries |
Electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel |
| Labor Force |
22.9 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 8%, industry 19%, services 73% (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals |
| Export Partners |
China 22.4%, US 17.8%, Japan 8.3%, Hong Kong 4.8% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics |
| Import Partners |
Japan 21.6%, US 12.7%, China 12.3%, Saudi Arabia 5.1% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
3,472 km |
| Highways |
86,990 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 1,433 km; refined products 827 km (2004) |
| Airports |
179 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+82 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.kr |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Korea was an independent kingdom under Chinese suzerainty for most of the past millennium. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea;
five years later it formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style
government was installed in the north. During the Korean War (1950-53), US and other UN forces intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese.
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 1987, South Korean voters elected ROH Tae-woo to the presidency, ending 26 years of military dictatorships.
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 Tae-chung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il. |
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