| Geography | South Korea |
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Location:
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Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea |
Geographic coordinates:
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37 00 N, 127 30 E |
Map references:
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Asia |
Area:
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total: 99,720 sq km
land: 96,920 sq km
water: 2,800 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Indiana |
Land boundaries:
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total: 238 km
border countries: North Korea 238 km |
Coastline:
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2,413 km |
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 |
Climate:
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temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter |
Terrain:
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mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m |
Natural resources:
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coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential |
Land use:
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arable land: 16.58%
permanent crops: 2.01%
other: 81.41% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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8,320 sq km (2008) |
Total renewable water resources:
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69.7 cu km (1999) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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1,430 cubic meters per capita |
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) |
Natural hazards:
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occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
volcanism: Halla (elev. 1,950 m) is considered historically active although it has not erupted in many centuries |
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 |
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 |
Geography - note:
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strategic location on Korea Strait |
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