SOUTH KOREA

Location and Boundaries

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (대한민국 ) is a country located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Its neighbors are China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north.

Geography South Korea can be divided into four

general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins, and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the Nakdong River.

Climate Winter - December to mid-March. The

temperature is almost always below 0C. December, January and February get a lot of snowfall.

Spring begins in late March / early April and continues until the beginning of June. Usually the temperature will stay between 5 and 10C. Also in April the cherry blossoms are out in full bloom.

The summers in Korea are hot, humid and rainy. The temperature for summer always stays above 20c and can reach into the 30′s.

Autumn is quite short and lasts from mid September to November. The temperatures are 15C +, it is quite dry and there are not many rainy days. There are 2 or 3 days usually when a typhoon hits nearby Japan and causes high winds and heavy rain.

Jeju Island

Population On June 23, 2012 South Korea's population

touched 50 million as the 26th country to reach the mark.

The country is noted for its population density, which is 487 per square kilometer, more than 10 times the global average.

As of 2005, just under half of the South Korean population expressed no religious preference. Of the rest, most are Buddhist or Christian. 

Largest Cities and Population

1. Seoul: 9,794,3042. Busan: 3,414,9503. Incheon: 2,662,5094. Daegu: 2,446,4185. Daejeon: 1,501,859

Government The government of South Korea is divided

into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative.

Since 25.02.2013 the president of South Korea is Park Geun-hye.

The Blue House is the executive office and official residence of the South Korean head of state, the President of the Republic of Korea and located in the capital city of Seoul.

Economy, transport and energy South Korea has a market economy which

ranks 15th in the world by nominal GDP. It is a high-income developed country and is a member of OECD.

South Korea has a technically advanced transport network consisting of high-speed railways, highways, bus routes, ferry services, and air routes that criss-cross the country.

South Korea is the world's fifth-largest nuclear power producer and the second-largest in Asia as of 2010

Technology South Korean corporations Samsung and

LG were ranked first and third largest mobile phone companies in the world in the first quarter of 2012.

Automobiles

Military Service  Military service in South Korea is an

obligation for every Korean man whose body functions are not limited by any physical disabilities or whose mental status is not unstable or potentially dangerous.

It usually lasts for 2 years.

Culture Korean art has been highly influenced

by Buddhism and Confucianism, which can be seen in the many traditional paintings, sculptures, ceramics and the performing arts.

Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, noodles, tofu, vegetables, fish and meats.

Hanbok is the traditional Korean dress.

In addition to domestic consumption, South Korean mainstream culture, including televised drama, films, and popular music, also generates significant exports to various parts of the world. This phenomenon, often called "Hallyu" or the "Korean Wave", has swept many countries in Asia and other parts of the world.