| Geography and Climate |
Republic of Korea in Eastern Asia, is located in southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. Area comparatively slightly larger than Indiana. Total land boundary is 238 km, border country is North Korea 238 km.
Climate is temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter. Terrain consists mostly of hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south. Elevation extreme has the lowest point in Sea of Japan 0 m and highest point in Halla-san 1,950 m. Natural resources are coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower. Land use: arable land: 19%, permanent crops: 2%, permanent pastures: 1%, forests and woodland: 65%, other: 13% (1993 est.).
Irrigated land: 13,350 sq km (1993 est.). Natural hazards are occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest.
Environment—current issues: air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing.
Ref. Anonymous, 1999 |