South Korea: Difference between revisions

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{{Image|Taegeukgi.gif|right|200px|[[Taegeukgi]], the national flag of South Korea.}}
'''South Korea''', officially the '''Republic of Korea''' or '''ROK''' ([[Korean]]: ''Namhan''; ''Daehan Min-guk''<ref>i.e. 'Great Han people's nation'</ref>),<ref name="romanization">According to the [[revised romanization of Korean]].</ref> is a constitutional republic comprising the southern part of [[Korea]], which protrudes southward from the Northeastern Asian mainland and lies between the [[Yellow Sea]] and the [[Sea of Japan|Sea of Japan (East Sea)]]. Its [[East Asia|East Asian]] neighbors with close historical and cultural ties include [[China]], [[Taiwan]], and [[Japan]]. When South Korea was established in 1948 after the end of [[Japanese Occupation of Korea|Japanese colonial rule]], the country was one of the poorest in the world, and its economic prospect worsened with destruction of the nation's infrastructure during the [[Korean War]] from 1950 to 1953. However, during the the early 1960s and the two decades that followed, South Korea transformed its largely agricultural economy into a modern industrial power  and has currently the 13th largest [[GDP]]. South Korea's capital is [[Seoul]], one of the world's 10 largest cities<ref name="seoulsize">[http://www.korea.net/korea/kor_loca.asp?code=W05 Exploring Korea], Korea.net, date accessed: 2009-01-08.</ref> and a major technological and financial hub in the region. The country's current president is [[Lee Myungbak]], who assumed office in February, 2008.
== Geography ==
{{Image|Political map of the Korean peninsula.gif|left|200px|A political map of Korea.}}
{{Image|Korean peninsula.jpg|right|200px|A satellite image of the Korean peninsula.}}
=== Physical constituency ===
South Korea covers a total of 99,268&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (38,328&nbsp;mi<sup>2</sup>) over 8 mainland provinces, the [[Jejudo|Jeju Island]], and approximately 3,000 smaller islands appearing almost entirely on the western side of the peninsula. By comparison, the country is slightly larger than the U.S. state of [[Indiana]] and is about 4/5th the size of [[North Korea]].
South Korea is largely mountainous, with only 30% of its terrain being the lowlands, concentrated mostly on the western and the southeastern parts of the country.<ref name="encarta">"[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761562354/south_korea.html South Korea]," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2008.</ref> Along curve of the eastern coastline, the [[Taebaek Mountains]], the northern end of which originates in North Korea, run in the north-south direction.<ref name="britannica">"[http://school.eb.com/all/eb/article-9108457 Korea, South]." ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', date accessed: 2008-11-10.</ref> Four smaller mountain ranges branch off south-westward from the Tabaek Mountains, and, the largest among them, the [[Sobaek Mountains|Sobaek range]], makes a long S-shape that divides the southern region. The highest points of these are the [[Mount Jiri]] on the Sobaek Mountains, reaching a height of 1,915&nbsp;m (6,283&nbsp;ft), and [[Mount Sorak]] on the Taebaek range, peaking at 1,708&nbsp;m (5,604&nbsp;ft), but none are as high as [[Mount Halla]], which is an extinct volcano with a height of 1,950&nbsp;m (6,398&nbsp;ft). It is located on the southern island of Jejudo, which is the country's largest island.
{{Image|Tidal flat in South Korea.jpg|right|300px|A tidal flat near [[Incheon]].}}
The three major rivers in South Korea are the [[Han River|Han]], [[Geum River|Geum]], and [[Nakdong River|Nakdong]], all of which originate from the Taebaek range. The Han River is where the capital is situated, and it is the second largest in South Korea. The Han and Geum rivers drain into the [[Yellow Sea]], and the Nakdong River, the longest river in South Korea, empties south into the [[Korea Strait]]. Similarly, most of the other fluvial channels in the country also run westward into or southward into the two seas.
The country's coastline extends 2,413&nbsp;km (approximately 1,500&nbsp;mi)<ref name="ciacoast">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html "Field Listing - Coastline"], ''The World Factbook'', CIA.</ref>. The southern and western coasts differ greatly from the rockier eastern coast in that they are arranged intricately with harbors and islands, whereas the eastern coastline is smooth and simple.<ref name="encarta"/> Likewise, the [[tidal range]]s vary significantly; on the east side, tides reach only 0.3&nbsp;m, but the tidal range increases gradually along the south coast and peaks at 910&nbsp;m (one of the world's highest) in the [[Gyeonggi Bay]] in the northwest. Because the western and southern coasts also are relatively flat, extensive and wide [[tidal flat]]s have formed in these parts from the sediments dumped by the Korean rivers and the Yellow and [[Yangtze River|Yangtze]] rivers in China. Mud and silt are typical of the tidal flats in the north, in contrast to the sandier texture of the mudflats in the southwest.<ref name="orientalbirdtide">[http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/bullfeats/korea.html "Wetlands - Korea's most-threatened habitat: 1"], Nial Moores, December 2002. Oriental Bird Club publications.</ref>
The soil, about two-thirds of which formed in the [[Cenozoic Era]], is made up mostly of gneiss and granite. The predominant soil type is brown, but there are regional variations. Red and yellow soils are other major types that are common in the southwest; dark red and grayish brown ([[podzolic]]) are found in the southeastern parts of the country. Due to the extreme summer-winter temperatures and the heavy downpour during the summer monsoon season, the soil is well-leached with very little humus content, and it is quite susceptible to erosion.<ref name="koreanbritannica">[http://enc.daum.net/dic100/contents.do?query1=b04d3332b 대한민국], Daum 백과사전, Britannica Korea. Date accessed: 2009-01-30.</ref><ref name="koreaforest">[http://english.forest.go.kr/foahome/user.tdf?a=common.HtmlApp&c=1006&page=/html/eng/korea/peninsula/peninsula_040_010.html&mc=ENG_KOREA_PENINSULA_040 Soil], Korea Forest Service, date accessed: 2008-02-02.</ref>
Unlike Japan or the northern provinces of China, the Korean peninsula is geologically stable.<ref name="library of congress topography">[http://countrystudies.us/south-korea/30.htm "Topography and Drainage"], Savada and Shaw, 1990. ''South Korea: A Country Study'', US Library of Congress.</ref> There have been no major earthquakes in Korea, and the last volcanic activity on Mount Halla was recorded during the [[Goryeo Dynasty]] (also spelled as "Koryo"), from which Korea's modern English name originates. The other group of volcanic islands in the [[Sea of Japan|East Sea]], [[Ulleungdo]] and [[Dokdo|Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks)]], were active 2.5 and 4.6 million years ago, respectively.<ref name="koreanetulleungdok">[http://www.korea.net/news/issues/issueDetailView.asp?board_no=12364 Travel Information], Korea.net, May 22, 2006.</ref>
=== Climate ===
{{Image|Gyeongbok Palace in winter.jpg|right|270px|Gyeongbok Palace in February.}}
{{Image|Gyeongbok Palace in autumn.jpg|left|180px|A photograph of the Gyeongbok Palace in November.}}
South Korea has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. The climate is characterized by the hot and cold extremes of Asia's continental influences and the precipitation patterns set by the northeast Asian [[monsoon|wind system]]. The long winter here is cold and dry due to the Arctic air brought by the Asian monsoon, which reverses in direction and carries the hot, humid air from the [[South China Sea]] during the rainy summer. Spring and autumn are pleasant but short in duration.
The warmest month in South Korea is August with an average temperature of 25 °C (77 °F). In contrast to the relatively unvarying distribution of heat during summer, there is noticeable difference in temperature between the northern and southern parts of the country in winter. For example, in January, which is the coldest month of the year, average temperature ranges from -5 °C (23 °F) in Seoul to  2 °C (35 °F) in the southern port city of [[Busan]].
On the mainland, the annual precipitation ranges from about 900 ~ 1,500&nbsp;mm (35 ~ 60&nbsp;in), as much as three-fifths of which can occur in form of typhoons and heavy rains during the summer months of June to August. In the very south of the country, rainfall is more consistent throughout the year. In Jeju Island, the annual precipitation is around 1,800 mm&nbsp; (70&nbsp;in).<ref name="encarta"/><ref name="britannica"/><ref name="library of congress climate">[http://countrystudies.us/south-korea/31.htm "Climate"], Savada and Shaw, 1990. ''South Korea: A Country Study'', US Library of Congress.</ref>
=== Natural environment ===
=== Natural environment ===


The country's rapid industrialization and high population density have taken a severe toll on the environment. to the point where national parks can no longer be considered natural ecosystems.<ref name="chosunilboenvironnational">[http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200007/200007020192.html Korea's National Parks: Disgrace to Nature Conservation], Chosun Ilbo, 2000-07-2.</ref> Today South Korea's temperate forests cover about 65% of the land<ref name="percentcovered">[http://english.forest.go.kr/foahome/user.tdf?a=common.HtmlApp&c=1006&page=/html/eng/korea/peninsula/peninsula_010_010.html&mc=ENG_KOREA_PENINSULA_010 Geography], Korea Forest Service, date accessed: 2009-02-08.</ref>
The country's rapid industrialization and high population density have taken a severe toll on the environment. to the point where national parks can no longer be considered natural ecosystems.<ref name="chosunilboenvironnational">[http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200007/200007020192.html Korea's National Parks: Disgrace to Nature Conservation], Chosun Ilbo, 2000-07-2.</ref> Today South Korea's temperate forests cover about 65% of the land<ref name="percentcovered">[http://english.forest.go.kr/foahome/user.tdf?a=common.HtmlApp&c=1006&page=/html/eng/korea/peninsula/peninsula_010_010.html&mc=ENG_KOREA_PENINSULA_010 Geography], Korea Forest Service, date accessed: 2009-02-08.</ref>
== Politics ==
== Economy ==
== Demography ==
== History ==
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}

Revision as of 11:25, 18 February 2009

Natural environment

The country's rapid industrialization and high population density have taken a severe toll on the environment. to the point where national parks can no longer be considered natural ecosystems.[1] Today South Korea's temperate forests cover about 65% of the land[2]

  1. ↑ Korea's National Parks: Disgrace to Nature Conservation, Chosun Ilbo, 2000-07-2.
  2. ↑ Geography, Korea Forest Service, date accessed: 2009-02-08.
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