Geography of South Korea
Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the East Sea and the Yellow Sea
Geographic coordinates:
37 00 N, 127 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries:
Coastline:
2,413 km
Maritime claims:
Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Elevation extremes:
Natural resources:
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
Land use:
Irrigated land:
13,350 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
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
Environment - international agreements:
total:
98,480 sq km
land:
98,190 sq km
water:
290 sq km
total:
238 km
border countries:
North Korea 238 km
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
not specified
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
lowest point:
East Sea 0 m
highest point:
Halla-san 1,950 m
arable land:
19%
permanent crops:
2%
permanent pastures:
1%
forests and woodland:
65%
other:
13% (1993 est.)
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol