Countries in our WORLD SOUTH KOREA in our world Jim Pipe
Introducing South Korea South Korea is a small country in northeast Asia best known for its economic success It has transformed itself into a wealthy and developed country in less than 50 years Most Koreans live in large cities packed with giant factories and towering office and apartment blocks yet South Korea is also famous for its natural beauty One Peninsula Two Countries South Korea covers the southern end of the Korean Peninsula which juts into the sea northwest of Japan To the east is the Sea of Japan and to the west is the Yellow Sea To the north lies North Korea a separate country People in both nations share the same language and culture but North Korea is a communist country while South Korea is a democracy An old proverb describes Korea as a shrimp between whales because it is surrounded by much larger neighbors China Russia and Japan NORTH KOREA DMZ demilitarized zone DMZ demilitarized zone M T A O U E B A N T E K A I N S Mount Sorek Mount Sorek Incheon Seoul Seoul H a n R i v Yellow Sea KeyKey Capital city Capital city Other cities Other cities Mountain Mountain e r SOUTH KOREA Sea of Japan Mount Jirisan Mount Jirisan Ulsan NN Pusan K o r e a S tr a it WW EE SS 00 00 milesmiles 5050 kilometers kilometers 5050 Hallasan Hallasan Jeju Island JAPAN 쒀 South Korea only has a land border with North Korea Its nearest neighbor to the south is Japan which lies across the Korea Strait 4
INTRODUCING SOUTH KOREA BASIC DATA Official name Republic of Korea Capital Seoul Size 38,023 sq miles 98,480 sq km Population 48,636,068 2010 est Currency Won An Asian Tiger Since the 1960s the economy in South Korea has grown rapidly earning the nickname Asian Tiger It is now the fourth-largest economy in Asia and the fifteenth-largest in the world This growth slowed following the worldwide economic crisis that began in 2008 yet South Korea is still home to some of the world’s biggest companies including well-known brand names such as Samsung and Hyundai The country is also among the world’s top exporters Korean electronics cars ships steel shoes and chemicals are sold all over the globe 쑺 South Korean cities are full of energy The bustling Itaewon district in Seoul is famous for its shopping and nightlife
