– Population: 48.2 million (UN, 2005)
– Capital: Seoul
– Location: 99,313 sq km (38,345 sq miles)
– Key language: Korean
– Main religions: Buddhism, Christianity
– Lifetime expectancy: 73 many years (gentlemen), 80 many years (gals) (UN)
– Monetary device: received
This southern 50 % of the Korean peninsula is the world’s window to Korea possessing managed affable diplomatic relations with 170 nations around the world in the globe. South Korea has been constructing up a tourism profile that is little by little but outstandingly getting worldwide fame with the slogan “Sparkling Korea”. A truly dazzling lifestyle, the new “Korea Wave” that flooded Asia is now opening by itself to a larger intercontinental viewers sharing with the world its stylish and chic pop movie and tunes cultures and cutting edge technological know-how. With a high-tech industrialized economic system, South Korea is the property of leading electronic and auto manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Hyundai and Kia earning its place as the 12th greatest economic system in the planet.
GEOGRAPHY
South Korea lies at 37 00 127 30 E with a complete space of 100,032.00 km2 (38,622.57 mi2). The larger component of South Korea’s topography is mountainous, with an ecologically seem 65% of the land place continue to comprised of forests and woodlands many thanks to its afforestation packages. Only a meagre 30% are arable lowlands. The greatest issue of the region is Halla-san, an extinct volcano in Jeju, at 1,950 metres (6,398 feet), whilst the Sea of Japan is the lowest level at metres elevation. Seoul is the infamous money of South Korea. The region now addresses ecological considerations involving air excellent and acid rains, as very well as deforestation introduced about by rampant industrialization.
Local weather
The local weather in South Korea can be described as either humid continental weather or humid subtropical local climate. Just as it is the North, South Korea experiences harshly chilly winters and very hot and humid summers. Summers are madly wet with the complete year’s focus of rainfall on the months of June by means of September. The ordinary Seoul temperature in January is -2.5°C, and goes a large 29.5°C in August.
Men and women
As of March 19, 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Global Information Base (IDB) estimates a inhabitants of 48,636,000 in South Korea. South Korea is also regarded as an ethnically homogenous population exactly where 99.9% are Koreans and the relaxation are a compact Chinese minority.
Lifestyle
The North and South Korea are grounded on the identical regular cultures with weighty Chinese and Japanese influences. The distinctions arose from how they independently designed apart upon its division in 1945. South Korea’s cultural endeavours are to acknowledge and embrace global influences as portion of their modern-day id, although North Korea, on the other hand, aims at undoing them.
LANGUAGE
KOREAN (Han-guk) is also the formal language of the area, very similar to the Korean spoken in the north, with dialect variants so refined that the language is mutually intelligible. South Korea is also one of the most linguistically homogenous international locations in the world with around 48 million speakers. Code-mixing or foreign terms sandwiched in Korean sentences are broadly common and use of the Hanja or Chinese creating figures is occasional. South Korea’s writing procedure is also similar to the North’s and is termed as Hangul. JAPANESE is also extensively utilized in the area.
ENGLISH is the proposed 2nd language taught from preschool to university-amount training, but South Korea still feels a need to reinforce English abilities through schooling and other English plans to enhance national competitiveness.
Faith
South Korea methods multi-religiosity but 50% of the inhabitants are undefined religiously, making it an atheist point out as the North. Christianity is the most dominant religion with 49% of the aforementioned fifty percent practising it, though Buddhism falls at a not-so-distant 2nd with 47%. Other slight religions are Shamanism, Confucianism, and the regular Chondogyo (Heavenly Way).
Attractions
The tourism market of South Korea holds so considerably to boast with 8 UNESCO Cultural Heritage Websites, 20 national parks, eco-parks these kinds of as the Bosong Tea Industry and Suncheon Bay Eco Park inSouth Jeolla, quite a few cities of distinctive interest and feature like bustling Busan or ancient Gyeongju, and normal miracles and treasures that operate innumerable. The UNESCO Planet Heritage Websites lists as:
In 1995
1. Seokguram Grotto
2. Bulguksa Temple
3. Haeinsa Janggyeong Panjeon4. Jongmyo Shrine
In 1997
5. Changdeokgung Palace Complicated
6. Suwon Hwaseong Fortess
In 2000
7. Gyeongju Historic Locations
8. Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites
Amid all this, South Korea positive has a take care of for backpackers with its interesting countryside on the road considerably less travelled that is additional than specified shy of vacationer crowds. If there be a mighty recommendation, be the initial to explore what has not been, because there undoubtedly is a thing to uncover. Of program, the Ecorium Project by the National Ecological Institute is no key, but is a Ought to Appear OUT FOR…
Food items
The complete delight of a regular South Korean food or pekpan can be attained with rice (a staple), soup, meat, veggies, and a assortment of facet dishes, of which, you’d definitely hope kimchi. The aspect dishes on every single meal is explained by the simple principle of “harmony and equilibrium,” feeding on and spicing up as is personally required to achieve over-all gratification. The Cholla-do area is famed for a range of dishes, whilst the group favourite stays to be BULGOGI.
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