Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Geographic coordinates:
37 00 N, 127 30 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 99,720 sq km
land: 96,920 sq km
water: 2,800 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 238 km
border countries: North Korea 238 km

Coastline:
2,413 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: not specified

Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m

Natural resources:
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 16.58%
permanent crops: 2.01%
other: 81.41% (2005)

Irrigated land:
8,780 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:
69.7 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 18.59 cu km/yr (36%/16%/48%)
per capita: 389 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest

Environment - current issues:
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location on Korea Strait