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General Information about the Republic of Korea
 Location
Korea lies in the northeastern part of the Asian continent. It
is located between 33 degrees and 43 degrees in Northern Latitude,
and 124 degrees and 132 degrees in Eastern Longitude. China, Russia
and Japan are adjacent to Korea. Local time is nine hours ahead
of GMT.
Climate
Korea's climate is regarded as a continental climate from a temperate
standpoint and a monsoon climate from a precipitation standpoint.
The climate of Korea is characterized by four distinct seasons:
spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Language
Hangeul was invented in 1443, during the reign of King Sejong.
It is composed of 10 vowels and 14 consonants. Hangeul has 11
compound vowels, 5 glottal sounds.
'The Hunminjeongeum,' a historical document which provides instructions
to educate people using Hangeul, is registered with UNESCO.
UNESCO awards a 'King Sejong Literacy Prize,' every year in memory
of the inventor of Hangeul.
People and Population
Koreans are one ethnic family and speak one language. Sharing
distinct physical characteristics, they are believed to be descendants
of several Mongol tribes that migrated onto the Korean Peninsula
from Central Asia. In the seventh century, the various states
of the peninsula were unified for the first time under the Silla
Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). Such homogeneity has enabled Koreans
to be relatively free from ethnic problems and to maintain a firm
solidarity with one another. As of the end of 2002, Korea's total
population was estimated at 47,640,000 with a density of 479 people
per square kilometer. The population of North Korea is estimated
to be 22,253,000. Korea saw its population grow by an annual rate
of 3 percent during the 1960s, but growth slowed to 2 percent
over the next decade. Today, the rate stands at 0.6 percent, and
is expected to further decline to 0.06 percent by 2020. A notable
trend in Korea's demographics is that it is growing older with
each passing year. Statistics show that 6.9 percent of the total
population of Korea was 65 years or older in 1999 and 7.9 percent
of the total in 2002. In the 1960s, Korea's population distribution
formed a pyramid shape, with a high birth rate and relatively
short life expectancy. However, the structure is now shaped more
like a bell with a low birth rate and extended life expectancy.
Youth (under the age of 15 years) will make up a decreasing portion
of the total, while senior citizens (65 years or older) will account
for some 15.1 percent of the total by the year 2020. The nation's
rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 1960s and 1970s
has been accompanied by continuing migration of rural residents
into the cities, particularly Seoul, resulting in heavily populated
metropolitan areas. However, in recent years, an increasing number
of people have begun moving to suburban areas of Seoul.
Interesting links about Korea:
http://www.korea.net/
http://www.mct.go.kr/imagesofkorea/index.htm
http://english.tour2korea.com/
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