South Korea
South Korea officially know as Republic of Korea (Taehan Min’guk / 대한 민국) is a country in East Asia.
Geography
The Republic of Korea occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula on the northeastern corner of the Asian continent. North Korea lies to the north, and Japan is located to the southeast, across the Korea Strait. It occupies nearly 45 percent of the land area of the Korean Peninsula, or 98,190 square kilometers of land area and 290 square kilometers of water area.[1]
Demographics
Society
In July 2004, South Korea’s population was estimated to be 48,598,175. The official growth rate estimate is 0.6 percent, and this rate is expected to decline to zero by 2028. In the twentieth century, there has been significant emigration to China (1.9 million) and the United States (1.5 million), and about 1 million Koreans live in Japan and the countries of the former Soviet Union. More than 80 percent of all South Koreans live in urban areas. Population density is very high, with approximately 480 persons per square kilometer.[2]
Religion
Just more than 50 percent of Koreans profess religious affiliation. That affiliation is spread among a great variety of traditions, including Buddhism (25 percent), Christianity (25 percent), Confucianism (2 percent), and shamanism. These numbers should be treated with some caution, however, as (with the exception of Christianity) there are few if any meaningful distinctions between believers and nonbelievers in Buddhism and Confucianism, which is more of a set of ethical values than a religion. The cultural impact of these movements is far more widespread than the number of formal adherents suggests. A variety of “new religions” have emerged since the mid-nineteenth century, including Ch’ondogyo. A very small Muslim minority also exists.[3]
Creationist Organizations
Politics
South Korea is a republic governed by a directly elected president and a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly. Although today South Korea is recognized as a democracy, for several decades following the Korean War it was ruled by a succession of leaders who assumed office under less than democratic circumstances.[4]
References
- Country Profile: South Korea by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
- Country Profile: North Korea by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
See Also
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