Geography of Korea South
| 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: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 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) |
| 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 |