The country of South Korea is slightly larger than Indiana in size and is located below the 38th parallel on the Korean peninsula. If you analyze the Geography of South Korea, you will find that this country is largely mountainous in the east; west and south and is dominated by innumerable harbors on the mainland and offshore islands. For more information on the Geography of South Korea, keep reading.
Geography of South Korea: Topography and drainage
Referred to as a sea in a heavy gale by the early European visitors who came to Korea, a large part of this country is covered by the large number of successive mountain ranges that make a zigzag pattern across the peninsula. The tallest mountain in South Korea is Hallasan that rises to a height of 1,950 meters above the sea level. The three major mountain ranges in South Korea are the Taebaek Mountains, the Sobaek ranges and the Jiri Massif.
Elevation extremes in South Korea:
Lowest Point: Sea level 0 m
Highest Point: Hallasan 1,950 m
Geography of South Korea: Resources and Land Use
The major natural resources of South Korea are coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum and lead. The country also has a potential for generating energy by hydropower. Some basic land use percentages have been given below to give you a clear picture of the utilization of land in this country.
Arable Land: 19%
Permanent Crops: 2%
Permanent Pastures: 1%
Forests And Woodland: 65%
Other: 13%
Rivers and Lakes: 10%
Irrigated land: 13,350 km²
Geography of South Korea: Environmental Concerns
South Korea is prone to natural hazards such as occasional typhoons that are inevitably followed by high speed winds and destructive floods. Also, low-level seismic activity is quite common in the southwestern part of the country.
Some of the burning environmental issues in South Korea are the problem of air pollution in large cities, water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents and Drift net fishing. South Korea is party to various international environmental agreements, which include the following:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Antarctic Treaty
Biodiversity
Climate Change
Desertification
Endangered Species
Environmental Modification
Hazardous Wastes
Law of the Sea
Marine Dumping
Nuclear Test Ban
Ozone Layer Protection
Ship Pollution
The varied geographical features of South Korea have made it a world popular tourist destination that is thronged by tourists from all over the world throughout the year.
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