Korea lies adjacent to China and Japan. Its northern border is formed by the Amnokgang (Yalu) and Dumangang (Tumen) rivers, which separate the peninsula from Manchuria. A 16-kilometer segment of the Dumangang River to the east also serves as a natural border with Russia. The west coast of the Korean Peninsula is bounded by the Korean Bay to the north and the Yellow Sea to the south; the east coast is bounded by the East Sea. Two hundred kilometers separate the peninsula from eastern China. The Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu are located 206 kilometers to the southeast, just across the Korea Strait. Because of its unique geographical location, Chinese culture filtered into Japan through Korea; a common cultural sphere of Buddhism and Confucianism was thus established between the three countries.

The Korean Peninsula extends for about 1,000 kilometers southward from the northeast Asian continental landmass. Roughly 300 kilometers in width, climate variations are more pronounced along the north-south axis. Due to these variations, marked differences in plant vegetation can be seen along this axis. Generally speaking, the southern half of the peninsula is warmer than the northern half.

The peninsula and all of its associated islands lie between 33º 06' 40'' N and 43º 00' 39'' N parallels and 124º 11' 00'' E and 131º 52' 42'' E meridians. The latitude of Korea is similar to that of the Iberian Peninsula or Greece. The north-south span of the peninsula is about the same as that of the state of California.

Longitudinally, Korea lies near the Philippines and central Australia. The meridian of 127º 30' E passes through the middle of the Korean Peninsula. Korea, however, shares the same standard meridian of 135ºE with Japan. Seoul and Tokyo local time is nine hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Territory

The total area of the peninsula, including the islands, is 222,154 square kilometers of which about 45 percent (99,313 square kilometers), excluding a small area in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), constitutes the territory of South Korea. The combined territories of South and North Korea are similar to the size of Britain (244,100 square kilometers) or Guyana (215,000 square kilometers). South Korea alone is about the size of Hungary (93,000 square kilometers) or Jordan (97,700 square kilometers).

There are about 3,000 islands belonging to Korea. The islands are located mostly in the Yellow Sea and the South Sea; only a handful lies in the East Sea. Ulleungdo, the largest island in the East Sea, serves as a major fishery base as does Dokdo Island. Important islands within South Korea's territory include Jejudo, the largest that lies off the southwest corner of the peninsula, Geojedo, Ganghwado, and Namhaedo.

Until the 11th century, the territory of Korea encompassed most of Manchuria but by the 15th century, due to repeated conflicts with China, Koreans retreated southward and the Amnokgang and Dumangang rivers became the permanent Sino-Korean border.

At the end of World War II, the peninsula was divided into a northern zone occupied by Soviet forces and a southern zone occupied by U.S. forces; the boundary between the two zones being formed at the 38th parallel. In 1953 at the end of the Korean War this boundary became semi-permanently fixed at the DMZ, a 4 kilometer-wide strip of land that runs along the lines of cease-fire from the east to the west coast for a distance of about 241 kilometers.

Administrative Units

There are three administrative tiers in South Korea (the North has a similar jurisdictional hierarchy). The highest tier includes seven metropolitan cities and nine provinces do. Metropolitan cities refer to those urban areas with a population of over 1 million. Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is the largest urban center, having over 10 million residents. Busan is the second largest city, with a population of over 4 million. Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon and Ulsan, in descending order, are each home to over 1 million people.

At the second administrative tier, provinces do are subdivided into small cities si and counties gun. A small city si comprises those areas with populations of more than 50,000. A county gun consists of one town eup and five to ten townships myeon. Although they are administrative units, provinces do also play an important role in the regional identification of the people and many Koreans often identify themselves by the province in which they were born and raised. The last administrative tier consists of subdivisions of si which are called dong. In rural areas, however, counties gun are subdivided into towns eup and townships myeon. A town eup has a population of 20,000 people or less.

In the last several decades, South Korea has witnessed a rapid growth of its urban centers. The population of these areas now constitutes over 85 percent of the national total. Urban growth has been particularly spectacular along the Seoul-Busan corridor, the Seoul metropolitan area and the Gyeongsang-do area. By contrast, the southwestern and northeastern peripheral regions have sustained a considerable loss in population.

Geographical Regions

Mountain ranges have traditionally served as natural boundary markers between regions. Because these natural boundaries inhibited frequent interactions between peoples living on either side of the range, subtle, and sometimes substantial, regional differences developed in both the spoken language and custom of the people. These regional distinctions also correspond to the traditional administrative units devised during the Joseon Dynasty (1392~1910).

The Korean Peninsula is divided into three distinct regions; Central, South and North. These macro regions are divided into three separate geographical spheres, each of which comprises its own particular economic, cultural and physical distinctiveness. These include, in the central region, the capital region of the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong-do and Gangwon-do Province; in the south, Gyeongsang-do, Jeolla-do and Jeju-do Province; and in the north, Pyeongan-do, Hamgyeong-do and Hwanghae-do Province. Prior to the division of the peninsula in 1945, the term "northern area" traditionally referred to those regions of Pyeongan-do and Hamgyeong-do Province. "The North" now refers to all the areas north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). In addition to Pyeongan-do and Hamgyeong-do Province, the North also includes Hwanghae-do and the northern parts of Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do Province.

The Central Region

This region consists the capital region of the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong-do Province to the south, and the Gangwon-do Province to the east.

The Capital Region: This region includes Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do Province. The capital region, as the name implies, is the center of all political, economic and cultural activity in South Korea. Clustered around Seoul are also numbers of smaller cities which form a continuous and sprawling urban area. In and around Seoul reside the largest concentration of the nation's industries. As the hub of South Korea's transportation networks, newly built Incheon International Airport, 52km west of Seoul, and railroad networks that radiate to all parts of the country from the capital, the capital region serves as South Korea's gateway to the world. Given this strategic importance, the dialect spoken in Seoul and its vicinity is considered the nation's standard spoken Korean.

Chungcheong-do province: This region lies between the capital region and the south. It includes Daejeon, Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungcheongnam-do Province. Cheongju and Daejeon are the leading urban centers of the two provinces, respectively. Lying just below the capital region, Chungcheong-do Province has been characterized as a southern extension of Seoul; its proximity to the capital has been economically very advantageous for the region. New industries have recently mushroomed along Asanman Bay on the west coast. The region has also profited from transportation and urban services, which serve Seoul and its vicinity. Chungcheong-do and Gyeonggi-do Province specialize in horticulture and dairy farming to meet the huge demands of the nearby urban centers of the capital region.

Gangwon-do province: This area lies to the east of the capital region. The Taebaeksan Range running north and south through the middle of the region divides the province into eastern coastal and western inland areas. Gangneung, Chuncheon and Wonju are its leading urban areas. Gangwon-do Province offers a variety of opportunities for tourism and sport activities, despite its rugged terrain. Mining industries, once a major player in the regional economy, have recently experienced a drastic decline due to the competition of cheaper foreign-imported coals and minerals. The downgrading of mining industries, coupled with the national trend of rural-to-urban migration, are the major contributing factors for the recent migration out of the region. Gangwon-do Province, with less than 2 million residents, now has the sparsest population in the nation.

The South Region

The south comprises three geographical regions, Gyeongsang-do Province to the southeast, Jeolla-do Province to the southwest and Jeju-do Province off the South Sea.

Gyeongsang-do province: This region includes Busan, Daegu and Ulsan, and Gyeongsangbuk-do (north) and Gyeongsangnam-do (south) Provinces. Busan and Daegu are the major urban centers of the southern and northern regions of this area, being the second (4 million) and third (2.5 million) largest cities in South Korea.

This region is characterized by a vast basin of the Nakdonggang River and is surrounded by the Sobaeksan Mountains. Due to the rugged topography of the surrounding mountains, sub-areas within the region share common cultural traits such as dialect and custom, which are quite distinct from other peoples of outlying regions. Gyeongsang-do also has another name, "Yeongnam Region," literally meaning "south of the mountain pass," which attests to the key role that the mountains have historically played in fostering regional differences between the Korean people.

The Gyeongsang-do Province has one of the largest industrial agglomerations, second only to the capital region, due mainly to the heavy investments in the region by the South Korean government since the 1960s. These heavy industrial facilities of steel, shipbuilding, automobile and petrochemical factories are largely concentrated along the southeast stretch of Pohang, through Ulsan, Busan, Changwon and Jinju. The northwestern area also has two major clusters of industries around Daegu and Gumi, specializing in textiles and electronics.

Jeolla-do Province: Jeolla-do Province is located at the southwest of the peninsula and comprises Gwangju, Jeollabuk-do (north) and Jeollanam-do (south) Provinces. Gwangju and Jeonju are their respective centers. "Honam" is another name for the Jeolla-do Province. The flat fertile lands of the Geumgang and Yeongsangang river basins, as well as the coastal lowlands, have made the region the major granary of the nation. The regional economy has lagged somewhat behind the Seoul and Gyeongsang-do regions due to sparse industrial investments made here during the past decades. However, this situation is changing and the region is now experiencing industrial growth in big urban centers such as Gwangju and Jeonju, as well as along its western coast. Also, the tidal flats near Gunsan and Mokpo have recently been reclaimed, adding huge new lands for industrial development.

The region is endowed with vast tidal flats, very irregular coastline, and innumerable large and small islands, thus offering excellent opportunity for fishing and diving. This unique coastal landscape attracts many tourists year-round.

Jejudo island: Jejudo is the largest island in Korea. Located about 140 kilometers south of Mokpo in the South Sea, its historic isolation from the mainland contributed to the Jejudo peoples' distinct dialect and lifestyle. Of volcanic origin, the rugged topography of Jejudo Island bears witness to its fiery origins. Because of its mild climate and the unique lifestyles and custom of its people, tourism is the most important industry in the region. The island is also famous for its subtropical fruits such as tangerines, pineapples and bananas. It is also famous for women divers who collect mollusk from the ocean floor.

The North Region

The northern part of the peninsula is divided into two geographic regions: the Pyeongan-do Province in the northwest and Hamgyeong-do Province in the northeast. The former with more flatlands is also known as the Gwanseo region while the latter is often referred to as Gwanbuk. Pyeongan-do Province serves as the major agricultural area of the North. By contrast, Hamgyeong-do Province, due to its mountainous topography, boasts mining and forestry as its major economic activities. Pyeongyang, a leading urban center in the Pyeongan-do Province, is the capital of North Korea and Nampo serves as the gateway port to Pyeongyang. Hamheung and Cheongjin are the two major cities of Hamgyeong-do Province.

The third geographical region of the North, Hwanghae-do Province, lies to the south of Pyeongan-do Province. Once a part of the central region prior to the north-south division, Hwanghae-do Province shares a great many cultural similarities with other west-central regions of the peninsula. Gaeseong is the major city of the region.