Country · Asia
South Korea
Republic of Korea
South Korea is a country in Eastern Asia. About 51.6 million people live there, in an area of 100 210 square kilometres. Its capital city is Seoul.
Picture credit: Joon Kyu Park (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0) · 라성민 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is South Korea?
South Korea lies in Eastern Asia, on the continent of Asia.
It sits in the northern half of the world, roughly 4 119 km from the equator.
It shares a border with 1 country: North Korea.
How big is South Korea?
South Korea covers 100 210 square kilometres.
That is about 2.4 times the size of Switzerland.
Among the world's countries that makes it the 107th largest.
If everybody spread out evenly, there would be about 515 people on every square kilometre.
That is busier than the world average of roughly 60 people per square kilometre.
Who lives in South Korea?
About 51.6 million people live in South Korea.
That is the 27th biggest population in the world.
People here speak Korean.
They pay with the South Korean won (₩).
On average, people born here can expect to live about 74 years.
The land of South Korea
The land of South Korea sits on average 282 metres above sea level.
It lies between the tropics and the poles, which is the single biggest reason its weather is the way it is.
What makes South Korea different?
Dishes the country is known for: Kimchi and bulgogi.
Websites from here often end in .kr.
South Korea and the rest of the world
Out of every thousand people alive on Earth, about 7 live in South Korea.
It takes up about 0.08 % of all the land that countries stand on.
Within Asia the country ranks 30th of 46 by size, and 13th by population.
South Korea and its neighbours
North Korea, its only neighbour, is about 1.2 times bigger.
More people live in South Korea than in North Korea — 51.6 million against 25.5 million.
Nature and animals
The highest mountain in the country is Hallasan, at 1 947 metres. The longest river in the country is the Nakdong. The country has no large natural lake; its largest body of water, Chungju Lake, is a reservoir.
Where this country lands in the record lists
How big is South Korea compared with the United States?
- The United States is about 94 times as big as South Korea: 9 372 610 km² against 100 210 km². See both on one map
- The United Kingdom is about 2.4 times as big as South Korea: 242 900 km² against 100 210 km². See both on one map
Questions children ask
What is the capital of South Korea?
The capital of South Korea is Seoul. It is the city where the country's government works from.
How many people live in South Korea?
About 51.6 million people live in South Korea, which makes it the 27th most populated country in the world. (Source: World Bank, 2018.)
Which countries border South Korea?
South Korea borders North Korea — 1 neighbour in total.
How big is South Korea?
South Korea covers 100 210 square kilometres, making it the 107th largest country in the world. That is about 2.4 times the size of Switzerland.
What is the highest mountain in South Korea?
The highest mountain in South Korea is Hallasan, 1 947 metres above sea level. It is the country's highest point.
What is the longest river in South Korea?
The longest river in South Korea is the Nakdong, about 510 kilometres long.
What is the largest lake in South Korea?
The largest body of water in South Korea is Chungju Lake, a reservoir of about 67 km²; there is no large natural lake in the country.
Which continent is South Korea in?
South Korea is in Asia, in the part called Eastern Asia.
Where these numbers come from
Borders and outlines: Natural Earth. Names, capitals, areas, languages and currencies: ISO 3166 data (world-countries). Population: World Bank, 2018. Every derived figure on this page (ranks, density, distance from the equator) is calculated from those values.
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