The Republic of Korea, Briefly
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The Korean Peninsula extends southward from the northeast part of the Asian continent between 33 and 43 North Latitude and 124 and 132 degree East Longitude. The standard meridian of the peninsula is 135, nine hours ahead of GMT. The Amnokkang and Tuman-gang Rivers border both China and Russia to the north, and Japan is just across the East Sea. Since 1945, as a by-product of the Cold War, the peninsula has been divided at 38 North Latitude into the capitalist Republic of Korea, or South Korea, and the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea, more commonly known as North Korea.
Korean people are characterized by their generosity, warmth, and kindness, and are renowned as one of the hardest working people in the world.
Population: South Korea - 48,754,657 (July 2010 est.*) (North Korea - 23,479,088 (July 2008 est.*) included for comparison)
Annual growth rate: 0.269% (2008 est.*)(down from 0.732% previously listed here)
Urbanization rate: 81%
Average family size: 2.8 persons (down from 4 persons previously listed here)
Cell phones: 43.5 million (2007*)
Internet users: 35.59 million (2007*)
*Information from CIA World Factbook
The Korean flag is called t'aegukki. Its design symbolizes the principles of yin and yang in Oriental philosophy. The circle in the center of the flag is divided into two equal parts. The upper red section represents the positive cosmic forces of yang. Conversely, the lower blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of yin.The two forces together embody the concepts of continual movement and balance and harmony that characterize the sphere of infinity. The circle is surrounded by four trigrams, one in each corner. Each trigram symbolizes one of the four universal elements: heaven(
), earth(
), fire(
), and water(
).You can listen to Korea's National Anthem in three versions: orchestra playing the first stanza (MP3 format, 892 KB); choir singing all four stanzas (MP3 format, 2.38 MB); or choir singing first stanza and with accompanying video showing scenes of modern Korea (MPG format, 10.7 MB). (If the above files don't work with your system, you may have better luck with the anthem in WAV format, 796 KB, or in AVI format, 1.1 MB.) The anthem is called Aegukga in Korean.
The national flower of Korea is the Mugunghwa or Rose of Sharon. Every year from June to October a profusion of Mugunhwa blossoms grace the entire country. Unlike most flowers, Mugunghwa is remarkably tenacious and is able to withstand both blight and insects. The flower's symbolic significance stems from Mugunghwa's root word, "Mugung," meaning immortality. This word accurately reflects the perseverance and determination of the Korean people that has been demonstrated throughout their long history.
