Area comparison map:

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 237 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (1): North Korea 237 km

Coastline:
2,413 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: not specified
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Elevation:
mean elevation: 282 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
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:
agricultural land: 18.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 15.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 2.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 63.9% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 18% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
7,780 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
with approximately 70% of the country considered mountainous, the country's population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is quite high; Gyeonggi Province in the northwest, which surrounds the capital of Seoul and contains the port of Incheon, is the most densely populated province; Gangwon in the northeast is the least populated

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest

volcanism: Halla (1,950 m) is considered historically active although it has not erupted in many centuries

Environment - current issues:
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing; solid waste disposal; transboundary pollution

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; about 3,000 mostly small and uninhabited islands lie off the western and southern coasts