Location

The Korea Peninsula extends southward from the northeasr part of the Asia continent between 33 and 43 North Latitude and 124 and 132 East Longitude. The Standard meridian of the peninsula is 135, 9 hours ahead of GMT. The Amnokgang and Dumangang 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.

The total area of the peninsula is simular in size to that of England, New Zealand, or Rumania. About 70% of the land is mountainous, mainly to the north and east. Along the southern and western coasts the moutains descend gradually towards broad coastal plains. Most of the rivers have their tributaries on the north and east sides, and flow into the Yellow and South Seas. Concentrated for the most part off the southern coast are upwards of 3,000 islands of various sizes that provide scenery unparalleled in the world.

People and Population

Koreans, like amny other Asian peoples, are descendants of Mongolian Tungus stock. They different from the neighboring Japanese and Chinese, however, in that Koreans are a homogeneous ethnic group with their own language, culture, and customs.

Korean society has always been family-oriented, and although modified to some extent noedays, the basic patterns and manners of family life remain the same. The most endering national characteristic is the sincere warm-heartendness of the Korean people. 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-44.6 million(1995)
	North Korea-25 million(estimated)
*Annual growth rate	0.90%(1995)
*Urbanization rate	83.7%(1993)
*Average family siza	3.7 persons(1993)
*Number of foreign residents	203,800(1993)

Climate and Season

The peninsula is located mid-latitude in the northern hemisphere and lies in the transitional zone between continental and subtropical maritime climates. It has four distinct seasons. The north to south geography of the peninsula produse climatic differences climatic differences along its length. In the south, spring and summer are normally longer, while in the north, autumn and winter are longer.

Spring   Late March through May. Periods of cool wheather can be expected but normally temperate conditions prevail. Cherry blossoms, forsythia, azaleas, magnolias and lilacs bloom in April.	Semmer   June to September. Hot and humid. Half the annual rainfall occurs during the monsoon month of late June to July. Mid-July through mid-August is the hottest period and also the most popular Korean vacation season.
Autumn   September through November. Warm days and clear weather make the fall months the most pleasant time of the year. The temperature varies greatly between day and night. The moutains, when attired with vivid golden and red autumnal leaves under the clear blue sky, present a grand spectacle.	Winter   December to mid-March. Cold and dry with a traditional cycle of three cold days followed by four warm ones. Heavy snow in the north and east make for good skiing conditions.