South Korea (officially, Republic of Korea) encompasses an area
of 98,477 sq. km. (38,022 sq. mi.), about the size of state of
Indiana. Its capital is Seoul (population 10.3 million); other
major cities are: Busan, Daegu, Inchon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and
Ulsan. The terrain of South Korea consists of forested mountain
ranges separated by deep, narrow valleys and cultivated plains
along the coasts. South Korea is bordered by North Korea to the
North and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan, Korean Strait, and
Yellow Sea. An independent Korean state or a collection of
states has existed almost continuously for several millennia.
Between its initial unification in the 7th century, until the
20th century, Korea existed as a single independent country. In
1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a
protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a
colony. Korea regained its independence following Japan's
surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, the
Republic of Korea (ROK) was s