|RNational holiday:|N Independence Day, August 15.
|RNature and climate:|N Mountainous highlands crossed by several rivers. Indented western coast with many islands and harbours.
Average temperature in January about 0°C and in July 25°C.
Percipitation between 1000 and 1500 mm.
|RPeople:|N Homogeneous Korean.
|REconomy:|N 215 of the labour force is occupied in agriculture, 27% in industry and trade and 52% in services.
Agriculture is highly mechanized and effective. Most important crops are rice, barley, vegetables and wheat. South Korea has one of the world's largest fishing fleets.
Tungsten, coal, graphite, iron ore and gold are the most important minerals.
Industry is well developed and the most important industries are electronic, ships, textiles, clothing and motor vehicles.
|RHistory:|N At about 100 BC China established colonies in Korea and later a number of tribal countries were established on the peninsula. most important of these were Koguryo in the north and Silla and Paekshe in the south. These realms prospered and was an important link, both in trade and culture, between China and Japan.
In 660 AD Silla conquered Paekse and in 668 Koguryo and thus a united Korea was created. This realm prospered in the 8th century, but later a time of decline started.
In 918 the rebel leader Wang Kou founded a new dynasty, the Koryo, which is the origin of the European name Korea.
In 1270 Korea was forced to sign a treaty that made it a province in China.
In the 1590:ies Japan made several attempts to conquer Korea but failed.
In 1627 and 1636 Manchues invaded but during the following centuries Korea was protected by China and there was a political and cultural decline in Korea.
In 1894 Japan attacked China with the only aim to increase the Japanese influences in Korea. In 1895 China was forced to recognize Korea as an independent country. After the Russian-Japanese war in 1904 to 1905 Korea became a Japanese protectorate and in 1910 it was incorporated i Japan as a province.
A national liberation movement was established and during World War II it was decided that Korea would become an independent country as soon as Japan had been defeated.
During the last years of the war the northern part of Korea was liberated by Soviet troops and the southern part by troops from the USA. The negotiations about creating a unified independent Korea came to no conclusion and in 1948 a People's Republic was established in the north area occupied by the soviet Union and a democratic republic was established in the southern part.
In 1950 troops from North Korea and China attacked South Korea and occupied most of it. A couple of months later a UN action led by the USA started a counterattack and soon most of North Korea was occupied by the South.
A new Chinese attack forced the UN troops back and a frontline was established along the 38th degree.
A cease-fire was signed in 1953. The war was extremely bloody. The north side lost 2 million men and the south side lost 400 000 men.
The cease-fire has since 1953 been supervised by the UN.
In 1961 a military coup ousted the civilian president and government. Different generals have ruled the country, most times as police state until 1993 when a civilian president took office again.
In 1972 an agreement was signed between North and South Korea with a common goal of reunification in a peaceful way. In 1985 the two nations started to discuss economic issues.
