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South Korea is formally known as the Republic of Korea. It is located in East Asia and forms a part of the Korean Peninsula with an area of 100,210 km square. South Korea shares its borders only with North Korea. The 2,413 km long coastline of the country is washed by three seas; Yellow Sea in the west, East China Sea to the south and Sea of Japan in the east.
The country is divided into four main regions; eastern, western, south-western and south-eastern. The eastern region comprises high mountain ranges and coastal plains, whereas the west is known for its coastal plains and river basins. The south-eastern region is home to the basin made by the Nakdong River, the longest river in Korea. The south-western region is mainly mountainous and has several valleys.
The western and southern coasts of South Korea have around 3,000 islands, out of which Jeju-do is the largest. Hallasan, which is an extinct volcano is the highest point of the country and lies in Jeju-do Island. Major rivers that flow through the country are the Han River, the Geum River, Imjin, the Bukhan and the Somjin. All the rivers flowing across the country empty into the Yellow Sea or the Korea Strait.
Korean history dates back to 70,000 BC however; formally, the history of Korea begins from 2,333 BC, when Gojoseon was founded. Chinese Han Dynasty defeated Gojoseon and ruled it as a part of four commanderies. The weakening of the Chinese control led to the establishment of three indigenous kingdoms, which were known as Silla, Goguryeo and Baekje.
In 676, Silla unified the three kingdoms and led to the North South States Period. During this period, Unified Silla ruled over the Korean Peninsula, while the northern parts of Goguryeo were ruled by Balhae. This was followed by Korean unity under two consecutive dynasties, namely, Koryo and Joseon.
From 16th century onwards, the country went through invasions from Japan, which was fended off with the help of China. Korea continued as a protectorate of China till 1895. In 1910, the Japanese occupied the country and continued to rule for 35 years. After Japan's defeat in the Second World War, USA came to influence the region.
The Korean Civil War took place later, which divided the peninsula in two parts. South Korea leaned towards capitalism, while its counterpart, North Korea turned socialist. 15 August 1948 laid down the establishment of South Korea, which then went through alternating periods of democratic and autocratic rule.
The first Republic of South Korea, which collapsed in 1960, was democratic in nature. After that another democracy, Second Republic came into existence but was replaced by autocratic military regime. This military rule continued to form the third, fourth and fifth republics, but a liberal democracy was formed by the Sixth Republic.
South Korea is inhabited by 48,875,000 people, which makes it the 24th populous country in the world. It is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries of the world as 99% of the total population has Korean ethnicity.
South Korea is a secular nation as its constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Around 46.5% of the South Korean population profess to follow no religion. The rest of the population comprises the followers of Buddhism, Protestantism, Jeungism, Cheondoism and Wonbuddhism.
The best time to travel to South Korea is during the fall season that commences from September and goes on till November. The other best months to visit this country are May and June. Temperature and humidity remain bearable during this period.
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