The Korean Peninsula extends southward from the eastern end of the Asian continent.

Korea is roughly 1,000 km (600 miles) long and 216 km (135 miles) wide at its narrowest point.

Mountains cover 70% of Korea's land area, making the peninsula one of the most mountainous regions in the world. The lifting and folding of Korea's granite and limestone base has created breathtaking landscapes of scenic hills and mountains. The mountain range that traverses the entire length of the east coast plunges steeply into the East Sea. Along the southern and western coast, the mountains descend gradually to the coastal plains.

Korea's 99,434 square km (24,860 acres) is populated by 47.7 million people. Administratively, the Republic of Korea consists of nine provinces (Do) ; one Special City, Seoul ; and the six Metropolitan Cities of Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Ulsan. In total, there are 68 cities (Si) and 103 counties (Gun) in the nine provinces.