3. Geography
The Korean Peninsula, which lies on the northeastern edge of the Asian continent, shares its northern border with China and Russia and juts toward Japan to the southeast. The highest peak is Baekdusan in North Korea, which rises 2,744 meters above sea level along the northern border facing China. This mountain is regarded as an important symbol of the Korean spirit and is featured in Korea's national anthem.
The second highest mountain is the 1,950-meter Hallasan in South Korea. The peninsula has a significant number of rivers, including the Hangang (514 km) and Nakdonggang (525 km), both in South Korea, and the Amnokgang (Yalu, 790 km) and Dumangang (Tumen, 521 km), both in North Korea. Considering its territorial size, the peninsula has a relatively large number of rivers and streams.
Except for its northern area, seas surround Korea on three sides, with some 3,400 islands dotting the coastline.
Korea is roughly 1,000 kilometers long and encompasses a total of 222,154 square kilometers (South Korea -99,392 sq.km; North Korea -122,762 sq.km). It is nearly the same size as Britain and a little larger than Portugal. Excluding some plains in the southwestern area, approximately 70 percent of South Korea is mountainous. Along the southern and western coasts, the mountains descend gradually to the coastal plains.
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