|
Country
|
Korea, South | 
Maldives |
|
Leader
|
President: Park Geun-hye
|
|
|
Population
|
48,955,203
| 393,988
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
79.550 years
| 74.920 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Seoul
| Male
|
|
Largest city
|
| Seoul (population: 10,349,300) | Male (population: 84,972) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.928
| 0.749
|
| GDP per capita |
$32,400 US
| $8,700 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
97.9%
| 96.3%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
NA
| 2.8
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
13.7%
| 12%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
3.200%
| 28.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
NA
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
| 26 July 1965 (from UK)
|
| Religions |
Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)
| Sunni Muslim
|
| Languages |
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
| Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
|
| Exports |
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals
| fish
|
| External Debt |
$413,400,000,000 $
| $890,800,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar - 1,101.7 (2008 est.), 929.2 (2007), 954.8 (2006), 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004)
| rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
2.700%
| 5.000%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
31
| 0
|
| Location |
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
| Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
|
| Area |
99,720 km sq
| 298 km sq
|
| Coastline |
2,413 km
| 644 km
|
| Climate |
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
| tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
|
|
|
|
