est.)

Death rate: 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.13
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.65 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 78.95 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3,800 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 180 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions: Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist,
Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%

Languages: Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 98% male: 99.3% female: 96.7% (1995 est.)

Government Korea, South

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Korea conventional
short form: South Korea local short form: none note: the South Koreans
generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country local long
form: Taehan-min'guk abbreviation: ROK

Government type: republic

Capital: Seoul

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and
7 metropolitan cities* (gwangyoksi, singular and plural); Cheju-do,
Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo,
Inch'on-gwangyoksi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-gwangyoksi*, Kyonggi-do,
Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-gwangyoksi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*,
Taegu-gwangyoksi*, Taejon-gwangyoksi*, Ulsan-gwangyoksi*

Independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

Constitution: 25 February 1988

Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law
systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President KIM Dae-jung (since 25
February 1998) head of government: Prime Minister YI Han-tong (since 23
May 2000) cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
minister's recommendation elections: president elected by popular vote
for a single five-year term; election