The name “Korea” comes from Goryeo, which was the name given to the dynasty established by General

Wang Geon in AD 918. Goryeo means “high and clear.” Some poetic interpretations of the name Korea
are “Land of High Mountains and Sparkling Streams” and “Land of the Morning Calm.”[6]

Most restaurants, including McDonald’s, will deliver food straight to homes in South Korea.[6]

South Koreans are obsessed with feces, and everything from turd-shaped cookies, phone charms, and an
entire museum devoted to poop can be found in the country. Toilets across the country also feature
pleasant flushing sounds, background music, and colored water.[19]

In Korea, babies are considered one year old at birth.[25]

Only 3.2% of South Koreans are overweight, which ties the country of Japan for the lowest percentage in
the world.[6]

South Korean men love makeup, spending close to US$900 million a year, or a quarter of the world’s
men’s cosmetics. Up to 20% of the male Korean population is reported to use makeup regularly.[3]

South Korea is home to Haesindang Park, which is full of penis statues, and also to a penis-themed
restaurant at Deulmusae, which is hard to miss because of the statues of jaji (penises) lining the path to
the restaurant.[17]

Interesting Haesindang Park Fact

Haesindang Park is also known as "Penis Park" (Amanderson / Creative Commons)

In South Korea, it is perfectly legal to drink alcohol in public. People can carry open containers of their
favorite alcoholic beverage and even take a drink or two.[20]

When a Korean’s name is written in red ink, this indicates that that person is about to die or is already
dead.[6]

South Korea is famous for its practice of “crime re-creation.” Citizens suspected of crimes such as rape or
murder are led by the police in handcuffs to the scene of the crime and ordered to publically reenact the
crime. To make the reenactment even more humiliating, the media is also invited to take pictures and
publish details about the crime.[9]

South Koreans believe that leaving an electric fan on overnight will kill the person sleeping directly below
it.[20]

The microchips for Apple’s iPhones are made by the South Korean company Samsung.[13]

On Jeju, South Korea’s largest island, giant stone statues known as dol hareubang (old grandfather) can
be found along the beaches. Newlywed women believe that if they touch the statues’ long, broad,
phallic-looking noses, they will be blessed with fertility.[17]
South Koreans consider the number 4 as unlucky, and it is associated with death. This belief seems to
have come from China.[16]

More than 2 billion people have viewed the “Gangnam Style” music video of Korean K-pop artist Psy
since 2011. It topped the charts in 30 countries around the world. World leaders including U.S. President
Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron have mimicked the dance. The song refers to
the Gangnam District of Seoul.[16]

South Korea is the largest market for plastic surgery per capita in the world. It is estimated between 1/5
and 1/3 of the women in Seoul have gone under the knife for at least one cosmetic procedure.[21]

Interesting South Korea Fact

South Korea is the plastic surgery capital of the world

Group blind dating in South Korea is called “Meeting” or “So-getting” and is a very popular way for
young university students to meet over dinner and drinks.[15]

Along with Tokyo residents, Seoulites get the least amount of sleep of any residents of major cities in the
world, just fewer than 6 hours a night.[3]

South Koreans enjoy showing off their relationship statuses publically. It is common to see couples
holding hands, kissing, and even wearing matching outfits.[25]

South Korea has the world’s fastest wireless speeds on the planet, with an average download speed 33.5
megabits per second, nearly three times the average speed of second-place Hong Kong. The country also
has an average upload speed of 17 megabits per second. One hundred percent of South Koreans have
broadband access.[8]

South Koreans love Honey Butter Chips, which are potato chips flavored with honey and butter from
France. Because shops run out of them so fast, raffles are held for a chance to buy a bag, and the chips
can sell for up to US$100 a bag on eBay. McDonald’s even sold honey butter-flavored French fries in
South Korea for a while.[24]

In 2012, a prison in the South Korean city of Pohang became home to the world’s first robotic prison
guards. The country also uses robots to guard the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South
Korea and as teachers.[10]

South Koreans love shopping, and the country has some of the biggest shopping malls in the world. The
stores are open until 4:00 in the morning, while most restaurants, bars, and cafes are open only until
11:00 p.m.[6]

Interesting Korea Fact

Seoul is often considered to be one giant shopping mall

South Korea’s Yoido Full Gospel Church has the biggest congregation in the world. As of February 13,
2014, the Seoul-based Pentecostal Christian church had close to 1 million members. On any given
Sunday, 200,000 faithful will attend 1 of 7 services and an additional 200,000 to 300,000 will watch on TV
and in satellite churches.[5]

Baseball in South Korea is called yagu, and teams are named after corporations like Samsung and KIA.
The Korean Baseball Organization was established in 1981 as a way for people to let off steam by
Dictator General Chun Doo Hwan, who tried to improve his image by throwing out the first pitch at every
game.[4]

South Koreans are automatically classified at birth according to their blood type, which is a custom that
originated in Japan but has become very important in South Korean culture and may even determine
who gets to marry whom.[6]

South Koreans love sweet potatoes so much that there is every possible dish flavored with sweet potato,
including main courses, desserts, chips, latte, bread, salads, and sweet potato-topped pizza.[20]

Taxis in South Korea are color coded according to the level of service offered. A gray or white taxi is a
basic car with a qualified but potentially inexperienced driver, while the black cabs are luxury cars with
experienced drivers.[25]

All South Korean roofs are curved at the ends giving the appearance of a smile.[11]

Eyelid surgery is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures performed in South Korea. Most
wealthy young South Koreans receive double-eyelid surgery for their 16th birthday as a gift to make their
eyes appear more Western.[5]

South Korea’s national dish is kimchi, which is a combination of vegetables and spices that have been
fermented underground for months. It is served with almost everything. The first written description of
making kimchi dates to about AD 1250 and there are about 170 varieties of the dish.[16]

Interesting Korean Food Fact

Koreans eat kimchi at nearly every meal

Dog is a dish that is actually served in Korean restaurants and in street markets. Dog meat has been
eaten in South Korea for centuries, but has become quite controversial among other Asian nations.
Bosintang is a traditional Korean soup made with dog meat, which means “invigorating soup.” A special
breed of dog, the nureongi, is bred for its meat. Pet dogs are usually not eaten.[6]

The Shinsegae Department Store in Centum City, Busan, South Korea, is the world’s largest department
store as of 2009.[18]

Playing the online video game StarCraft is a legitimate career in South Korea. Since the game launched in
1988, nearly half of all the games have been sold in South Korea. It is one of the best-selling games for
the personal computer in history. There are also cable channels devoted solely to the game.[3]
The South Korean National Information Agency estimates that 14% of the people between the ages of 9
and 12 have an Internet addiction. In 2011, South Korea passed a law called the Shutdown, or Cinderella,
Law that bans anyone younger than 16 from online game sites, which is largely ignored by the youth.[3]

Same-sex touching is common among men and women and their friends in South Korea. South Korean
boys and men practice a thing called no homo (skinship) where they cultivate a bond by touching each
other, usually with platonic gestures such as handshakes. Getting touchy-feely can also extend to
teachers and students as long as they are the same sex.[25]

Love motels are very popular in South Korea. They feature tiny, themed rooms with outrageous
decorations where a couple can hook up for an overnight. They can be found in almost any part of big
cities and are so trendy and clean that tourists on a budget and business people on short stays can check
in for a night. Love hotels also rent by the hour.[15]

Instead of air heaters, Koreans have heated floors. Called ondol (warm stone), the heat is passed in pipes
under the floor. This heating system goes back to the Koguryo (or Goguryeo) Dynasty (37–668 BC). In
South Korea, more than 90% of the houses have ondol, and people eat, sleep, and watch TV on the
warm floor.[25]

South Korea passed a law in 1999 that requires all online shopping and banking to be done using
Internet Explorer. It is still in place.[12]

Few South Koreans choose not to marry, and an unmarried person is called a “Big Baby” in Korean slang.
There are two kinds of marriage in South Korea: yonae (love marriage) and chungmae (arranged
marriage).[7]

Fun South Korea Fact

An unmarried person is called a "Big Baby" in Korean slang

South Korea harvests more than 90% of the world’s seaweed consumption.[23]

South Koreans are the world’s biggest users of credit cards since 2011, making 129.7 transactions per
person that year, compared with 77.9 transactions per American.[3]

Hallyu (Korean Wave) is the word for the South Korean wave of popular culture. President Obama even
referred to it during a March 2012 visit to South Korea.[13]

The South Korean people are one of the most uniform populations in the world. They are related to the
Mongoloid racial groups, including the Chinese, which in total make up around 70% of the world’s
population. They share much in common with the Chinese, Mongolians, and Japanese, whom they still
do not like after the Japanese invasion during World War II.[2]

Ten-pin bowling was introduced to South Koreans by American GIs during the Korean War, and it is still a
popular sport in South Korea today.[22]
The Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon) is South Korea’s national flower. It is a type of hibiscus and is
represented in the national anthem. It is a symbol to the Koreans of the glories and adversities of their
past.[22]

The crane is a symbol of good fortune in South Korea. Red-crowned cranes can stand about 5 feet (1.5
m) high.[22]

Koreans have two legends about their country’s founding. The first tells of a god-like figure called
Dangun, or Tangun, who established an ancient state in North Korea around 2333 BC. The other,
supported by Chinese texts, states that a Manchu tribal chief named Kija led a band of his followers to
Joseon after the fall of the Chinese Shang Dynasty around 1100 BC.[7]

The Korean War was the first major military conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, but
it has never officially ended. After the 3-year-long conflict during the 1950s, North and South Korea
signed a ceasefire, which has since been upheld―technically, it could end at any time.[6]

Interesting Korean War Fact

The Korean War began in 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea

On the South Korean island of Jeju, women traditionally go out to work while their husbands stay home.
These women are called haenyeo (“sea women”), and they dive for sea urchins, abalone, and octopus,
continuing a tradition that goes back 1,500 years and is passed down from mother to daughter.[7]

For three weeks after a baby’s birth in South Korea, a straw rope of chili peppers or pine needles known
as kumjul is hung across the door of the house to frighten away evil spirits and warn people not to enter.
Seaweed soup and rice are also offered to Samsin Halmeoni, the Korean grandmother spirit, every
morning and evening for a week. These foods are also given to the new mother to speed her recovery.[7]

South Koreans who live to be 60 years old are often thrown a lavish party called hwangap. It was started
in the past when very few people lived to that age. It is also a significant birthday because the traditional
Korean calendar is based on a 60-year cycle.[7]

One of the nicknames for the South Korean people is “People Who Wear White, which came from the
graceful, white hanboks that commoners wore during the early kingdoms. The hanbok is still worn today,
mainly ceremonially, and is honored as a cultural treasure.[16]

South Korea is home to Cheomseongdae Observatory, the world’s first astronomical laboratory, built
during the mid-600s at Gyeongju.[16]

About 2.1 million South Koreans live in U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, and Seattle. The first began
immigrating in 1903 and they lived on the Hawaiian Islands working on sugar and pineapple plantations.
[16]

South Korean martial art taekwondo is the country’s most famous sport. It literally means “the way of
the fist and foot.” It most likely started around 2,000 years ago when a Korean warrior developed a style
of fighting that used bare hands and feet instead of weapons. It is practiced worldwide today and
became an official Olympic sport in 2002. It is the only Olympic sport that has originated in South Korea.
[16]

Ssireum, or Korean wrestling, can be traced back to 37 BC. It started as a competition between villagers
before it became a martial art. Today, it is a televised sport with matches performed in stadiums. Two
wrestlers grab each other’s sash and try to push each other out a ring of sand.[16]

South Koreans top the list worldwide in terms of hard liquor consumption, and Jinro Soju, Korean
distilled rice liquor, is the best-selling liquor in the world for the 11th year in a row. It outsold Smirnoff
Vodka, which came in second by 37.48 million cases.[3]

Interesting Jinro Soju Fact

Jinro Soju, Korean distelled rice liquor, is the best-selling liquor in the world

South Korean women are good at golf. Thirty-eight of the top 100 female golfers in the world, and 9 of
the current top 25, are South Korean. Lydia Ko set the world record in 2013 for the youngest woman ever
to win a professional tournament, at age 14. In February, she was also the youngest golfer of either
gender to be ranked #1 in the world, and in September 2015, she became the youngest golfer to win at
major pro golf tournament, the Evian Championship in France.[3]

The most common family names in South Korea are Kim, Lee (also spelled Yi/Ree), and Park (Pak). More
than 20% of South Koreans have the last name Kim.[16]

No one has seen an Amur, or Korean, tiger in the wild for many years, but it is found in Korean mythology
as the guardian of the people, driving away evil spirits. Scientists think that the Amur tiger and Siberian
tiger, which lives in Russia, may be the same species.[16]

Valentine’s Day in South Korea is celebrated with a twist. It is a day where women show their love for
their men by giving chocolates and gifts to their husbands or boyfriends. On March 14, Koreans celebrate
White Day, where men buy gifts for their ladies―but they are supposed to spend three times the
amount they received on Valentine’s Day. In fact, the 14th of every month is a romantically themed
holiday in the country, including Kiss Day (June) and Hug Day (December). The saddest of all days is April
14, which is known as Black Day, and single Koreans mourn their lack of love by eating sticky, black
noodles called jajangmyeon.[10]

The current secretary general of the United Nations is Ban Ki-Moon. In 2013, Forbes magazine listed him
32nd on its list of most powerful people in the world.[16]

Both the tiger and rabbit are important Korean folk symbols. Some Koreans say the Korean Peninsula is
shaped like a tiger and others, a rabbit. Both animals are found in Korean folktales and folk art.[6]

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was built on top of the demolished village of Panmunjom during the
Korean War. It divides North and South Korea and is one of the most heavily militarized borders in the
world. It is 2.5 miles (4 km) wide and stretches 152 miles (245 km) from the East Sea to the Yellow Sea.
[6]

Hyundai KIA automotive group is South Korea’s largest automaker and the 2nd largest in Asia. In 2013, it
ranked as the 5th largest automaker in the world, manufacturing some 7.5 million new cars and trucks. It
is also a chaebol, a business dynasty or conglomerate.[6]

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) declared that South Korea is the
country with the highest estimated national IQ on Earth.[11]

Little Known South Korea Facts

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), South Koreans have
one of the highest IQ on Earth

The average South Korean works 55 hours a week, or 2,316 hours a year, compared to the 40-hour week
of the average factory worker in the United States.[6]

Kite flying is a popular pastime in South Korea, and on the last day of the new moon during the Lunar
New Year, people traditionally let go of their kites hoping their bad luck will float away with them.[6]

Called “Queen Yuna,” South Korean figure skater Yuna Kim is one of the brightest stars in Korean sports.
She won the gold medal in February 2010 at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, becoming the
first Korean to medal in any Olympic figure skating discipline. Her gold medal was also South Korea’s first
medal at the Winter Olympics in something other than speed skating or short track. Kim’s combined
scores were the highest ever recorded and were entered into the Guinness World Records.[6]

Christmas is an official holiday in South Korea, with almost 1/3 of South Koreans being Christians. Santa
Claus may be wearing a blue, rather than red, suit in South Korea, and he is also known as Santa Kulloso
(Grandfather Santa).[6]

For the Harvest Moon Festival, more than 20 million South Koreans travel to their hometowns to visit the
graves of their ancestors and bring gifts such as fine foods to place on the graves.[26]

South Korean wedding garments are usually red, which is a symbol of good fortune.[26]

In traditional Korean medicine, the gallbladder of the moon bear has great healing powers. Although
there is no modern medical evidence that proves this cure is true, some South Koreans still eat the organ
to treat diabetes, heart disease, and liver problems. People also make a stew from the bear’s claws that
they think will give them extra strength. As a result, only a few moon bears still exist in the wild in South
Korea.[14]

Former President Bill Clinton once called the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which separates North and South
Korea the “scariest place on Earth.”[25]

When taking a photo, South Koreans say “kimchi” instead of “cheese.”[20]

As of 2013, 78.5% of the South Korean population had a smartphone, the highest percentage in the
world. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 97.7% have a smartphone.[3]

Random South Korea Fact

Over 78% of the South Korean population owns a smartphone

For the busy morning commute in Seoul, the city has hired professional “Subway Pushers” who wear
uniforms and white gloves and literally pack as many people as possible onto the subway trains.[20]

Koreans, both North and South, speak and write the Hangeul or Hangul language. It consists of 14
consonants and 10 vowels, and the alphabet can be combined into various syllables. It is considered one
of the standard scientific writing systems.[16]

Important Dates[1][7][14][25]

Date Events

6000 BC Stone Age peoples arrive in Korea.

108 Chinese Han dynasty establishes 4 territories on the Korean Peninsula.

57–18 The Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje kingdoms are founded.

AD 668 Goguryeo and Baekje kingdoms are unified under Silla.

918 Wang Kon founds Goryeo dynasty.

1231 Mongols invade Goryeo.

1392 Yi Seong-gye founds the Joseon dynasty.

1446 King Sejong introduces Hangul, a phonetic alphabet, to replace the Chinese-based writing
system.

1592 Japan invades Korea.

1598 Korea drives out Japan with help from China. Admiral Yi Sun-sin uses ironclad “turtle” ships to
defeat the Japanese.

1656 Shipwrecked Dutch sailors become the first Europeans to set foot on the Korean peninsula.

1783 Catholicism arrives in Korea.

1876 Korea opens 3 ports to international trade.

1894 The Donghak Uprising leads to the Sino-Japanese War for control of Korea.

1895 Queen Min is murdered.

1910 Japan annexes Korea.

1945 Korean peninsula is divided at the 38th parallel. Soviet troops occupy the north, U.S. troops the
south.

1948 Syngman Rhee (formerly Yi Sungman) is elected president of South Korea.

1950–1953 Korean War takes place. Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is established.

1960–1961 Rhee resigns after riots. Park Chung Hee stages coup and imposes martial law.

1979 Park is assassinated.

1988 Seoul hosts the Olympic Games.

1991 Both Koreas join the United Nations.

1998 Kim Dae Jung engages North Korea with the Sunshine Policy.

2000 Kim Dae Jung and Kim Jong-Il meet. Families separated by the border are allowed to reunite. Kim
Dae Jung wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

2002 South Korea and Japans co-host the World Cup.

2006 Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon is appointed as Secretary General of the United Nations.

2010 Japan apologizes to South Korea for colonization on the 100th anniversary of Japan’s annexation
of the Korean Peninsula in 1910.

2012 South Korea elects its first female president, Park Geun-hye.

2014 MW Sewol, a South Korean ferry carrying 476 people, sinks on its way to the island of Jeju, killing
some 300 people.

Since 1998, millions of people from around the world have flocked to South Korea’s Boryeong Mud
Festival, where for 10 days revelers enjoy mud massages, mud photo contests, mud marathons, and mud
wrestling contests. It was originally conceived as a way to advertise mud cosmetics.[6]

50 Fascinating Facts about South Korea

South Korea is a country that is located in East Asia. The official name for the country is the Republic of
Korea. A population of over 51 million makes this the 27th largest country in the world based on
population. The country has a total area of 38,690 square miles. The country has a unitary presidential
constitutional republic government with a president and a prime minister. Seoul is the country's capital,
and it is also the most populous city in the country. Over half of South Koreans do not have a particular
religion, and over one-quarter are Christian. The official currency is the South Korean Won. The country's
flag is red, white, blue, and black.
South Korea Facts

South Korea has a GDP of $1.378 trillion.

The nominal GDP per capita is $37,900.

South Korea’s primary industries are electronics, telecommunications, and steel.

South Korea’s crops include rice, barley, and root crops, and agriculture is just about 2% of the nation’s
GDP.

In terms of land area, South Korea is roughly the size of the state of Indiana.

Approximately 90% of the world’s seaweed used for consumption (think sushi) comes from South Korea.

In South Korea, you must be 19 to smoke, drink, or vote.

Park Geun-Hye is South Korea’s first female president. She was voted into office in 2013.

South Korea is known as the world’s capital of plastic surgery.

10

Adultery is legal in South Korea. It was legalized in 2015.

11

Mandatory military service of 21 to 24 months is required for South Koreans.

12
In South Korea, a person’s blood type is believed to contribute to their personality and characteristics.
Many South Koreans believe that people are compatible based on their blood types.

13

South Koreans believe that a person is one year old at birth, since they spent almost one year in their
mother’s womb, which can make birthdays a little confusing for foreigners.

14

Speaking of birthdays, a traditional birthday dish is seaweed soup.

15

In South Korea, the average alcohol consumption is 12.3 liters per year, putting this country as the 17th
in the world for most alcohol consumption.

16

South Koreans celebrate White Day on March 14. It is similar to Valentine’s Day but is reserved for
women. Men receive the gifts and treats on Valentine’s Day.

17

The United Nations secretary general Ban Ki Moon is from South Korea. Forbes has listed him as one of
the most powerful men in the world.

18

The number 4 is considered to be an unlucky number in South Korea and other parts of Asia. In hotels
and other buildings, there is no 4th floor, much like the number 13 in the U.S.

19

It is tradition to purchase household supplies like toilet paper and laundry detergent for a person’s
housewarming gift.

20

Live octopus is frequently consumed by South Koreans.

21

South Korea, on average, has the fastest internet speeds in the world.
22

Want to dine in? No problem. South Korea has multiple restaurants that offer delivery, including
McDonalds. Most delivery drivers drive a motorcycle when delivering food. Even better, many places
even will retrieve the dishes when you’re done.

23

Many South Korean homes aren’t outfitted with vents that blow out heat. Instead, homes are heated
through the floor.

24

Samsung, one of the world’s biggest technology companies, is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

25

It is not uncommon for South Korean men to wear makeup.

26

South Korea is on the cutting-edge of most technology, but its sewer system isn’t the best. Because the
system is so delicate, toilet paper is meant to be disposed of in a bin beside the toilet – not flushed.

27

Kimchi is a staple dish in South Korea, and there are 250 different types.

28

Contrary to popular belief, dog is not a traditional meat consumed in Korea. Only a very small percentage
of South Koreans have tried it, and there are many people who speak out against consumption of dog
meat.

29

Soju is the most popular type of alcohol in South Korea. It is around 19% alcohol – very strong – and is a
grain or potato-based vodka.

30

It is not uncommon for a South Korean to ask, “Have you eaten well?” instead of “How are you?”

31

The island of Jeju, South Korea, has the tallest mountain in the country, which measures in at 6,398 feet.
32

Korean is the official language of South Korea.

33

English is often taught as a second language in South Korean schools.

34

A high-speed rail service travels between Seoul and Busan. It was constructed in 2004 to aid with traffic
congestion.

35

South Korea’s government is a multiparty democracy.

36

Prior to the Korean War, 75% of residents lived in rural areas. Now, 82% of residents live in urban areas.

37

South Korea has the second lowest percentage of obese citizens in the entire world

38

Free Wi-Fi is available practically everywhere in South Korea. It is not uncommon to see everyone –
including homeless people and very small children – surfing the internet on mobile devices like phones
and tablets.

39

Cyber sports are very popular in South Korea. Stadiums with big screen televisions are used for
competitions in video games.

40

Being a teacher is one of the most prestigious and well-paying jobs in South Korea. On average, teachers
earn about $2,500 per month. Teachers that work at universities and private schools can earn much
more.

41

South Korean students must take a university entrance exam known as the sooneung. On the morning of
exams, a crowd of supporters flock to the local high schools to give out well wishes and candy.

42
The South Korean flag is known as Taegukgi and incorporates symbols and philosophies of Buddhism and
Taoism.

43

South Koreans do not believe that you should write a person’s name in red ink. Traditional beliefs say
that this means that a person is dead or about to die.

44

Jeju, the largest island in South Korea, houses large stone statues. It is believed that touching these
statues, known as dol hareubang, aids in fertility.

45

The people of Seoul are some of the most sleep-deprived in the world, clocking under 6 hours per night.

46

Online shopping and banking in South Korea must be done through Internet Explorer. This is a law.

47

Some families in South Korea still have arranged marriages.

48

Cheomseongdae Observatory, the world’s first astronomical lab, is located in South Korea. It was
constructed in the mid-600s.

49

The most popular sport in South Korea is taekwondo, which is believed to have originated around 2,000
years ago.

50

Over 20% of South Koreans have the last name Kim. Other common last names are Park and Lee.

South Korea is a country that mixes its rich history with the modern conveniences of today. Its landmarks
tell its long history, while looking around the modern cities shows just how advanced this country has
become.