Soil
The soil of Korea is unique in that a large portion of it contains displaced alluvia instead of stationary alluvia. The displaced alluvia is composed of soil that has been moved away from base rocks by such external forces as rain, streams and winds. The most common rocks in Korea are granite and gneiss. Ingneous rocks such as basalt and porphyry, and sedimentary rocks, including limestone, argillite and sandstone are also abundant in Korea. Since a high percentage of Korean soil contains granite and gneiss, it is sandy. Volcanic soils are also found on the islands of Cheju and Ullung.
Flora
Due to its geographical location, Korea is a good natural habitat for a great number of plants and animals. According to a botanical tally, more than 4,500 species of vascular plants are found in the north and in mountainous areas, the central region and western lowlands have heavy vegetation, including broad-leaved deciduous trees. On the southern coast and on the offshore islands of Cheju and Ullung, warm-temperature plants grow abundantly. Among the trees commonly found in Korea are pine, maple, oak, larch, elm, spruce, willow, alder, birch and poplar. Common fruit trees are the apple, pear, peach, chestnut and persimmon, etc.
Faunae
Korea belongs to the Palaearctic Zoogeographic realm. Animal life in Korea’s highlands around Mt. Paektu on the Korea-Manchuria border is closely related to that in the boreal zones of Manchuria, mainland China, Siberia, Sakhalin and Hokkaido. Representative species in the highlands are the deer, the roe deer, the amur goral, the Manchurian weasel, the brown bear, the tiger, the lynx, the northern pika, the water shew, the muskrat, the Manchurian ring-necked pheasant, the black grouse, the hawk owl, the pine grosbeak and the three-toed woodpecker. In the southern lowlands of Korea, the faunae which are closely related to those of southern Manchuria, central China, and Japan, include the black bear, the river deer, the mandarin vole, the white-bellied black woodpecker, the fairy pitta and the ring-necked pheasant.To preserve rare wildlife species, the Korean government has designated as natural monuments 23 species of wildlife, including the white-naped crane, the great bustard, the musk deer, the hooded crane and the stellar’s sea eagle. Other fauna monuments are the domesticated silky fowl, the California grey whale and Korea¡&hibar;s purebred dog, the Chindokae.
Mineral Resources
According to a government survey, there are 287 minerals in Korea. Among minerals used for commercial purposes are gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, zinc, tungsten, kaolinite, barites and molybdenum. The largest portion of Korea’s developed mineral wealth is in the northern part of the peninsula. Although South Korea also possesses important minerals and ores, including such basic metals as iron, copper and aluminum, they are more common in North Korea. Korea has no great deposits of coal. Its known deposits of coal are composed almost entirely of anthracite and contain little lignite. South Korea’s chief metallic mineral is tungsten.Marine Resources Since cold and warm currents meet off the coast of Korea, the seas surrounding the Korean peninsula abound in fishery resources. There are many kinds of edible fish in Korean waters, including shellfish, algae and other species of sea animals and plants.