Infant mortality rate: 7.79 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.95 years male: 70.37 years female: 78 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality: noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

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

Religions: Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), 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.)

@Korea, South:Government

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