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The modern Korean people are believed to be the descendants of several Mongol tribes which migrated onto the Korean peninsula from Central Asia particularly during the Neolithic Age (c. 5000-1000 BC) and the Bronze Age (c. 1000-300 BC). By the beginning of the Christian era, the Koreans were a homogenous people, although the country was not politically unified until the seventh century AD. The population of the Republic of Korea topped 45.9 million in 1997. Its population density is among the world's highest, and Seoul, the capital city, has more than 11 million inhabitants. Other metropolitan cities include Pusan, Taegu, Inch'on, Kwangju, Taejon, and Ulsan. In recent years, urbanization has been increasing, although the government is taking steps to minimize this trend. The traditional extended family system is giving way to the nuclear family. Religious freedom is provided for in the Korean Constitution, and Koreans have taken to religion with a fervor. Some 51 percent of the public holds religious beliefs, and that figure continues to grow. The major religions include Buddhism, Protestantism and Catholicism Nearly all of Seoul's residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities. Today, there are an estimated more than 200,000 foreign nationals living in Seoul. These include people from South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and parts of Africa, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, and the United Kingdom. The crime rate in Seoul is very low. Although about half of the population describe themselves as not religious, two major religions in Seoul are Buddhism and Christianity (each around 25%). Other religions include Shamanism and Confucianism, the latter seen more as a pervasive social philosophy rather than a religion. In South Korea, education is highly regarded and very competitive. A centralized administration oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Mathematics, science, Korean and English are generally considered to be the most important subjects. Sometimes, physical education is not considered important, as it is not regarded to be education, and, therefore, many schools lack high-quality gymnasiums and varsity athletics. South Korea was the first country in the world to provide high-speed internet access from every primary, junior, and high school.
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