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Gangwon

Gangwon Province
Korean Name
Revised Romanization Gangwon-do
McCune-Reischauer Kangwŏn-do
Hangul 강원도
Hanja 江原道
Short Name Gangwon (Kang-won;
강원; 江原)
Statistics
Population 1,592,000
(1990, estimate)
Area 16,894 km²
Capital Chuncheon
Administrative Divisions 10 cities ("Si");
13 counties ("Gun")
Region Gwandong
(Yeongseo = western Gangwon;
Yeongdong = eastern Gangwon)
Dialect Gangwon
Location Map
Map of South Korea highlighting the city

Gangwon (Gangwon-do) is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.

Contents

History

Gangwon was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The province was formed in 1395, and derived its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung (강릉; 江陵) and the provincial capital Wonju (원주; 原州).

In 1895, Gangwon was replaced by the Districts of Chuncheon (Chuncheon-bu; 춘천부; 春川府) in the west and Gangneung (Gangneung-bu; 강릉부; 江陵府) in the east. (Wonju became part of Chungju District.)

In 1896, Korea was redivided into thirteen provinces, and the two districts were merged to re-form Gangwon Province. Although Wonju rejoined Gangwon province, the provincial capital was moved to Chuncheon, where it remains today.

In 1945, Gangwon Province (along with the rest of Korea) was divided by the 38th parallel north in 1945 into American and Soviet zones of occupation in the south and north respectively. In 1948, the southern half of the province became part of the new nation of South Korea. As a result of the Korean War ceasefire of 1953, the boundary between the South and North Korean portions of the province was shifted northward to the Military Demarcation Line. The province's boundaries have remained the same since 1953.

Geography

Location

Gangwon is bounded on the west by Gyeonggi province, on the south by the provinces of North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang, and on the east by the East Sea. To the north lies the province's North Korean counterpart, Kangwŏn province. The province's landscape is dominated by the Taebaek Mountains (Taebaek Sanmaek) which almost reach the sea. As a consequence the coast is steep.

Resources

The area of Gangwon is 16,894 km2, of which four fifth are woodland. Edible alpine plants and mushrooms are harvested in these forests. The province is renowned for its agricultural produce, in particular potatoes and fish (cuttlefish and pollock). Mineral resources of the province include iron, coal, fluorite, limestone and tungsten. There are hydroelectric and thermoelectric power plants.

Cities and parks

The main cities in the province are Chuncheon (the provincial capital), Gangneung, Sokcho, Wonju, and Donghae. Seorak-san (mountain; 1,708 m) and Mt. Odae (1,563 m) with its ski run, attract a large number of national tourists. Both are located in national parks in the Taebaek Mountains.

Regions

Gangwon and its North Korean counterpart Kangwŏn are together referred to as the Gwandong region. The region west of the Taebaek Mountains is called Yeongseo , while the region east of the mountains is called Yeongdong. The term "Yeongdong" is frequently used in reference to transportation services from Seoul, the national capital. Thus, one might catch a bus or train on the "Yeongdong Line ," or drive to Gangneung on the Yeongdong Expressway .

Administrative divisions

Gangwon is divided into 7 cities ("Si" or "Shi") and 11 counties ("Gun"). The names below are given in English and Hangul.

Cities

Counties

See also

External links

Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04