Gangwon
Gangwon (
Gangwon-do; 강원도; 江原道) is a
province in the north east of
South Korea. It 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.
Before the
division of North and South Korea along the 38th parallel in 1945, the province stretched to what is now North Korean territory. The landscape is dominated by the
Taebaek Mountains (
Taebaek Sanmaek) which almost reach the sea. As a consequence the coast is steep.
The area of Gangwon is 16,894 km
2, 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
pollack). Mineral resources of the province include
iron,
coal,
fluorite,
limestone and
tungsten. There are
hydroelectric and
thermoelectric power plants.
The main cities in the province are
Chuncheon (the provincial capital),
Gangneung,
Sokcho, Wonju, and
Donghae.
Seorak-san (mountain; 1,700 m) and Mount 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.
Population 1,592,000
(1990, estimate).
Administrative divisions:
