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Gangwon (Gangwon-do) is a province in 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, one of the former eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty.
History Along with the rest of Korea, Gangwon Province 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 - List of Korea-related topics
External link - Gangwon provincial government English-language home page (http://www.provin.gangwon.kr/english/main.asp)
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