Hwangju County is a county in

North Hwanghae North Hwanghae Province (Hwanghaebuk-to; , lit. "north Yellow Sea province") is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1954 when the former Hwanghae Province was split into North and South Hwanghae. The provincial capital is S ...

province,

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...

Geography

Hwangju is bordered to the northwest by

Sariwŏn Sariwŏn () is the capital of North Hwanghae Province, North Korea. Population The city's population as of 2008 is 307,764. Administrative divisions Sariwŏn is divided into 31 '' tong'' (neighbourhoods) and 9 '' ri'' (villages): Healthcar ...

, to the northeast by

Songrim Songrim () is a city on the Taedong River in North Hwanghae Province, North Korea. It had a population of 128,831 in 2008. Administrative divisions Songrim is divided into 19 '' tong'' (neighbourhoods) and 6 '' ri'' (villages): * Chŏn-dong ...

and Kangnam, to the southwest by Yŏnt'an, to the south by

Pongsan Pongsan County is a county in North Hwanghae province, North Korea. Administrative divisions Pongsan county is divided into 1 ''ŭp An ''eup'' or ''ŭp'' () is an administrative unit in both North Korea and South Korea similar to the unit ...

, and to the southeast by Ŭnch'ŏn

History

During the Joseon Dynasty, Hwangju was one of the most important cities in the area, leading to the first character of its name to be used in naming North Hwanghae Province. In 1930 its importance increased when Songrim, then a township of Hwangju County, was promoted to town status and renamed Kyomipo (Kenjiho in Japanese). There, the Japanese built a flourishing steel plant, which brought much prosperity to Hwangju. In 1947 Songrim was separated from Hwangju and made a city; since then, the county has been mostly agricultural. The old core of the city is still surrounded by its ancient walls.

Climate

Kumchon had a fairly severe climate, with an average temperature of 10.2 degrees. Inland, the average January temperature is -7 degrees, while the average August temperature is 25.6 degrees. The county receives an average of 1,100mm of rain per year.

Transportation

The county is served by the Pyongbu Railway Line, which stops in at Hwangju Station. There is also a highway which runs through Hwangju Town.

Administrative divisions

The county is divided into one town (''ŭp'') and 14 villages (''ri'').

References