Kimhyŏnggwŏn County is a ''kun'', or county, in southeastern Ryanggang province, North Korea. It borders

South Hamgyŏng South Hamgyong Province (, ''Hamgyŏngnamdo''; ) is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Hamgyong Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Kor ...

to the south. Previously known as Pungsan, it was renamed by

Kim Il Sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

in 1990. He named it after his uncle, Kim Hyŏng-gwŏn. It is known for its striking scenery and for the Pungsan Dog, a large breed of hunting dog.

Geography

Kimhyŏnggwŏn lies on the southeastern edge of the

Kaema Plateau The Kaema Plateau is a highland in North Korea. It is surrounded by the Rangrim Mountains, the Macheollyeong Mountains and the Bujeollyeong Mountains. Elevation varies between 700 and 2,000 meters and is approximately 40,000 square kilometers. ...

, and is covered with mountainous terrain. The

Hamgyong Mountains The Hamgyong Mountains ( ko, , , ''Hamgyeong Sanmaek''), officially known as the Gangbaekjeonggan and formerly known as the or , is a North Korean mountain range. It lies in the northeast quarter of the country, extending for about southwest an ...

and the Puksubaek Mountains both pass through the county. The highest peak is Paeksan. There are many streams; the chief among them is the Hŏch'ŏn River. Some 88% of the county's area is occupied by forestland.

Climate

Administrative divisions

Kimhyŏnggwŏn county is divided into 1 ''ŭp'' (town), 1 ''rodonjagu'' (workers' district) and 17 ''ri'' (villages):

Economy

There are several hydroelectric power stations in the county. There is also a great deal of dry-field farming; the chief local crops include hops and

flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...

. In addition, potatoes, wheat, soybeans, and barley are grown, and livestock are also raised. In addition, there is some manufacturing and mining, with deposits of gold, nickel, graphite and

iron sulfide Iron sulfide or Iron sulphide can refer to range of chemical compounds composed of iron and sulfur. Minerals By increasing order of stability: * Iron(II) sulfide, FeS * Greigite, Fe3S4 (cubic) * Pyrrhotite, Fe1−xS (where x = 0 to 0.2) (monoclin ...

found in the county.

Transportation

Kimhyŏnggwŏn is served by road, but not by rail.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kimhyonggwon Counties of Ryanggang