South Hwanghae Province (Hwanghaenamdo; , lit. "south
Yellow Sea province") is a
province in western
North Korea. The province was formed in 1954 when the former
Hwanghae Province was split into
North and South Hwanghae. The provincial capital is
Haeju.
Geography
The province is part of the
Haeso
Hwanghae Province (''Hwanghae-do'' ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon era. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju. The regional name for the province was Haeseo.
History
In 139 ...
region, and is bounded on the west by the
Yellow Sea, on the north and east by
North Hwanghae province. There are some administrative exclaves of
Nampo
Nampo (North Korean official spelling: Nampho; ), also spelled Namp'o, is the second largest city by population and an important seaport in North Korea, which lies on the northern shore of the Taedong River, 15 km east of the river's mouth. ...
City in the north of the province. The southern border of the province is marked by the
Korean Demilitarized Zone with
South Korea. The province draws its name from what were the largest cities in Hwanghae,
Haeju and
Hwangju
Hwangju County is a county in North Hwanghae province, North Korea.
Geography
Hwangju is bordered to the northwest by Sariwŏn, to the northeast by Songrim and Kangnam, to the southwest by Yŏnt'an, to the south by Pongsan, and to the southeast ...
; the name, which literally means "Yellow Sea" in
Korean, also references the Yellow Sea, which forms the province's western bound.
The coastline of South Hwanghae is dotted by many small islands, many of which are uninhabited. Many of the largest islands, such as
Baengnyeong-do
Baengnyeong Island (sometimes spelled Baekryeong; ) is a , long and wide island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line. The 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement which ended the Korean War specified that the fi ...
are administered by South Korea. The
Northern Limit Line, which runs through the region and demarcates a disputed
maritime boundary between the north and south, is another frequent subject of contention between the two countries. The largest islands which indisputably belong to North Korea are
Kirin-do,
Changrin-do, and
Sunwi-do.
The province, being not very mountainous, is uniquely suited to farming, and is thus often referred to as the "bread-basket" of North Korea. Much of the land is devoted to farming, and thus was not hit as hard as other parts of the country during the
Arduous March of the 1990s. Many types of vegetables, fruits, grains, and rice are grown on the plains of the region;
Kwail
Kwail County is a ''kun'', or county, in South Hwanghae province, North Korea. It faces the Yellow Sea to the west.
The economy of the county is based on the production of fruit. Kwail County was created in 1967 from part of Songhwa County, wi ...
County, which means fruit in Korean, was founded to grow orchards.
Haeju, the provincial capital, is also the largest port in southern North Korea outside of
Wonsan. The area is also home to several ancient
burial mounds and cultural relics, such as the
Kangsosa Buddhist temple, ancient stone pagodas, and a Koryo-era ice house. There are also many Iron Age dolmen and Koguryo tombs in the province, such as
Anak Tomb No. 3
Anak Tomb No. 3 is a chamber tomb of Goguryeo located in Anak, South Hwanghae, North Korea. It is known for mural paintings and an epitaph. It is part of the Complex of Koguryo Tombs.
It was discovered in 1949 with valuable treasures stolen, but ...
.
Administrative divisions
South Hwanghae is divided into 1 city (''si'') and 19 counties (''gun''). These are further divided into villages (''ri'') in rural areas and ''dong'' (neighborhoods) in cities, which are detailed on each county's individual page.
Cities
Counties
See also
*
Geography of North Korea
References
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110719154907/http://sunsite.berkeley.edu:8085/korea/250k/NJ51_12.jpg
* http://www.cybernk.net/infoText/InfoAdminstList.aspx?mc=AD0101&ac=A05
* http://nk.joins.com/map/view.asp?idx=i103.htm
{{Regions and administrative divisions of North Korea
Provinces of North Korea
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