Gyeonggi-do
Coordinates: 37 ° 30 ' N , 127 ° 18' E
Gyeonggi Province | |
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Hangul : | 경기도 |
Hanja : | 京畿 道 |
Revised Romanization : | Gyeonggi-do |
McCune-Reischauer : | Kyŏnggi-do |
Basic data | |
Surface: | 10,189 km² |
Residents: | 12,479,061 (as of: 2015 census) |
Population density : | 1,225 inhabitants per km² |
Structure : | 28 cities ( Si ), 3 counties ( Gun ) |
Administrative headquarters : | Suwon |
Gyeonggi-do is a province in northwestern South Korea with Suwon as the capital. It borders North Korea to the north and Gangwon-do to the east . In the south the province is bounded by Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungcheongnam-do , in the west by the Yellow Sea . The capital of South Korea, Seoul, is located in the heart of the province, but has been politically an independent entity since 1946. The same goes for the city of Incheon , which has been independent since 1981. Together with the capital Seoul, the major cities of the province form the metropolitan region of Sudogwon ( 수도권 ) in which 25.6 million people live (as of 2012).
history
The area around the Han River is one of the earliest settlement areas in Korea. The oldest archaeological traces of settlement of the Old and New Stone Age prove this. Today's Gyeonggi has belonged to the Baekje Empire since the beginning of our era . Large parts were conquered by Goguryeo around 405 . When the Goryeo dynasty was founded and Kaesŏng (now North Korea) became the capital of the empire, this region gained central importance. In 995, Gyeonggi was incorporated into the administrative system for the first time by King Seongjong and was given its current name. With the relocation of the capital to Hanyang ( Seoul ) when the Joseon dynasty was founded , the province gained even more importance. The administrative structure changed a few times and the province gradually acquired the shape it is today.
The name Gyeonggi literally means "area in the vicinity ( 畿 gi ) of the capital ( 京 gyeong )".
population
Gyeonggi-do is by far the province with the highest population density in South Korea. Together with the major cities of Seoul and Incheon, it forms the Sudogwon metropolitan area , home to 25.6 million people, more than half of the total population of 48.5 million. Agriculture has disappeared from the industrial hinterland of Seoul and has given way to industry. The construction of highways in the 1960s accelerated this. Many cities became satellite cities of Seoul, including Anyang , Bucheon , Seongnam, and Uijeongbu .
From the 1990s onwards, many planned cities were rebuilt to solve the problem of the capital's limited living space. The two planned cities of Bundang ( Seongnam City ) and Ilsan ( Goyang City ) are the first two places that were planned primarily for this purpose, and together they have displaced nearly half a million residents from the capital. The success of the two new towns was followed by a series of such places that have the character of a satellite town. Like the two pioneer cities, they are mostly districts of already existing cities. The networking of traffic between cities accelerates the growth of satellite and satellite cities . The population is growing in two directions: on the one hand, from the capital and, on the other hand, from other regions of the country, from where people looking for jobs come near the capital.
Development of the population of Gyeonggi-do
Census year | population |
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1995 | 7,649,741 |
2000 | 8.984.134 |
2005 | 10,415,399 |
2010 | 11,379,459 |
2015 | 12,479,061 |
Infrastructure and economy
Infrastructure development
As the population grows, the region's infrastructure develops accordingly. Not only the Incheon international airport , but also many companies, universities, research institutions, cultural sites and amusement parks are moving from the overcrowded capital to the large areas of the province, from where they are still well connected to Seoul. Many universities in Seoul have an external campus there to provide students with a better learning environment.
The province's economic function is quite large because of its location close to the capital and its large population. Many jobs attract employable people from across the country. The industry consists of the traditional heavy industries such as shipbuilding, steel production and pressed glass as well as the modern electronics and semiconductor industries. Incheon is the seaport of the province and Seoul, and recently the airport . Many important companies in South Korea such as B. Samsung and LG have seats or systems there.
There are partnerships with 18 administrative units in 14 countries (available on the website). The development of the northern border area with North Korea is of particular importance in further development policy. Among other things, the connection to the major Northeast Asian rail networks in China and Russia is to be achieved. The port of Pyeongtaek is being expanded into a free trade zone.
In 2007 it became known that the American film production company Universal Studios plans to create an amusement park in the city of Hwaseong . The opening was originally planned for 2012. In 2014 the project was temporarily stopped and resumed a year later. The opening is currently planned for 2020.
education
The quality of education in Gyeonggi-do is quite high. In the area of education, too, the province has benefited a lot from its geographical proximity to the capital, and the educational systems are becoming more and more similar to those of their model, Seoul. Because of the population explosion, many schools have been rebuilt in recent times. Provincial education authorities strive to ensure that the quality of education is kept at a correspondingly high level. This is an especially important point for families with offspring who would otherwise have to move to the capital if their education subsided. The difference between the different areas within the province is still there, since in the field of education, too, development and promotion in the new and modern settlements are first in demand. In such areas as For example, in the new towns of Bundang and Pyeongchon, the difference to the capital is relatively smaller, so that the graduated students can also compete with those in the capital. There are numerous universities and colleges in Gyeonggi-do. Although almost all of them are in the big cities, the situation looks pretty positive. The older universities are mainly located in Incheon - the largest city in the province - and in the provincial capital Suwon. New universities have recently been set up to compensate for Seoul's overstrained student capacity; ie the tendency of universities and colleges to take on students who cannot find a place in the capital due to the high competition.
Administrative division
Gyeonggi-do consists of 28 urban districts and 3 rural districts.
Cities
Gwangju-si should not be confused with the big city ( Gwangyeoksi ) Gwangju in the southwest of the country.
Counties
- Gapyeong-gun ( 가평군 , 加 平郡 )
- Yangpyeong-gun ( 양평군 , 揚 平郡 )
- Yeoncheon-gun ( 연천군 , 漣 川 郡 )
Attractions
The well-developed motorway network makes the attractions of the province easily accessible destinations for one-day day trips for the residents of the region.
- The Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon was built by King Jeongjo in 1794 and 1796 . Its 5099 meter long wall originally enclosed the entire city and has 18 gates. The fortress was damaged during World War II and the Korean War, but then restored and is now a park. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997 .
- The National Museum of Contemporary Art is located in a picturesque park in Gwacheon City and exhibits an extensive collection of Korean and Western art from the 20th century.
- In Yongin there is an artificially built folk village based on traditional models. It is a popular location for films or TV series that deal with historical subjects .
- Namyangju, north of Seoul, is a popular excursion destination, as there is a nice car route along the Hangang River from Seoul . The place of interest is the birthplace and burial site of Jeong Yag-Yong, a scholar from the Joseon Dynasty .
- Yangpyeong and Gapyeong in eastern Seoul are two places that benefit from beautiful nature. They are located upstream of the slope and show a beautiful picture of the river and mountains. In Yangpeong, closer to Seoul, there is a café district that offers a beautiful view during the day and often live music in the evening. With traditional teahouses and galleries, this place is a good mix of nature and culture.
- The National Arboretum Gwangreung is located in Pocheon .
- There are two amusement parks, one in Gwacheon and one in Yongin.
Web links
- Homepage of Gyeonggi Province . Gyeonggi Province Government,accessed November 29, 2015.
Individual evidence
- ^ South Korea: Cities (census population) - Population Statistics in Maps and Charts. Retrieved November 24, 2017 .