Incheon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the film, see Inchon (film).
| Incheon Metropolitan City | |
|---|---|
| Korean name | |
| Revised Romanization | Incheon Gwang-yeoksi |
| McCune-Reischauer | Inch'ŏn Kwang'yŏksi |
| Hangul | 인천광역시 |
| Hanja | 仁川廣域市 |
| Short name | Incheon (Inch'ŏn; 인천) |
| Statistics | |
| Population | 2,628,000 (sept.2005 estim. [1]) |
| Area | 964.53 km² |
| Government | Metropolitan City |
| Administrative divisions | 8 wards (Gu), 2 counties (Gun) |
| Region | Sudogwon |
| Dialect | Seoul |
| Location map | |
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Incheon Metropolitan City is a metropolitan city and major seaport on the west coast of South Korea, near Seoul. Its geographical location is .
Human settlement at the location goes back to the Neolithic. In modern times Incheon became important because its location on an estuary made it a good harbor; when the port was founded in 1883, the city, then called Chemulpo (hangul: 제물포, hanja: 濟物浦, revised: Jemulpo), had a population of only 4,700. Incheon is now home to almost 2.5 million people, and is also under the control of one of the two Free Economic Zone Authorities in Korea, aimed at attracting foreign investment; the city aims to turn itself into a financial and corporate hub along with the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority.
The city boundaries include an area of 964.53 km², of which 21 percent is rice paddies and another 44 percent is forested.
On September 15, 1950, during the Korean War, Incheon was the site of the Battle of Inchon, when United States troops landed to relieve pressure on the Pusan Perimeter and to launch a United Nations offensive northward. The USS Inchon (MCS-12) was named after the tide-turning battle that ensued.
Incheon is sometimes regarded as part of the greater Seoul metropolitan area due to its close proximity to the capital, and the fact that the Seoul Metropolitan Subway and the Incheon Subway systems are linked to one another. Incheon is, however, a major city in its own right and is a separate jurisdiction from Seoul.
The city is home to K-League soccer side Incheon United, and was one of the venues for the 2002 Football World Cup. Inha University is also located in the city. Incheon International Airport, the main international airport for both South Korea and Seoul, is situated within Incheon's city limits.
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[edit] Administrative divisions
Inchon is divided into 8 wards ("gu") and 2 counties ("gun").
- Bupyeong-gu (부평구; 富平區)
- Dong-gu (동구; 東區)
- Gyeyang-gu (계양구; 桂陽區)
- Jung-gu (중구; 中區)
- Namdong-gu (남동구; 南洞區)
- Seo-gu (서구; 西區)
- Nam-gu (남구; 南區)
- Yeonsu-gu (연수구; 延壽區)
- Ganghwa-gun (강화군; 江華郡)
- Ongjin-gun (옹진군; 甕津郡)
[edit] Points of interest
Bupyeong area is a large shopping district in Incheon. Bupyeong Station is where the Seoul subway line 1 and Incheon subway line intersect.
A number of Korea's western islands, including Ganghwa Island and Yeongjong Island, are also administered by Incheon.
[edit] People from Incheon
[edit] Sister cities
- Anchorage, Alaska, United States
- Kitakyushu, Japan- - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Dalian, People's Republic of China
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Incheon Metropolitan City government website
- Incheon travel guide from Wikitravel
- Galbijim wiki page on Incheon
- Open Directory category
- Amateur Incheon Guide
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