Riwon County

Riwŏn County is a county in South Hamgyŏng province, North Korea. It is located at the province's northeastern tip, and borders the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea) to the southeast.

Physical features

The beach at Riwŏn, shown with US troops landing. 1950

Riwŏn is mountainous, although there are also small plains, and is home to the Taedŏk Mountains (대덕산맥). The highest peak is Taedŏksan (1,442 m). There are some 10 significant streams; the chief of these is the Namdaech'ŏn, which drains into the Sea of Japan. There are various bays and islands along the coast. Thanks to its coastal location, the county enjoys a mild maritime climate. Forestland (70% of which is coniferous) takes up 73% of the county's area.

Administrative Divisions

Riwŏn county is divided into 1 ŭp (town), 3 rodongjagu (workers' districts) and 21 ri (villages):

Economy

Mining and manufacturing

Machine manufacturing dominates the local economy, accounting for half of annual industrial production. Deposits of iron, iron sulfide, talc, limestone, graphite, quartzite and silica are found in the county. The Riwon Mine produces talc.

Agriculture

Agriculture is carried out in the plains and along the streams; major crops include rice, soybeans and maize.

Transport

Riwŏn is served by roads, and by the P'yŏngra line of the Korean State Railway.

See also

• Geography of North Korea
• Administrative divisions of North Korea

External links

• (Korean) In Korean language online encyclopedias:
  • Doosan Encyclopedia (Naver)
  • Korean language Britannica (Empas) (Map)
  • Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (Empas)
  • Pascal World Encyclopedia (Nate)

South Hamgyong Province Capital Hamhung Cities Hamhung Sinpo Tanchon Districts Sudong Kumho Counties Changjin Chongpyong Hamju Hochon Hongwon Kowon Kumya Pujon Pukchong Ragwon Riwon Sinhung Toksong Yonggwang Yodok