North Cholla Province
(1999 est. pop. 2 million). Located in the southwest region of South Korea (Republic of Korea), North Cholla Province (Chollab pukdo) has an area of 8,058 square kilometers. The province's six cities are Chonju (the provincial capital), Chongju, Kunsan, Iri, Kimje, and Namwon. There are also eight counties (kun) within the province.
Paekche (18–663 CE), one of the original Three Kingdoms subsumed by Shilla (57–935 CE) and resurrected as Later Paekche (892–936 CE) before its surrender to Koryo (918–1392 CE), was located in the present-day Cholla and Ch'ungch'ong Provinces.
North and South Cholla provinces, collectively called the Honam region, have a rich cultural heritage of folk music and dance. There are numerous Buddhist temples, including the Songgwang temple. Mount Chiri is shared by both North and South Cholla, as well as neighboring North Kyongsang Province.
The fertile soils and comparatively gentle topography enable the region to supply much of the nation's grains and cereals such as rice, barley, and beans. There are fisheries on the coastal region, and the province also has mining operations in gold, silver, lime, and coal. North Cholla is home to many industries, which produce chemicals, paper goods, textiles, apparel, machinery, electronics, and automobiles. The region is also known for its ceramics and pottery.
Further Reading
Cho, Chung-Kyung, Phyllis Haffner, and Fredric M. Kaplan. (1991) The Korea Guidebook. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Nilsen, Robert. (1997) South Korea Handbook. Chico, CA: Moon Publications.
This is the complete article, containing 233 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
