South P'yongan Province

(2002 est. pop. 3.4 million). South P'yongan Province (P'yongan namdo), in North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), surrounds the capital city of P'yongyang and the city of Namp'o. Both P'yongyang and Namp'o, however, are independent administrative entities and are autonomous from the surrounding province. This province is the political, economic, and social center of North Korea. It also has historical significance as the seat of Korean civilization because the first confederacy of tribes arose in this region.

The province has an area of 12,383 square kilometers and a population of 2,853,737 (excluding the populations of P'yongyang and Namp'o). South P'yongan's five cities are P'yongsong (which is also the provincial capital), Sunch'on, Anju, Kaech'on, and Tokch'on. There are also fifteen counties (kun).

South P'yongan is highly industrialized, but it also has a significant agricultural sector. Heavy manufacturing sectors include coal, electricity, construction materials, machinery, automobiles, chemicals, and mining. Foodstuffs, textiles, leather, paper, and household items are the top light manufacturing products. Wheat and corn are the key agricultural products. Livestock include cattle, sheep, and goats. The region's orchards yield apples and chestnuts. Because of the province's 400-kilometer coastline along the Yellow Sea, croakers, anchovies, and oysters are among the key seafoods produced.

Cho, Chung-Kyung, Phyllis Haffner, and Fredric M. Kaplan. (1991) The Korea Guidebook. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Storey, Robert, and Alex English. (2001) Korea. 5th ed. Berkeley, CA: Lonely Planet.

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