Gyeongnam

Coordinates: 35°15′N 128°15′E / 35.250°N 128.250°E / 35.250; 128.250

South Gyeongsang Province, or Gyeongsangnam-do, is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many tourists. Automobile and petrochemical factories are largely concentrated along the southern part of the province, extending from Ulsan through Busan, Changwon, and Jinju.

Etymology

Gyeongsang (Template:Etymology;Template:Etymology)

History

Before 1895, the area corresponding to modern-day Gyeongsangnam-do was part of Gyeongsang Province, one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. In 1895, southern Gyeongsang was replaced by the Districts of Jinju in the west and Dongnae (modern-day Busan) in the east. In 1896, the two districts were merged to form Gyeongsangnam-do.

The provincial capital was originally located at Jinju, then moved in 1925 to Busan. In 1948, Gyeongsangnam-do became part of South Korea. In 1963, Busan separated from Gyeongsangnam-do to become a Directly Governed City (Jikhalsi). In 1983, the provincial capital moved from Busan to Changwon.

In 1995, Busan became a Metropolitan City (Gwangyeoksi), and Ulsan separated from Gyeongsangnam-do to become a Metropolitan City in 1997.

Geography

The province is part of the Yeongnam region, on the north by Gyeongsangbuk-do province, on the west Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do provinces, and on the south by the Korea Strait. Most of the province is drained by the Nakdong River and its tributaries. The total area of the province is 10,533 square kilometres (4,067 sq mi).^[1]

Resources

The Nakdong delta plain around Gimhae is one of the best granaries in South Korea. Agricultural products form Gyeongsangnam-do include rice, beans, potatoes, and barley. The area is renowned for its cotton, sesame, and fruits which are grown along the southern seaside. A number of marine products are caught. The province is one of the country's leading fisheries.

Major cities

The largest cities in the region are Busan and Ulsan, which are separately administered as provincial-level Metropolitan Cities. Apart from the capital Changwon, other large or notable cities include Gimhae and Jinju.

Attractions

Gyeongsangnam-do is the home of Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many tourists. It is located in the national park around Jirisan (1,915 m) on the border with Jeollabuk-do. The temple was first built in 802.

Changnyeong county contains three major tourist attractions for the province, Upo wetland, Bugok natural hotsprings, and Hwawang mountain.

Administrative divisions

Gyeongsangnam-do is divided into 8 cities (si) and 10 counties (gun). The names below are given in English, hangul, and hanja.

Sister districts

• Yamaguchi Prefecture,Japan (1987, July 26)
• Maryland, USA (1991, November 18)
• Shandong Province (1993 September 8)
• East Java (1996 May 9)
• Đồng Nai Province (1996 September 1)
• Khabarovsk Krai (1996 September 14)
• Jalisco (1997 March 10)
• Laguna province (1997 April 15)
• Pomeranian Voivodeship (1997 April 22)
• Fejér County (1997 April 24)

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Igeum-dong site - complex archaeological site in Sacheon-si
• Tongyeong International Music Festival

References

External links

Commons has media related to Gyeongsangnam-do.

• Gyeongsangnam-do English-language home page

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