Map of Hamgyong-bukto
Hamgyong-bukto is a first-level division of North Korea. Its largest mapped city is Chongjin, with about 672,614 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Hamgyong-bukto, and the tables list its 5 mapped cities along with the ports nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 5
- Largest City
- Chongjin
- Country
- North Korea
Interactive Map of Hamgyong-bukto
About Hamgyong-bukto
North Hamgyong Province (Hamgyŏngbukdo, Korean pronunciation: [ham.ɡjʌŋ.buk̚.t͈o]) is the northernmost province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Hamgyong Province.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: North Hamgyong Province (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Hamgyong-bukto in Depth
Geography
The province is bordered by China (Jilin) to the north, South Hamgyong to the southwest and Ryanggang to the west. To the east is the Sea of Japan. The province is home to the Musudan-ri rocket launching site and the Hoeryong concentration camp. In 2004, Rason was reabsorbed back into the province and since 2010, Rason has been a special city of North Korea.
Economy
In critical studies of North Korea, North Hamgyong has a reputation as a neglected and underdeveloped region even by the country's standards. It was where the 1990s famine hit hardest, and food shortages persist even in the 2020s. The majority of North Korean defectors who live in South Korea came from the province after crossing the relatively shallow Tumen River into China. Therefore, the conditions of the province, which analyst Fyodor Tertitskiy has described as "not only a very grim, but also a very boring place," tend to be projected onto the whole country, even though they are not representative.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: North Hamgyong Province (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Hamgyong-bukto: Key Facts
| Population | 2,327,362 (2008) |
|---|---|
| Area | 20,345 km² |
| Capital | Chongjin |
| Established | 1896 |
Facts from Wikidata Q109361 (CC0).
History of Hamgyong-bukto: Empires and States
The atlas records 15 polities whose mapped territory included part of Hamgyong-bukto, from Dong-okjeo in 36 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Dong-okjeo | 36 BCE – 153 CE |
| Goguryeo | 36 BCE – 673 CE |
| The Tang Dynasty | 674–704 CE |
| Balhae | 705–925 CE |
| Liao Dynasty | 926–1125 CE |
| Great Jin | 1126–1215 CE |
| Vassalage of Western Xia to Great Jin | 1126–1215 CE |
| The Mongol Empire | 1227–1293 CE |
| Yuan Dynasty | 1294–1374 CE |
| Goryeo | 1363–1394 CE |
| Joseon | 1395–1897 CE |
| The Ming Dynasty | 1415–1439 CE |
| Korean Empire | 1898–1910 CE |
| Empire of Japan | 1911–1945 CE |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 1948–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Hamgyong-bukto
Hamgyong-bukto on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Hamgyong-bukto
5 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chongjin | 672,614 | Hamgyong-bukto | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Kimchaek | 187,270 | Hamgyong-bukto | Populated place |
| 3 | Kilchu | 101,165 | Hamgyong-bukto | Populated place |
| 4 | Musan | 80,146 | Hamgyong-bukto | Populated place |
| 5 | Sonbong | 60,864 | Hamgyong-bukto | Populated place |
Ports in Hamgyong-bukto
3 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
Hamgyong-bukto: Quick Answers
- Where is Hamgyong-bukto?
- Hamgyong-bukto is a first-level division of North Korea, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 41.5971° N, 129.5893° E.
- What is the largest city in Hamgyong-bukto?
- Chongjin is the largest city mapped in Hamgyong-bukto, with a metropolitan population of about 672,614.
- How many cities are in Hamgyong-bukto?
- YearMaps maps 5 cities and towns in Hamgyong-bukto, with a combined metropolitan population of about 1.10 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.