Map of Gangwon-do
Gangwon-do is a first-level division of South Korea. Its largest mapped city is Wonju, with about 243,387 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Gangwon-do, and the tables list its 4 mapped cities along with the mountains, ports, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 4
- Largest City
- Wonju
- Country
- South Korea
- Highest Point Mapped
- 1,708 m
Interactive Map of Gangwon-do
About Gangwon-do
Gangwon Province (Korean: 강원도), officially Gangwon State (강원특별자치도; lit. 'Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province'), is a Special Self-Governing Province of South Korea. It is known as the largest and least densely populated subdivision of South Korea. Gangwon is one of the three provinces in South Korea with special self-governing status, the others being Jeju Province and Jeonbuk State. Gangwon is bordered on the east by the East Sea, it borders Gyeonggi Province to the west, North Gyeongsang Province and North Chungcheong Province to the south, and the Military Demarcation Line to the north, separating it from North Korea. In the 1945 division of Korea, the historical Gangwon Province was divided in half, and remains so to this day.
Pyeongchang County in Gangwon hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics and 2018 Winter Paralympics. Gangwon also hosted the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Gangwon Province, South Korea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Gangwon-do in Depth
History
Gangwon Province was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon period, formed in 1395, deriving its name from the names of the principal cities of Gangneung (강릉; 江陵) and the provincial capital Wonju (원주; 原州).
In 1895 Gangwon Province was replaced by the Districts of Chuncheon (Chuncheon-bu; 춘천부; 春川府) in the west and Gangneung (Gangneung-bu; 강릉부; 江陵府) in the east, with Wonju becoming a part of Chungju District.
In 1896 Korea was re-divided into thirteen provinces, and the two districts were merged to re-form Gangwondo Province. Although Wonju re-joined Gangwon-do, the provincial capital was moved to Chuncheon, where it remains. During the Japanese rule of Korea, it was known as Kōgen-dō.
Geography
The State's landscape is dominated by the Taebaek Mountains (called Taebaek Sanmaek) which almost reaches the sea. As a consequence, much of the coast is steep and rocky.
Gangwon Province and its North Korean counterpart Kangwŏn are together referred to as the Gwandong region. The region west of the Taebaek Mountains is called Yeongseo, while the region east of the mountains is called Yeongdong. The term "Yeongdong" is frequently used in reference to transportation services from Seoul, meaning one might catch a bus or train on the Yeongdong Line, or drive to Gangneung on the Yeongdong Expressway.
Demographics
According to the 2015 census, 16.4% of the population follow Buddhism and 24.1% follow Christianity (17.5% Protestantism and 6.6% Catholicism). 58.7% of the population is not religious and 0.8% of the population follow other religions.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Gangwon Province, South Korea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Gangwon-do: Key Facts
| Population | 1,539,274 (2024) |
|---|---|
| Area | 16,874 km² |
| Capital | Chuncheon |
| Head of government | Choi Moon-soon |
Facts from Wikidata Q41071 (CC0).
History of Gangwon-do: Empires and States
The atlas records 14 polities whose mapped territory included part of Gangwon-do, from Korean Jin in 197 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Korean Jin | 197–92 BCE |
| Dongye | 91 BCE – 391 CE |
| Goguryeo | 392–554 CE |
| Silla | 555–681 CE |
| Unified Silla | 682–910 CE |
| Taebong | 911–921 CE |
| Goryeo | 922–1394 CE |
| The Mongol Empire | 1260–1293 CE |
| Yuan Dynasty | 1294–1362 CE |
| Joseon | 1395–1897 CE |
| Korean Empire | 1898–1910 CE |
| Empire of Japan | 1911–1945 CE |
| United States of America | 1946–1966 CE |
| Republic of Korea | 1948–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Gangwon-do
Gangwon-do 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 Gangwon-do
4 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 | Wonju | 243,387 | Gangwon-do | Populated place |
| 2 | Chuncheon | 226,509 | Gangwon-do | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Gangneung | 180,611 | Gangwon-do | Populated place |
| 4 | Sokcho | 85,430 | Gangwon-do | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Gangwon-do
1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sorak-san | 1,708 m | 5,604 ft | Asia |
Ports in Gangwon-do
2 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.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Gangwon-do
3 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty | 2009 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) (vi) |
| 2 | Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong | 2010 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) |
| 3 | Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies | 2019 | Cultural | (iii) |
Gangwon-do: Quick Answers
- Where is Gangwon-do?
- Gangwon-do is a first-level division of South Korea, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 37.7986° N, 128.2903° E.
- What is the largest city in Gangwon-do?
- Wonju is the largest city mapped in Gangwon-do, with a metropolitan population of about 243,387.
- How many cities are in Gangwon-do?
- YearMaps maps 4 cities and towns in Gangwon-do, with a combined metropolitan population of about 735,937. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in Gangwon-do?
- The highest summit mapped in Gangwon-do is Sorak-san at 1,708 m.