Nampo

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Namp'o
남포
—  Municipal City with special status  —
남포특별시
Korean transcription(s)
 • Chosŏn'gŭl
 • Hancha
 • McCune-Reischauer Namp'o-t'ŭkpyŏlsi
 • Revised Romanization Nampo-teukbyeolsi
Country  North Korea
Region Haesŏ
Area
 • Total 829 km2 (320 sq mi)
Population (2008)
 • Total 366,815 [1]
 • Dialect P'yŏngan
Flower
Tree
Bird
View of the city/port from space.

Namp'o (North Korean official spelling: Nampho; Korean pronunciation: [nampɸo]) is a city and seaport in South Pyongan Province, North Korea. It was a provincial-level Directly Governed City (Chikhalsi) from 1980 to 2004, when it was designated a "Special City" (T'ŭkgŭpsi) and made a part of South P'yŏngan. Namp'o was designated a T'ŭkpyŏlsi (teukbyeolsi; 특별시; 特別市) "Special City" in 2010.

Namp'o is situated some 50 kilometres south west of P'yŏngyang, at the mouth of the Taedong River. It was originally a small fishing village, but opened as a port of foreign trade in 1897, and began to develop into a modern port after liberation in 1945. With the rapid increase in state investment, the city's industrial capacity grew.

Some of the industrial facilities are the Namp'o Smelter Complex, the Namp'o Glass Corporation, the Namp'o Shipbuilding Complex, the Namp'o Fishery Complex and other central and local factories. Namp'o is a center for the DPRK shipbuilding industry. North of the city are facilities for freight transportation, aquatic products, and fishery, and a sea salt factory. The apples grown in Namp'o's Ryonggang district (룡강군) are a famous local product.[2]

Contents

Geography [edit]

Nampo, on the West Coast of North Korea, near Pyongyang

Namp'o lies on the northern shore of the Taedong River, 15 km east of the river's mouth.

Administrative divisions [edit]

Namp'o is divided into 5 kuyŏk and 2 kun, which are in turn divided into dong and ri.

Climate [edit]

Climate data for Namp'o
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −2
(28)
1
(33)
7
(44)
14
(58)
21
(69)
24
(76)
27
(80)
27
(81)
23
(74)
17
(63)
9
(48)
2
(35)
14.2
(57.4)
Average low °C (°F) −8
(18)
−6
(22)
0
(32)
6
(43)
12
(54)
17
(63)
21
(70)
21
(70)
16
(61)
9
(49)
2
(36)
−4
(24)
7.2
(45.2)
Precipitation mm (inches) 13
(0.5)
13
(0.5)
30
(1)
43
(1.7)
71
(2.8)
81
(3.2)
262
(10.3)
221
(8.7)
109
(4.3)
43
(1.7)
41
(1.6)
20
(0.8)
947
(37.1)
Source: Weatherbase [4]

Transportation [edit]

The Hero Youth Highway connecting Pyongyang to Nampo.

The city is a transportation hub that is connected to Pyongyang. An airport, railway and a large freeway connect Namp'o to Pyongyang and other locations. Nampo Station is on the Pyongnam Line. The West Sea Barrage of the Namp'o port, built by erecting an 8-km long sea wall, has three lock chambers which allow the passage of ships up to 50,000 tons, and 36 sluices. Nampho Harbour is often used as the primary port of call for the reception of foreign food aid assistance into North Korea. In 2008, the harbour received several batches of grain delivery, the first batch delivered in June was sent by the United States and weighed 38,000 tons. South Korean-based relief organisation Join Together Society donated one batch of flour in October of the same year weighing approximately 500 tons.[5] The port of Namp'o has modern harbour facilities that can accommodate ships of 20,000 tons but is frozen during the winter. Namp'o serves as Pyongyang's port on the Yellow Sea.

A view of Namp'o North Korea

Culture [edit]

Institutes of higher learning in Namp'o include Nampho University, Sohae University, Samgwang College, Sunhwa College, Nampho University of Medicine, Nampho University of Agriculture, Nampo College of Shipping Industry, Nampho Building Materials College, and Nampo University of Fisheries.

Tourist attractions include Waudo Pleasure Ground, with a sea bathing beach, a convalescent hospital and recreation facilities. Nearby scenic spots include the West Sea Barrage, three tombs in Kangso, the tomb in Tokhung-dong, Susan Spa, Chongsan Spa, Kangso Mineral Springs and Lake Thaesang.

Sister cities [edit]

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ DPR Korean Central Bureau of Statistics: 2008 Population Census (Population 2008, published in 2009)
  2. ^ "남포직할시". 한국민족대백과사전 (in Korean). Retrieved 2006-11-11.  Kim, Nam-yong (金南龍). "남포직할시". Korean Britannica (in Korean). Retrieved 2006-11-11. 
  3. ^ Kim So Yeol (February 15, 2011). "North Korea Splits No. 38 and 39 Departments Up Again". Daily NK. Retrieved November 15, 2012. 
  4. ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Namp'o, North Korea". Weatherbase. 2011.  Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  5. ^ KINU White paper on human rights in North Korea 2009 (Chapter G. Human Rights Violations Inside Political Concentration Camps (Kwanliso), page 125)

The U.S. technical research vessel USS Pueblo, that was captured by North Korea in 1968, was moored at the seaport. The vessel was moved to Nampho in 1999 from the east coast.

See also [edit]

External links [edit]

Coordinates: 38°44′N 125°24′E / 38.733°N 125.400°E / 38.733; 125.400