Hwacheon County
Template:Infobox Korean settlement Hwacheon County (Hwacheon-gun) is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The northern border parallels the Korean Demilitarized Zone, as close as 9km in some places. Neighboring counties are Cheorwon to the northwest and north, Yanggu to the east, Chuncheon to the south, and the Gyeonggi-do province to the southwest. The county consists largely of mountains and rivers, between which are small farming communities, military bases and military training grounds. The area is renowned for its rivers, the lake trout and otters indigenous to the county, and dramatic natural scenery.
Demographics
As of 2005, the population of Hwacheon stood at 23,822. 12,471 of these people were male, while there were 11,351 females. Only 90 of these people (0.38%) were foreign residents - 20 male and 70 female. The average household was home to 2.4 people, and 3,577 of the population (15%) was aged 65 or older.[1] These numbers do not reflect soldiers stationed in the area, which are estimated at approximately 35,000 personnel.[citation needed]
Culture
As Gangwon Province is South Korea's coldest region, Hwacheon is home to an ice fishing festival in which thousands of competitors try to catch as many wild trout (Hangeul: 산천어) as possible.[2] This takes place in the Hwacheoncheon (stream), the 2008 festival lasting from January 5 to January 26.[3]
Sister Cities
References
- ^ "Population and Households". Hwacheon County Council. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
- ^ "South Korea's Ice Fishing Festival". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
- ^ "Welcome to Hwacheon (Ice Fishing Festival)". Hwacheon County Council. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
External links
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