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Pyongyang

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Asia

          "Heijo" redirects here: for the ancient capital of Japan, see
          Heijō Palace; For the graphic novel by Guy Delisle, see
          Pyongyang (comic).

                     P'yŏngyang Directly Governed City

   Pyongyang photo
                                Korean name
   McCune-Reischauer        P'yŏngyang Chikhalsi
   Revised Romanization     Pyeongyang Jikhalsi
   Hangul                   평양 직할시
   Hanja                    平壤直轄市
   Short name               P'yŏngyang (Pyeongyang; 평양)
                                 Statistics
   Population               2,741,260 ( 1993)
   Area                     3,194 km²
   Government               Directly Governed City, Capital of North Korea
   Administrative divisions 19 wards (kuyŏk), 4 counties (kun)
   Region                   Kwansŏ
   Dialect                  P'yŏngan
                                Location map
                 Map of North Korea highlighting the city

   Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea, located on the Taedong
   River, at 39°02′N 125°45′E (39.0333, 125.75). The official population
   of the city is not disclosed; given as 2,741,260 in 1993, it was
   reported as 2.5 and 3.8 million in 2002 and 2003 by Chosen Soren, a
   pro-North Korean organization.

   The city was split from the South P'yŏngan province in 1946. It is
   administered as a Directly Governed City (Chikhalsi), on the same level
   as provincial governments, not a Special City (Teukbyeolsi) as Seoul is
   in South Korea. Some sources, mostly older and South Korean, refer to
   P'yŏngyang as a Special City, but it has been reported that even the
   South Korean government adopted the Directly Governed City terminology
   in 1994.

History

   Juche Tower stands in Pyongyang as a reminder to the North Korean
   people of Kim Il-sung's philosophy of Juche (self-reliance).
   Enlarge
   Juche Tower stands in Pyongyang as a reminder to the North Korean
   people of Kim Il-sung's philosophy of Juche (self-reliance).

   According to legend, the city was founded in 2334 BC as Wanggŏmsŏng
   (왕검성; 王儉城). It became a major city under Gojoseon.

   In 108 BC Han Dynasty conquered Gojoseon and the capital of the Lelang
   Commandery was put near Pyongyang. Lelang remained an important
   commercial and cultural outpost until it was destroyed by the expanding
   Goguryeo in 313.

   Goguryeo moved its capital here in 427. The Tang dynasty and Silla
   allied and defeated Goguryeo in 668. In 676, it was taken by Silla but
   left in the border between Silla and Balhae until the Goryeo dynasty,
   when the city was revived as Sŏgyŏng (서경; 西京; "Western Capital")
   although never actually a capital of Goryeo. It was the provincial
   capital of the P'yŏngan Province during the Joseon dynasty, becoming
   provincial capital of South P'yŏngan Province from 1896 and through the
   period of Japanese rule.

   In 1945, Japanese rule ended and it was occupied by Soviet forces, and
   became the temporary capital of the Democratic People's Republic of
   Korea at its establishment in 1948 while it aimed to recapture its
   official capital at that time of Seoul. It was severely damaged in the
   Korean War, during which it was briefly occupied by South Korean
   forces. After the war, the city was quickly rebuilt with Soviet help,
   with many buildings built in Stalinist architecture.
   Image:KwangbokStreet.jpg
   Kwangbok Street in Pyongyang.

Historic names

   One of its many historic names is Ryugyŏng (류경; 柳京), or "capital of
   willows", as willow trees have always been numerous throughout the
   city's history, and many poems written about these willows. Even today,
   Pyongyang has numerous willow trees planted everywhere, and many
   buildings and places have "Ryugyŏng" in their names, the most notable
   of all being its uncompleted Ryugyŏng Hotel. Its other historic names
   include Kisŏng, Hwangsŏng, Rangrang, Sŏgyŏng, Sŏdo, Hogyŏng, Changan,
   etc. During the Japanese occupation, it was also known as Heijō, which
   is simply the Japanese reading of the Chinese characters 平壌 the name
   Pyongyang consists of.

Administrative divisions

   P'yŏngyang is divided into 19 wards ("Kuyŏk" or "guyŏk") and 4 counties
   ("Kun" or "gun").
     * Chung-guyŏk (중구역; 中區域)
     * P'yŏngch'ŏn-guyŏk (평천구역; 平川區域)
     * Pot'onggang-guyŏk (보통강구역; 普通江區域)
     * Moranbong-guyŏk (모란봉구역; 牡丹峰區域)
     * Sŏsŏng-guyŏk (서성구역; 西城區域)
     * Sŏn'gyo-guyŏk (선교구역; 船橋區域)
     * Tongdaewŏn-guyŏk (동대원구역; 東大院區域)
     * Taedonggang-guyŏk (대동강구역; 大同江區域)
     * Sadong-guyŏk (사동구역; 寺洞區域)
     * Taesŏng-guyŏk (대성구역; 大城區域)
     * Man'gyŏngdae-guyŏk (만경대구역; 萬景台區域)
     * Hyŏngjesan-guyŏk (형제산구역; 兄弟山區域)
     * Ryongsŏng-guyŏk (룡성구역; 龍城區域)
     * Samsŏk-guyŏk (삼석구역; 三石區域)
     * Sŭngho-guyŏk (승호구역; 勝湖區域)
     * Ryŏkp'o-guyŏk (력포구역; 力浦區域)
     * Rakrang-guyŏk (락랑구역; 樂浪區域)
     * Sunan-guyŏk (순안구역; 順安區域)
     * Ŭnjŏng-guyŏk (은정구역; 恩情區域)
     * Kangnam-gun (강남군; 江南郡)
     * Chunghwa-gun (중화군; 中和郡)
     * Sangwŏn-gun (상원군; 祥原郡)
     * Kangdong-gun (강동군; 江東郡)

Landmarks

   Changgwang Street in Pyongyang
   Enlarge
   Changgwang Street in Pyongyang

   The capital has been completely rebuilt since the Korean War ( 1950–
   1953). It is designed with wide avenues, imposing monuments, and
   monolithic buildings. The tallest structure in the city is the
   uncompleted 1,082 foot (330 m) Ryugyŏng Hotel. This hotel has 105
   floors, encloses 3.9 million square feet (360,000 m²) of floor space,
   and was planned to be topped by seven revolving restaurants. However,
   construction has been stalled since the early 1990s and the building
   stands as an empty shell.

   Some notable landmarks in the city include the Arch of Triumph (a
   larger replica of Paris's Arc de Triomphe), the reputed birthplace of
   Kim Il Sung at Mangyongdae Hill, Juche Tower, and two of the world's
   largest stadiums ( Kim Il Sung Stadium and Rungnado May Day Stadium).
   Pyongyang TV Tower is a minor landmark.

Transportation

   Pyongyang metro system
   Enlarge
   Pyongyang metro system

   Pyŏngyang has a two-line underground metro system which has a length of
   22.5 km. There is also a tram and trolleybus service. There are not as
   many private automobiles as in Western cities, although the state
   government operates a sizable fleet of Mercedes-Benz limousines for
   Party bureaucrats. Many residents walk, cycle, or use the subway
   because of lack of other options for transportation.

   State-owned Air Koryo has scheduled flights from Sunan Capital
   International Airport to Beijing ( PEK), Shenyang ( SHE), Bangkok (
   BKK), and Vladivostok ( VVO). There are occasional chartered flights to
   Macau ( MFM), Incheon ( ICN), Yangyang County ( YNY) and several
   Japanese cities. Air Koryo also claims scheduled service on a few
   domestic routes, although the accuracy of this is not known.
   Intermittent service to Pyongyang is also provided by a few foreign
   carriers, most notably Chinese.

   The city also has regular international train services to Beijing and
   Moscow. A journey to Beijing takes about 25 hours and 25 minutes ( K27
   from Beijing / K28 from Pyŏngyang, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
   and Saturdays); a journey to Moscow takes 6 days.

Climate

   Climate diagram of Pyŏngyang
   Climate diagram of Pyŏngyang

Sister cities

     * Kathmandu, Nepal

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyongyang"
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