Ganghwa Island

About

Ganghwa Island, also Ganghwado, is an island in Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea. It is in the Yellow Sea and in an estuary of the Han River. The island is separated from Gimpo (on the South Korean mainland) by a narrow channel spanned by two bridges, and from Kaesong (Gaeseong) in North Korea by the main channel of the Han River. It offers some of the closest views in the South of North Korean villages, which can be seen on clear days from less than two kilometers. It is strategically located, controlling access to the river, which runs through former Joseon and South Korea's capital, Seoul. Its fortifications were repeatedly attacked in the 19th century. With an area of 302.4 km2 (116.8 sq mi), it constitutes most of Ganghwa County (a division of Incheon). The island has a population of about 65,500, half of whom live in Ganghwa Town (Ganghwa-eup) in the northeast.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.