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Gyeonggi Province

Gyeonggi Province
경기도
Province
Korean transcription(s)
 • Hangul
 • Hanja
 • Revised Romanization Gyeonggi-do
 • McCune‑Reischauer Kyŏnggido
Flag of Gyeonggi Province
Flag
Official logo of Gyeonggi Province
Logo
Location of Gyeonggi Province
Coordinates: 37°30′N 127°15′E / 37.500°N 127.250°E / 37.500; 127.250Coordinates: 37°30′N 127°15′E / 37.500°N 127.250°E / 37.500; 127.250
Country South Korea
Region Sudogwon
Capital Suwon
Subdivisions 28 cities; 3 counties
Government
 • Governor Nam Kyung-pil
Area
 • Total 10,184 km2 (3,932 sq mi)
Area rank 5th
Population (October, 2014)
 • Total 12,342,448
 • Rank 1st
 • Density 1,170.6/km2 (3,032/sq mi)
Metropolitan Symbols
 • Flower Forsythia
 • Tree Ginkgo
 • Bird Dove
ISO 3166 code KR-41
Dialect Gyeonggi
Website gg.go.kr

Gyeonggi-do (Hangul: 경기도, Korean pronunciation: [kjʌŋ.ɡi.do]) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, Gyeonggi means "the area surrounding capital". Thus Gyeonggi-do can be translated as "province surrounding Seoul". The provincial capital is Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is in the heart of the province but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946. Incheon—South Korea's third largest city—is on the coast of the province and has been similarly administered as a provincial-level metropolitan city since 1981. The three jurisdictions collectively cover 11,730 km2, with a combined population of 25.6 million—amounting to over half of the entire population of South Korea.

Gyeonggi Province has been a politically important area since 18 BCE, when Korea was divided into three nations during the Three Kingdoms period. Ever since King Onjo, the founder of Baekje (one of the three kingdoms), founded the government in Wiryeseong of Hanam, the Han River Valley was absorbed into Goguryeo in the mid-fifth century, and became Silla's territory in the year 553 (the 14th year of King Jinheung). Afterward, the current location of Gyeonggi Province, one of the nine states of Later Silla, was called Hansanju.

The Gyeonggi region started to rise as the central region of Goryeo as King Taejo of Goryeo (the kingdom following Silla) set up the capital in Gaesong. Since 1018 (the 9th year of Goryeo’s King Hyeonjong), this area has been officially called "Gyeonggi."


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