Jindo Island
| Jindo | |
| Hangul | 진도 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 珍島 |
| Revised Romanization | Jindo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chindo |
| Native name: 진도 | |
|---|---|
 Jindo
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| Geography | |
| Location | Yellow Sea, East China Sea |
| Coordinates | 34°28′59″N 126°15′43″E / 34.48306°N 126.26194°E |
| Area | 363.16 km2 (140.22 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 485 m (1,591 ft) |
| Highest point | Cheomchal |
| Administration | |
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South Korea
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| Province | South Jeolla |
| Largest settlement | Jindo County |
| Demographics | |
| Ethnic groups | Korean |
Jindo Island is the third largest island in South Korea. Together with a group of much smaller islands, it forms Jindo County.
It is located in South Jeolla province, just off the southwest corner of the Korean peninsula. The island is separated from the mainland by the Myeongnyang Strait; however, this strait is now spanned by South Korea's longest cable-stayed bridge spanning 484 meters. Here in 1597 admiral Yi Sun-sin won the Battle of Myeongnyang, defeating a vastly superior Japanese fleet.
The Korea Jindo Dog is native to Jindo Island.
Every year, on a variable day in the spring or summer, a narrow land pass (about 2.9 km long and up to 40 meters wide) opens for about an hour between the main Jindo Island and small Modo island as a result of tidal activity. This event attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists and is accompanied by local festivals.
The island was known and inhabited since prehistoric time. In 995, it was called Haeyangdo, and later renamed to Okju county and became one of the 14 Korean states. In 1001, the island Okju was changed to Jindo. During the Mongol invasions of Korea of 1231–1270, the island served as a refuge for the Sambyeolcho Rebellion forces. However, in 1271, Mongols captured the island and removed all settlements from there. The population that returned after the Mongol invasion was constantly threatened by Japanese pirates invasions, and thus the island was nearly empty during the 14th century.
On 16 September 1597, during the Seven Year War, the Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin achieved a decisive victory in the Battle of Myeongnyang held at the Myeongnyang Strait. With 13 panokseons and about 200 men he defeated the Japanese fleet of 133 warships and 200 support ships. During the lifetime of Yi Sun-sin, the strait was also known as 'Uldolmok,' or 'the Roaring Channel,' most likely due to the powerful tidal forces in the channel, which were especially loud in spring.
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Wikipedia