Ganghwa Island

Ganghwa Island
	View of the island from Manisan
Geography
Location	South Korea
Coordinates	37°43′N 126°26′E / 37.71°N 126.44°E
Area	302.4 km2 (116.8 sq mi)
Demographics
Population	65,500
Korean name
Hangul	강화도
Hanja	江華島
Revised Romanization	Ganghwado
McCune–Reischauer	Kanghwado

Ganghwa Island (Korean: 강화도), also Ganghwado, is an island in Ganghwa County, Incheon, South Korea. It is located 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.^[1]

It is strategically located, controlling access to the river which runs through former Joseon and the present South Korean capital Seoul. Its fortifications were repeatedly attacked during 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.

^ "Pants and propaganda: Photos from Korean border area show life in North Korea". Archived from the original on 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2021-05-28.

[1] "Pants and propaganda: Photos from Korean border area show life in North Korea". Archived from the original on 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2021-05-28.

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