Jeju Island

Jeju Island (Jeju: ; ) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of , which is 1.83 percent of the total area of the country. It is also the most populous island in the Republic of Korea (ROK, South Korea); at the end of September 2020, the total resident registration population of Jeju Province is 672,948, of which 4,000 of the total provincial population reside on outlying islands such as the Chuja Islands and Udo Island. The total area of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is .
The island lies in the Korea Strait, south of the Korean Peninsula, and South Jeolla Province. It is located off the nearest point on the peninsula. Jeju is the only self-governing province in South Korea, meaning that the province is run by local inhabitants instead of politicians from the mainland. The Jeju people are indigenous to the island, and it has been populated by modern humans since the early Neolithic period. The Jeju language is considered critically endangered by UNESCO. It is also one of the regions of Korea where Shamanism is most intact.
Jeju Island has an oval shape of east–west and north–south, with a gentle slope around Mt. Halla in the center. The length of the main road is and the coastline is . On the northern end of Jeju Island is Kimnyeong Beach, on the southern end Songak Mountain, the western end Suwol Peak, and the eastern end Seongsan Ilchulbong.
The island was formed by the eruption of an underwater volcano approximately 2 million years ago. It contains a natural World Heritage Site, the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Jeju Island has a temperate climate which is moderate; even in winter, the temperature rarely falls below . Jeju is a popular holiday destination and a sizable portion of the economy relies on tourism and related economic activity.
Etymology
Historically, the island has been called by many different names including:
Doi (literally "Island barbarian")
Dongyeongju
Juho
Tammora
Seomna
Tangna
Tamna
Quelpart, Quelparte or Quelpaert Island
Junweonhado (meaning "southern part of peninsula")
Taekseungnido (meaning "the peaceful hot island in Joseon")
Samdado (meaning "Island of Three Abundances")
Before the Japanese annexation in 1910, the island was usually known as Quelpart (Quelpaërt, Quelpaert) to Europeans; during the occupation it was known by the Japanese name Saishū. The name Quelpart coming from French language is attested in Dutch no later than 1648 and may have denoted the first Dutch ship to spot the island, the quelpaert de Brack around 1642, or rather some visual similarity of the island from some angle to this class of ships (a small dispatch vessel, also called a galiot).
The first European explorers to sight the island, the Portuguese, called it Ilha de Ladrones (Island of Thieves).
The name "Fungma island" appeared in the "Atlas of China" of M. Martini who arrived in China as a missionary in 1655.
History
Jeju Island has been inhabited by modern humans since the early Neolithic period. There is no discovered historical record of the founding or early history of Tamna. One legend tells that the three divine founders of the country—Go, Yang, and Bu—emerged from three holes in the ground in the 24th century BC. These holes, known as the Samseonghyeol, are still preserved in Jeju City. Until 938 AD, the island was an independent kingdom called Tamna (which means 'island country') when it became a vassal state of Korea under the Goryeo dynasty. In 1404, Taejong of Joseon placed the island under firm central control and brought the Tamna kingdom to an end.
In April 1948, it was the site of the Jeju uprising.
Landscape
Jeju is a volcanic island, dominated by Hallasan: a volcano high and the highest mountain in South Korea. The island measures approximately across, east to west, and from north to south.
The island formed by volcanic eruptions approximately two million years ago, during the Pleistocene epoch. The island consists chiefly of basalt and lava.
An area covering about 12% of Jejudo is known as Gotjawal Forest. This area remained uncultivated until the 21st century, as its base of 'a'a lava made it difficult to develop for agriculture. Because this forest remained pristine for so long, it has a unique ecology.
The forest is the main source of groundwater and thus the main water source for the half million people of the island, because rainwater penetrates directly into the aquifer through the cracks of the 'a'a lava under the forest. Gotjawal forest is considered an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention by some researchers because it is the habitat of unique species of plants and is the main source of water for the residents, although to date it has not been declared a Ramsar site.
Formation
About 2 million years ago, the island of Jeju was formed through volcanic activity.
About 1.2 million years ago, a magma chamber formed under the sea floor and began to erupt.
About 700 thousand years ago, the island had been formed through volcanic activity. Volcanic activity then stopped for approximately 100 thousand years.
About 300 thousand years ago, volcanic activity restarted along the coastline.
About 100 thousand years ago, volcanic activity formed Halla Mountain.
About 25 thousand years ago, lateral eruptions around Halla Mountain left multiple oreum (smaller 'parasitic' cones on the flanks of the primary cone).
Volcanic activity stopped and prolonged weathering and erosion helped shape the island.
Climate
Most of Jeju Island has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification). Four distinct seasons are experienced in Jeju; winters are cool with moderate rainfall, while summers are hot and humid with very high rainfall.
Jeju City, the northern part of the island, tends to be colder in winter than the southern part due to the influence of continental seasonal winds. Gosan-ri, located on the west side of the island, has the lowest annual average precipitation on the island, but unlike most parts of mainland Korea, the seasonal precipitation is even. The Chuja Islands, which belong to Jeju City, are an archipelago located between mainland Korea and Jeju Island and also have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa).
Seogwipo, the southern part of the island, is relatively warmer in winter than Jeju City because Hallasan in the middle of the island prevents continental seasonal winds. The downtown of Seogwipo has the highest average temperature in January in Korea, including mainland Korea. Seongsan-eup, the southeastern side of the island, is directly affected by both the East Asian monsoon and the Tsushima Current, so annual precipitation is very high. Seogwipo is one of the regions with the highest annual precipitation in Korea.
The climate of the highlands in the middle of the island where Hallasan is located is quite different from those of the rest of the island. The higher the altitude, the lower the average temperature and the colder the climate. The highlands of Jeju Island have the highest annual precipitation in Korea.
In January 2016, a cold wave affected Jeju Island. Snow and frigid weather forced the cancellation of 1,200 flights on Jejudo, stranding approximately 90,300 passengers.
See also
Jeju Province
Jeju people, indigenous people of the island
Jeju language
Jeju black cattle, indigenous cattle breed
Jeju horse, indigenous horse breed
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes
References
External links
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes World Heritage site on Google Arts and Culture
Biosphere reserves of South Korea
Islands of Jeju Province
Islands of the East China Sea
Islands of the Sea of Japan
Islands of the Yellow Sea
World Heritage Sites in South Korea