Tanchon

For the river in South Korea, see Tancheon.

Tanch'ŏn (Korean pronunciation: [tan.tsʰʌn]) is a port city in northeastern South Hamgyŏng province, North Korea. It has a population of approximately 360,000. Tanch'ŏn borders the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea), into which the Namdae River flows.

Tanchon 단천시
Municipal City
Korean transcription(s)
• Chosŏn'gŭl	단천시
• Hancha	端川市
• McCune-Reischauer	Tanch'ŏn si
• Revised Romanization	Dancheon-si
Map of South Hamgyong showing the location of Tanchon
Tanchon Location within North Korea
Coordinates: 40°27′29″N 128°54′40″E / 40.458°N 128.911°E / 40.458; 128.911
Country	North Korea
Province	South Hamgyong Province
Administrative divisions	39 tong, 39 ri
Area
• Total	2,170 km^2 (840 sq mi)
Population  (2008)
• Total	345,876
• Density	160/km^2 (410/sq mi)
• Dialect	Hamgyŏng
Time zone	UTC+9 (Pyongyang Time)

Administrative divisions

Tanch'ŏn is divided into 39 tong (neighbourhoods) and 39 ri (villages):

Chich'o-dong Chikchŏl-dong Chŏnjin-dong Haean 1-dong Haean 2-dong Hanggu 1-dong Hanggu 2-dong Hanggu 3-dong Kŭmbong-dong Kŭmgol 1-dong Kŭmgol 2-dong Kŭmgol 3-dong Kŭmsan-dong Kwangch'ŏn-dong Muhak-tong Munhwa-dong Naemun-dong Namp'ung-dong Paeg'am-dong Paekkŭmsan-dong Ponsan-dong Pukch'ŏn-dong Puktu-dong P'ugŏ-dong Ryongdae-dong San'gwang-dong Sao-dong Sindanch'ŏn 1-dong Sindanch'ŏn 2-dong Taehŭng 1-dong Taehŭng 2-dong Taesin-dong T'amsi-dong Tŏkhŭng-dong Tong'am-dong Tonsan-dong Yangch'ŏn-dong Yangsan-dong Yŏng'ung-dong

Changnae-ri Chŏngdong-ri Chŭngsal-li Hwajang-ri Kaŭng-ri Kawŏl-li Mun'am-ri Munho-ri O'mong-ri Paeksal-li Pokp'yŏng-ri Ponghwa-ri Rip'a-ri Ryŏngdae-ri Ryongjam-ri Ryŏngsal-li Ryongdŏng-ri Ryonghŭng-ri Ryongyŏl-li Samgŏ-ri Sindong-ri Sinho-ri Sinp'ung-ri Sinp'yŏng-ri Sŏk'u-ri Songjŏng-ri Songp'a-ri Ssangryong-ri Talch'ŏl-li Taptong-ri Tŏkchu-ri Tolsal-li Tuyŏl-li Unch'ŏl-li Wadong-ri Wŏnsal-li Yangp'yŏng-ri Yŏngp'yŏng-ri

Economy

There are extensive mineral resources in the area, including cobalt, magnesite, and iron ore. The city is known for its chemical production, textiles, metal ware, machinery and smelting. The Komdok mine is located in Kumgol-1 dong.^[1] The Taehung mine is located in South Hamgyong Province.

The area is also home to the large Tanchon Power Station (under construction as of April 2020), consisting of hundreds of kilometres of waterway tunnels and a planned six power stations, that has been under construction since 2017.^[2][3]

Technology

The City of Tanch'ŏn is featured in the PC game Tradewinds.

Transport

Tanch'ŏn is situated on the P'yŏngra Line and the Hŏch'ŏn Line of the Korean State Railway.^[4] In 2012 the city's port was renovated and upgraded.^[5] Tanch'ŏn port was reconstructed, and a ceremony marking the completion was taken place in December 2012. In the ceremony, a joint congratulatory message sent by the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Cabinet was read to the officials and members of shock brigades who performed labor feats in the construction of the port.^[6]

A trolleybus line runs within Tanchon from next to Kumgol station in Kumgol 1-dong to Kumgol 3-dong with a length of over 6 km. The line was opened in 1986 to serve the Komdok mining region though there have been no trolleybuses seen on satellite imagery since 2011.^[7][8]

Wildlife

The population of Chinese gorals in Tanch'ŏn has been designated North Korean natural monument #293.^[9]

Climate

Tanchon has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfa).^[10]

Climate data for Tanchon
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	1.1 (34.0)	2.4 (36.3)	6.9 (44.4)	13.5 (56.3)	18.2 (64.8)	20.9 (69.6)	24.8 (76.6)	26.0 (78.8)	22.9 (73.2)	17.7 (63.9)	10.1 (50.2)	3.4 (38.1)	14.0 (57.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−4.4 (24.1)	−3.0 (26.6)	−1.8 (28.8)	7.6 (45.7)	12.4 (54.3)	16.1 (61.0)	20.6 (69.1)	22.0 (71.6)	17.9 (64.2)	11.9 (53.4)	4.9 (40.8)	−1.7 (28.9)	8.5 (47.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−9.8 (14.4)	−8.3 (17.1)	−3.2 (26.2)	1.7 (35.1)	6.7 (44.1)	11.4 (52.5)	16.5 (61.7)	18.1 (64.6)	13.0 (55.4)	6.2 (43.2)	−0.3 (31.5)	−6.8 (19.8)	3.8 (38.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	23 (0.9)	18 (0.7)	24 (0.9)	37 (1.5)	53 (2.1)	83 (3.3)	129 (5.1)	156 (6.1)	108 (4.3)	45 (1.8)	47 (1.9)	27 (1.1)	750 (29.7)
Source: Climate-Data.org ^[10]

See also

•  North Korea portal

• Administrative divisions of North Korea
• Geography of North Korea
• South Hamgyong

References

1. "북한지역정보넷". www.cybernk.net. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
2. Peter Makowsky; Jenny Town; Samantha Pitz (11 October 2019). "North Korea's Hydroelectric Power - The Tanchon Power Station Project". 38 North. The Henry L. Stimson Center. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
3. Makowsky, Peter (24 April 2020). "Tanchon Power Station Project: A Decline in Progress?". 38 North. The Henry L. Stimson Center. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
4. Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
5. . Archived from the original on 2012-05-29.
6. . North Korea Leadership Watch. Archived from the original on 22 March 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
7. "북한지역정보넷". www.cybernk.net. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
8. "북한지역정보넷". www.cybernk.net. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
9. . Cultural Heritage Administration guide to North Korean natural monuments. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
10. "Climate: Tanchon". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved July 26, 2018.

Further reading

• Dormels, Rainer. North Korea's Cities: Industrial facilities, internal structures and typification. Jimoondang, 2014. ISBN 978-89-6297-167-5

External links

• In Korean language online encyclopedias:
  • Doosan Encyclopedia (Naver)
  • Korean language Britannica (Empas) (Map)
  • Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (Empas)
  • Pascal World Encyclopedia (Nate)
• City profile of Tanchon 2016-03-10 at the Wayback Machine