Кореяның Ұллындо аралы: Тарихы мен табиғаты

South Korean island
the island

Ulleungdo (also spelled Ulreungdo; hangul=울릉도; ) is a South Korean island east of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, formerly known as Dagelet Island or Argonaut Island in Europe. Volcanic in origin, the rocky steep sided island is the top of a large stratovolcano which rises from the seafloor, reaching a maximum elevation of at Seonginbong Peak. The island is in length and in width; it has an area of
The island makes up the main part of Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and is a popular tourist destination. The main city of Ulleung do is the port of Dodong (labels=no), which serves as the main ferry port between Ulleung do and the South Korean mainland. After tourism, the main economic activity is fishing, including its well known harvest of squid, which can be seen drying in the sun in many places.

The island consists primarily of trachyandesite rock. A major explosive eruption about 9,350 years ago reached a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 6 and deposited tephra as far as central Honshū over away, while producing pyroclastic flows on the island and decapitating its top to form a caldera. Archaeological evidence indicates that the island has been inhabited since the 1st millennium BC. The first confirmed historical reference to Ulleung do is in the Samguk Sagi for the year 512. In that year, the Silla general Kim Isabu conquered the island, which had previously been the autonomous nation of Usan guk. Some accounts relate that he used a number of wooden lions to intimidate the population, threatening to turn them loose unless they surrendered. Usan guk did not remain under the Silla rule, however, and the island did not become a permanent political part of Korea until 930, when it was annexed by Goryeo. Remote as it is from the Korean mainland, Ulleung do was a recurrent security headache for the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. It was devastated by Jurchen pirate raids in the 11th century, and by Wokou pirate raids in the 14th century. A clash with Japan over fishing rights in the 1690s was precipitated by the Korean fisherman An Yong bok. In response to these difficulties, Joseon adopted an "empty island" policy which however proved impossible to enforce. The empty island policy was officially rescinded in 1881, after which the government sought to encourage additional settlement of Ulleungdo. American whaleships cruised for right whales off the island between 1848 and 1892. Some went ashore nearby Jukdo to club pinnipeds.

The island and surrounding water were registered as a marine protected area to secure rich biodiversity in 2014. As above mentioned, North Pacific right whales and pinnipeds were targeted by whalers and sealers in the adjacent waters. Fin whales were also commonly observed historically, and other cetaceans such as minke whales and dolphins may appear around the island. Japanese sea lions, now extinct, once bred on the island.