Кореяның Жеджу аралы

Island of South Korea

Jeju Island (Jeju/hangul=제주도; ) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of , which is 1.83 percent of the total area of the country. Alongside outlying islands, it is part of Jeju Province. 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 one of two special self governing provinces in South Korea, meaning that the province is run by local politicians. 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 0 °C (32 °F). Jeju is a popular holiday destination and a sizable portion of the economy relies on tourism and related economic activity.

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 (고), Yang (양), and Bu (부)—emerged from three holes in the ground in the 24th century BC. These holes, known as the Samseonghyeol (삼성혈), 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 April 1330, in the midst of political purges of the Yuan dynasty, Toghon tomor had been sent in Exile on this remote island, which was then part of the vassal Korean Goguryeo. 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.

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.

About 2 million years ago, the island of Jeju was formed through volcanic activity.

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.