Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 360

CHOSEN (KOREA)

Chosen ("Morning Calm"), by peaceful annexation in August 1910 became an integral part of the Japanese Empire. It is a peninsula extending south- ward from the north-east of Asia, washed on the east by the Sea of Japan, on the west by the Yellow Sea. To the north lie Manchuria and the Russian Maritime Province, the boundary being marked by the rivers Yalu and Tumen and the Ever-White Mountains; while on the south it faces the west of Japan. across the Korea Strait, with the island of Tsushima about midway. It has a coast-line of some 5,400 miles. including its innumerable islands, of which Quelpart is the largest. It is situated between 124° 11′ and 130° 56' E long. and between 33° 06′ and 43° N lat., its total length being 600 miles from north to south, and greatest breadth 135 miles from east to west, with an area of about 85,156 square miles. The eastern half of the peninsula is a sinuous range of mountains of which western Korea is the slope, and the chief rivers are therefore on the western side, most of the important harbours being sit- uated on that coast. Chosen is divided into thirteen provinces (do):-North and South Kankyo (Hamheung), North and South Heian (Pyeng-an), Kokai (Hwang-hai), Kogen (Kang-won), Keiki (Kyong-ki) North and South Chusei (Chung-Chong), North and South Keisho (Kyong-sang) and North and South Zenra (Cholla). The climate is continental, but healthy. Cold and heat waves run to the extreme, and especially is the cold severe in the north. Spring and Autumn are short, and the variation in temperature between day and night is very sharp, reaching 25 degrees in some places in the north. The fauna includes tigers, leopards, wild deer, wild hogs, and monkeys in the south, and the pheasant, eagle, falcon, crane and stork are common. A stunted breed of native horses exists and immense numbers of oxen are raised both as draught animals and for food. Goats are few, and sheep-breeding was started in 1914 by the introduction of sheep from Mongolia. It is now being greatly encouraged by the authorities, with the idea of making the Japanese Empire as far as possible, self-supporting as to raw wool. A great deal of attention is now being paid by the Government to the encouragement of breeding horses as well as other livestock, and to the raising of swine and poultry. Much of the soil is fertile, and agriculture has considerably advanced under the Japanese re- gime, with improved methods of cultivation, in the selection of seeds and manure, in irrigation and in reclamation. Sericulture, cotton and fruit- growing are also being given great encouragement by the authorities, and cotton growing in the South and wool in the North are looked upon as) indus- tries with a great future both for Korea and Japan. There are extensive forests in the north, and gold, copper, iron, coal and other minerals are distributed throughout the country, gold-mines being worked by British, American and French syndicates, and a number of placer and other mines by natives and by Japanese. The principal exports are rice, beans, silk, fish- oil and manure, iron and iron ore, raw cotton, livestock and hides. Manu- facture is still very small, but grows yearly, and includes cotton yarn, silk- reeling, sugar, paper, artificial fertilisers, cement and flour. The greater part of the sea-borne trade is carried by Japanese bottoms Great developinent are taking place along the North East Coast, where large new harbours are being constructed at Seishin, Rashin and Yuki. The railways in this district are now under the control of the South Manchuria Railway Co., and a large trade between Japan and Manchuria is expected through these ports in the future.

.

Page 360Page 361