Kowon is a county in South Hamgyong province, North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

. It lies at the southern tip of the province.

Physical features

The highest point is Palbongsan. The western reaches of the county are high and mountainous, while the east is a low-lying plain. Major rivers and streams include the Chontan River (전탄강), Tokchi River (덕지강), Sabakchon (사박천), and the Kuryongchon (구룡천). 54% of the county's area is forested. The climate is generally continental, but is moderated by foehn winds blowing from the mountains. This makes it one of the warmer parts of the province.

Agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 is the predominant local industry. Orchard

Orchard

An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...

ing and livestock

Livestock

Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...

 raising are also carried out, as is sericulture

Sericulture

Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk.Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production by B...

 (silk farming).

Mining and manufacturing

There are deposits of limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 in the county, and mining and construction-materials manufacturing also contribute to the local economy.

Transport

Kowon is connected to the rest of North Korea by rail and road. Railroads serving Kowon include the Pyongra Line

Pyongra Line

The Pyongra Line is a railway line in North Korea, running from Pyongyang to Rajin....

, Kangwon Line

Kangwon Line

The Kangwon Line is a railway line in North Korea, running from Pyonggang to Kowon....

, and Changdong Line.