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Jeju Island is a volcanic island, dominated by Halla-san (Halla Mountain): a volcano 1,950 metres high and the highest mountain in South Korea. The island was created entirely from volcanic eruptions approximately 2 million years ago, during the time period from the Tertiary to the beginning of the Quaternary period, and consists chiefly of basalt and lava. The eruptions took place in the Cenozoic era. It has a humid subtropical climate, warmer than that of the rest of Korea, with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool and dry while summers are hot, humid, and sometimes rainy. There is a crater lake which is the only natural lake in South Korea. An area covering about 12% (224 square kilometers) of Jeju is known as Gotjawal Forest. This area had remained untouched until the 21st century, as its base of ʻAʻā Lava made it difficult to develop for agriculture. Because this forest remained

untouched for a long time, it has a unique ecology. The forest is the main source of groundwater, the main water source for the half millon people of the island, because rainwater penetrates directly into the groundwater aquifer through the cracks of the Lava under this 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.

Tourism Tourism commands a large fraction of Jeju’s economy. Jeju’s temperate climate, natural scenery, and beaches make it a popular tourist destination for South Koreans as well as visitors from other parts of East Asia. The most popular tourist spots on the island are Cheonjeyeon and Cheonjiyeon waterfalls, Mount Halla, Hyeobje

cave, and Hyeongje island. There is a variety of leisure sports that tourists can take part in Jeju including golf, horse riding, hunting, fishing, mountain climbing, etc. Depending on the season, Jeju hosts many festivals for tourists including a penguin swimming contest in winter, cherry blossom festival in spring, the midsummer night beach festival in summer, and Jeju horse festival in autumn, among others. For most tourists, traffic to and from the island is mainly taken through Jeju International Airport and transport within the island by rental cars. Some local products are popular to tourists, including Jeju’s special tile fish and mandarin oranges, aside from souvenirs and duty-free shopping.

Society & Culture Because of the relative isolation of the island, the people of Jeju have developed a culture and language that are distinct from those of mainland Korea.

Jeju is home to thousands of local legends. Perhaps the most distinct cultural artifact is the ubiquitous dol hareubang (“stone grandfather”) carved from a block of basalt. Another distinct aspect of Jeju is the matriarchal family structure, found especially in Udo and Mara, but also present in the rest of the province. The best-known example of this is found among the haenyeo (“sea women”), who were often the heads of families, because they controlled the income. They earned their living from free diving, often all year round in quite cold water, without scuba gear, in order to harvest abalones, conchs, and a myriad of other marine products. It is thought that women are better at spending all day deep-water diving because they resist cold better. But because of rapid economic development and modernization, not many haenyeo are actively working these days.

Welcome to Jeju

About Jeju •

Location: East Asia

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Archipelago: Jeju

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Area: 77,981.87 km²

• Highest Point: Halla Mountain (1950m) •



Country: South Korea

• Largest City: jeju City (pop 408,364) •

Capital: Jeju City

• Population: Approx. 565,999

http://english.jeju.co.kr

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Ethnic Groups: Korean

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Climate: Temperate