Changdo is a kun

Administrative divisions of North Korea

The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. Many of the units have equivalents in the system of South Korea. At the highest level are nine provinces, two directly governed cities, and three special administrative divisions. The second-level divisions...

, or county, in Kangwon 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...

. Originally part of Kimhwa

Kimhwa

Kimhwa is a kun, or county, in Kangwon province, North Korea. It is primarily mountainous, but the county's southeastern region is low-lying....

, it was split off as a separate county in 1952.

Changdo lies to the west of the Taebaek Mountains

Taebaek Mountains

The Taebaek Mountains are a mountain range in both North Korea and South Korea. They form the main ridge of the Korean peninsula.-Geography:...

, in the Ryongso

Yeongseo

Yeongseo is the western, inland region of Gangwon Province, South Korea and Kangwon Province, North Korea. It is divided from the coastal Yeongdong region by the Taebaek Mountains. The name yeongseo reflects this distinction; it literally means “west of the passes”. The region is marked by high...

 region of Kangwon, but is nonetheless quite rugged. The highest point is Okpatbong (옥밭봉), 1240 m above sea level. Changdo lies just north of the Korean Demilitarized Zone

Korean Demilitarized Zone

The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...

. The chief stream is the Pukhan River

Bukhan River

The Bukhan River is a tributary of the Han River that flows through both North and South Korea. It traverses Kangwon province in North Korea and Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces in South Korea....

, which flows southward across the DMZ into South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

. Roughly 80% of the county's area is forestland.

The chief local industry is agriculture, including 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...

 and livestock farming. Lumbermills have also been developed, but there is little other industry. There are deposits of copper, zinc, nickel, and lead.

Changdo is connected to the rest of North Korea by road, but not by rail.

See also

• Geography of North Korea
  Geography of North Korea
  North Korea is located in east Asia on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea shares a border with three states, including China along the Amnok River, Russia along the Duman River, and South Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone...
  
  
• Administrative divisions of North Korea
  Administrative divisions of North Korea
  The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. Many of the units have equivalents in the system of South Korea. At the highest level are nine provinces, two directly governed cities, and three special administrative divisions. The second-level divisions...
  
  
• Kangwon (North Korea)