Pyoktong 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 northern North Pyongan 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 in the valley of the Yalu River

Yalu River

The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....

, and borders China to the north. Within North Korea, it is bounded by Tongchang

Tongchang

Tongchang is a kun, or county, in northeastern North Pyongan province, North Korea. It borders Pyoktong and Chagang's Usi county to the north, Unsan and Songwon to the east, Taechon to the south, and Changsong and Taegwan to the west....

 in the south, Changsong

Changsong

Changsong is a kun, or county, in northern North Pyongan province, North Korea. It is bordered by Pyoktong to the east, Tongchang and Taegwan to the south, Sakchu to the west; to the north, it faces China across the Yalu River....

 in the west, and Usi

Usi

Usi is a kun, or county, in westernmost Chagang province, North Korea. It looks across the Yalu River into the People's Republic of China. Within North Korea, it borders Chosan and Kopung to the east, Songwon to the south, and North Pyongan's Pyoktong county to the west...

 county in Chagang province to the east. It was separated from Usi in 1952, as part of a nationwide reorganization of local government.

The terrain is steep and mountain

Mountain

Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...

ous, with the Kangnam

Kangnam Mountains

The Kangnam Mountains are a mountain range of North Korea, in the central part of the country's northern region. They run parallel to the Amnok River which forms the border with China. They lie west of the Rangrim Mountains, which is the drainage divide between northwestern and northeastern Korea....

 and Pinandok ranges both passing through the county. The highest point is Piraebong, at 1470 metres. There are various small stream

Stream

A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...

s, including the Tongchon (동천), Songgyechon (송계천), and Namchon (남천). These are used to transport cut lumber; and the Namchon is also used to generate hydroelectric power. The average year-round temperature is 7.1 °C, plunging to a mean of -12.5 °C in January and rising to 23 °C in August. The climate is relatively dry, with an average annual rainfall of 992 mm. Due to the rugged terrain, only seven percent of Pyoktong's area is cultivated, while 80% is forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

ed.

Forestry is the chief local industry. The farms produce maize

Maize

Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

, soybean

Soybean

The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...

s, sweet potatoes, potatoes, gochu peppers, and hops

Hops

Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...

. Livestock are also raised; Pyoktong ranks second nationwide in sheep production.

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...
  
  
• North Pyongan