Dokdo (Takeshima)

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Dokdo is a small group of volcanic rocks located in the Sea of Japan. South Korea administers the islets as an area of the Ulleung County, Northern Gyeongsang Province. The 56-acre (226600 m2) formation consists of two main islands that house a lighthouse, a helicopter pad, and a small police force. Because the rocks shelter various species of birds, plants, and insects, the South Korean government has designated the islets as a nature reserve and enforces measures to protect the islets from the visiting tourists. The sovereignty over Dokdo has been contested by Japan over historical and legal grounds. The dispute between the two countries has been one of the more serious quarrels between South Korea and its former colonial ruler. In Japanese, the islands were called Takeshima (竹島) since at least 1905, and it means "bamboo island". The Korean name has many different transliterations in English, including "Tok-do", "Dok-to", and "Tok Islets" (독도), which equate to "rocky island". The islets possess two English titles: Liancourt Rocks and Hornet Rocks. "Liancourt" has its origin in the name of the French whaling ship that first encountered and charted the islets in 1849.

Geography

Dokdo is a part of an underwater volcano that erupted continuously[1] from 4.6 to 2 million years ago. The Dokdo volcano stands 2 km high on its base with a diameter of 20 ~ 25 km and rises to a guyot[2]summit that is 10 km wide.[3] Dokdo is considered the oldest existing island in Korea (Awaji Island is the oldest island in Japan)[4], Due to sedimentation, the 2 islands (Seodo and Dongdo　in Korean, Nishi-jima and Higashi-jima in Japanese; both literally meaning western island　西島　and 　eastern island　東島, respectively)[5] that make up for most of the geographical feature above water split 2 million years ago,[1] and are now positioned 151 meters apart from each other.[6]




consists of 34 volcanic islands[7] and a 30 reefs.[8] The alkaline effusive rocks began to form 4.6 million years ago in the Cenozoic Era, and remained active for the next 2 million years.[1] About 2.5 million years ago, the main body split in two due to sedimentation.[1] Liancourt Rocks is the mother island of Ulleungdo,[9] and is older than Ulleungdo by 2 million years, making it the oldest island in Korea[1] (Awaji Island is the oldest island in Japan)[4].

In 2006, Professor Son Yung-gwan claimed that the islets would sink in 2 million years..[10]

The total area of the islets is about 187,450 square meters (2,017,695 sq ft), with their highest point at 168.5 meters (554 ft) in the western islet.[11] The western islet is about 88,640 square meters in area; the eastern islet about 73,300 square meters.[12] Liancourt Rocks are located at about 131°52′ East longitude and about 37°14′ North latitude.[12] The western islet is located at Template:Coor dms and the eastern islet is located at Template:Coor dms. The islets are 217 km (135 mi) from mainland Korea and 250 km (150 mi) from mainland Japan.[6] The nearest Korean territory (Ulleung-do) is 87 km away (54 mi) and can be visible on fair days;[13][6] the nearest Japanese territory (Oki Islands) is 157 km (98 mi) away.[12]

The western islet consists of a single peak and features many caves along the coastline. The cliffs of the eastern islet are about 10 to 20 meters high. There are two caves giving access to the sea, as well as a crater.[14][15]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Geographical and Geological Features of Dokdo. Truth of Dokdo. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
  2. ↑ A study on the geophysical characteristics of the summit of the Dokdo volcano in the East Sea (Japan Sea)
  3. ↑ History and Culture of Dokdo Islands, Geographical understanding
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 2003 iEARN Conference News. '. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
  5. ↑ Special Report: Tokdo-Takeshima Dispute (doc). Pride of Korea - Dokdo (2001-07-06). Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Korea.net (1999–2006). Dokdo: A Profile. Retrieved 9 January, 2006.
  7. ↑ "Liancourt Rocks / Takeshima / Dokdo / Tokto", GlobalSecurity.Org, 2006-12-16. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  8. ↑ Koo, Min Gyo (Fall), "Economic Dependence and the Dokdo/Takeshima Dispute Between South Korea and Japan", Harvard Asia Quarterly Volume IX (No. 4.) [e]
  9. ↑ The Territorial Sovereignty over Dokdo Islets(Liancourt Rocks) and the Cairo Declaration in 1943. Seoul National University. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
  10. ↑ "독도, 일본보다 빠른 속도로 침몰하고 있다", The Korea Times, 2006/12/01. 손영관교수 `독도ㆍ울릉도 `침몰하고 있다``, JoongAng Ilbo, 2006/12/01.
  11. ↑ Dokdo of Korea. National Geographic Information Institute. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named cyb
  13. ↑ DKB News. UL1.jpg. Retrieved 9 January, 2006.
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named t1
  15. ↑ Truth of Dokdo. Story of Dokdo. Retrieved 9 January, 2006.
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