New
7 Natural Wonders of the World
New Seven Wonders of Nature-One
of 28 nominees. Winners will be announced in 2011.
The Jeju Volcanic Island
and Lava Tubes is a World Heritage
Site in South Korea.
Jejudo is a volcanic
island, 130 kilometers from the southern
coast of Korea. The largest island
and smallest province in Korea, the
island has a surface area of 1,846
square kilometers.
A central feature of
Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain
in South Korea and a dormant volcano,
which rises 1,950 meters above sea
level. 360 satellite volcanoes are
part of the main volcano. Volcanic
activity on Jeju began approximately
in the Cretaceous and lasted until
the early Tertiary period. The last
recorded volcanic activity was recorded
approximately 800 years ago. The island
is covered in volcanic rock and volcanic
soil produced by Hallasan. Baengnokdam,
the crater and lake in it are located
at the peak of Hallasan, was formed
over 25,000 years ago while.
Jeju is scientifically
valuable for its extensive system
of lava tubes (also known as lateral
volcanoes or in Korean as Oreum).
These natural conduits through which
magma once flowed are now empty caves
that are some of the largest in the
world. The caves provide opportunities
for scientific research and are also
popular tourist destinations. Off
the shores of the city of Seogwipo
are a vast belt of pillar-shaped rocks
that are examples of the natural beauty
of Jeju. Shellfish and animal fossils
discovered in this area are also very
valuable as scientific resources.
Beomseom Island and Moonseom Island,
also off the city seacoast, are also
well preserved and scenic areas. The
variety of animal and plant species
on Jeju is also an important reason
for its value as a natural reserve.
Half of all Korean vascular plants
grow naturally on the island while
another 200 species of plants indigenous
to Korea have been transported here.
However, half of these species face
extinction. The polar plants which
came from the south during a glacial
period and inhabit the peak of Jeju
is one example. Other plants in the
subtropical forest and lower regions
of the island are also endangered.
Mt.
Hallasan National Park
Hallasan is located in the central
part of the island. Since 1966, any
area 800 meters above sea level as
been designated as a nature reserve.
The park is mostly unspoiled nature
with hiking paths and park managerial
facilities being the only man-made
modifications in the area. The flora
at the Mt. Hallasan National Park
is unique. 1,565 vascular plant species
have been recorded in the area thus
far and is the most number of plants
in any mountain, 33 which are endemic
to the island. Unlike most other Korean
mountain environments, Hallsan has
a unique vertical distribution of
plants in three different zones: the
subtropic, temperate, and frigid zones.
Over 17 mammals, 198
types of birds, 8 types of amphibians,
8 types of reptiles, and 947 insect
species have been catalogued in the
nature reserve. Endangered species
include the Capreolus capreolus pygargus
and Felis bengalensis manchuria. Since
the island was last connected to the
Korean Peninsula 10,000 years ago,
animals endemic to the island appeared
at that time and this separation from
the mainland is also of biological
significance.
A famous part of the
Mt. Hallasan Nature Reserve is the
Pillemot Cave, a site dating to the
Paleolithic period. The caves are
significant because of the archaeological
remains found there. Archaeological
evidence from the cave suggests that
people have occupied the island since
the Paleolithic period.[2]
