Chonan

Chonan is a transliteration that may refer to several places and names in East Asia. The most common association is with Cheonan, the city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. In English-language sources, "Chonan" has appeared as an older or variant spelling for Cheonan. The city is a major regional center, serving as an administrative and transportation hub with rail connections to Seoul and other cities, and it hosts universities and cultural sites that reflect its role in the region.

In Korea, the name Cheonan (천안) is now typically rendered as Cheonan under the Revised Romanization, but historical spellings such as Chonan or Ch’ŏnan can be found on older maps and documents. The broader use of the spelling Chonan can also reflect romanization variations for other Korean places that share similar sounding syllables, though their exact identities depend on context.

Outside Korea, similar spellings can arise in Japanese transliteration, where the same or similar kanji readings may produce variants like Chōnan or Shōnan in different systems. As a result, Chonan can appear as part of place names or, less commonly, as a surname in Japanese or Korean contexts. Because Chonan is not a unique identifier, precise reference typically requires additional contextual information to distinguish among possible places or names.