Bac Lieu Province
Encyclopedia
Bạc Liêu is a province
of Vietnam
. It is a coastal province, and is situated in the Mekong Delta
region of the southern part of the country.
. The Khmer name for this province is Pol Leav.
The provincial capital, which is also known as Bac Lieu, is a separate municipality.
, although it is actually located slightly to the south of the Mekong
's main outflows. Bạc Liêu is around 100 km south of Cần Thơ, the largest city in the Mekong Delta.
which ruled most of Indochina
many centuries ago. It is still home to many ethnic Khmer people
. In 1996, Minh Hai was split into two, with the northeast becoming Bac Lieu Province and the southwest becoming Ca Mau province
.
Provinces of Vietnam
Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces and five centrally governed cities existing at the same level as provinces ....
of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It is a coastal province, and is situated in the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
region of the southern part of the country.
Name
Formally a territoy of Cambodia, the name Bac Lieu is believed to derive from the Khmer languageKhmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
. The Khmer name for this province is Pol Leav.
Administration
The province is divided into six districts:- Đông Hải
- Giá Rai
- Hòa Binh
- Hồng Dân
- Phước Long
- Vĩnh Lợi
The provincial capital, which is also known as Bac Lieu, is a separate municipality.
Geography
Bạc Liêu is generally thought of as being in the Mekong DeltaMekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
, although it is actually located slightly to the south of the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
's main outflows. Bạc Liêu is around 100 km south of Cần Thơ, the largest city in the Mekong Delta.
Economy
The most important parts of Bạc Liêu's economy are rice farming, fishing, food processing, and clothing manufacturing.History
After the Fall of Saigon, 30 April 1975, Bạc Liêu and Cà Mau provinces were merged into one big province which was called Minh Hai. Although it is located in Vietnam, many years ago this land was a part of the Khmer EmpireKhmer Empire
The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city...
which ruled most of Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
many centuries ago. It is still home to many ethnic Khmer people
Khmer people
Khmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
. In 1996, Minh Hai was split into two, with the northeast becoming Bac Lieu Province and the southwest becoming Ca Mau province
Ca Mau Province
Cà Mau is a province of Vietnam, named after its capital city. It is located in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam, and is the southernmost of Vietnam's 58 provinces...
.