Dak Lak province

For the Romanian commune called Darlac in Hungarian, see Dârlos.

Dak Lak province Tỉnh Đắk Lắk
—  Province  —
Lăk Lake, near the M’Nông village of Buôn Jun
Motto: Tiềm năng và Triển vọng
Coordinates: 12°40′N 108°3′E / 12.667°N 108.05°E / 12.667; 108.05Coordinates: 12°40′N 108°3′E / 12.667°N 108.05°E / 12.667; 108.05
Country	Vietnam
Region	Central Highlands
Capital	Buôn Ma Thuột
Area
– Total	13,062 km2 (5,043.3 sq mi)
Population (2009)
– Total	1,733,100
– Density	132.7/km2 (343.6/sq mi)
Demographics
– Ethnicities	Vietnamese, Ê Đê, Nùng, Tày
Time zone	ICT (UTC+7)
ISO 3166 code	VN-33
Website	daklak.gov.vn

Đắk Lắk ( listen) is a province of Vietnam. The name is also spelled Đắc Lắc, which is more in keeping with Vietnamese spelling, but the official spelling is Đắk Lắk. It is located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, and is home to a high number of indigenous people who are not ethnically Vietnamese (Việt).

History

The area now known as Đắk Lắk was originally controlled by the Kingdom of Champa. When Champa was conquered and annexed by Vietnam in the 15th century, Đắk Lắk was brought under loose Vietnamese rule. Later, in 1540, a noble named Bùi Tá Hán was appointed by the Vietnamese authorities to direct the settlement of the area by ethnic Vietnamese, bringing the highlands under more effective Vietnamese control. Military outposts were established in the area to guard against possible aggression from the west. Later, when Vietnam was occupied by the French, the French established a large number of plantations in the area. Resistance to French rule was strong in Đắk Lắk, with various minority tribes leading a number of significant rebellions. The most notable was a 23-year campaign led by N’Trang Lơng, a M’Nông tribal leader. Later, Đắk Lắk was part of South Vietnam, and saw considerable action in the Vietnam War.

Until recently, Đắk Nông was a part of Đắk Lắk, but is now a separate province.

Geography

Đắk Lắk is based around the Đắk Lắk plateau, around six hundred metres above sea level.

About 60 km south of Buôn Ma Thuột is Lăk Lake. Overlooking the lake is the old summer residence of Emperor Bảo Đại which has been renovated into a hotel. Surrounding the lake is Jun Village, home of the Jun people. The villagers have a peculiar form of fishing where they attach metal rods to a car battery and run the rods through the water zapping and stunning the fish and then collecting them to keep in a tank at the village until they are needed.

Administration

Politically, Đắk Lắk is divided into thirteen districts:

• Buôn Đôn
• Cư Kuin
• Cư M'gar
• Ea H'leo
• Ea Kar
• Ea Súp
• Krông Ana
• Krông Bông
• Krông Buk
• Krông Năng
• Krông Pak
• Lắk
• M'Drăk

The provincial capital, Buôn Ma Thuột, is a separate municipality.

Economy

Lăk Lake, in the M’Nông village of Buôn Jun

Coffee, fruit, and rubber play an important part in its economy. Recently, there have been efforts to harness the province's considerable potential for hydroelectric generation. The Jun people take advantage of the small tourist trade that passes through, giving elephant rides through the village and across the lake.

External links

• Official website