Lao Cai Province

Infobox province of Vietnam
Name = Lào Cai
Meaning =


Council Chair =
Committee Chair =
Capital = Lào Cai
Region = Northeast
Area = 6,357
Population = 565,700
Population density = 88.99
Ethnicities = Vietnamese, H'Mông, Tày, Dao, Thai
Calling code = 20
ISO code = VN-02
Website = www.laocai.gov.vn

Lao Cai (in Vietnamese, Lào Cai) is a province of northeastern Vietnam.

Administration

Lào Cai is divided into one city (Lào Cai) and eight districts:

*Bắc Hà
*Bảo Thắng
*Bảo Yên
*Bát Xát
*Mường Khương
*Sa Pa
*Si Ma Cai
*Văn Bàn

Geography

Lào Cai Province is located in the north of the country. It borders the provinces of Hà Giang, Yên Bái, Sơn La, and Lai Châu, as well as the province of Yunnan in the People's Republic of China.

Lào Cai is a mountainous region. In the northwest of the province is Phan Xi Păng (a.k.a. Fansipan), Vietnam's highest mountain. The province is bisected by the Red River, the most significant river of northern Vietnam, which flows out of China towards the capital Hanoi. Much of the province is heavily forested. The temperature generally ranges between 18° and 28°, although lowland areas tend to have less variation than mountainous areas.

Economy

Like many provinces in the northern highlands, Lào Cai is one of the poorer provinces of Vietnam. The GDP per capita is generally given as being around US$185. Traditional economic activities such as agriculture and forestry remain important, but the province has also been attempting to develop foreign investment in the area. Cross-border trade with China is also a growing source of income, as is tourism centered around trekking up the peak of Fansipan, Vietnam's highest mountain. Ecotourism is gaining ground.

Demographics

The population of Lào Cai province includes a number of Vietnam's ethnic minority groups, with the Hmong, Tay, and Dao being the most noticeable.

External links

* [http://www.laocai.gov.vn/ Lao Cai Provincial Government website] (in Vietnamese)
* [http://www.sapa-vietnam.com/ Lao Cai travel and Tourism website] (in English)
* [http://www.taphin-sapa.info/ Ta Phin village, near Sapa] (in English)