Banlung (, ) is the
capital
Capital and its variations may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital
** List of national capitals
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter
Econom ...
of
Ratanakiri Province in northeastern
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
, and is 636 kilometres from the Cambodian capital of
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...
. Ratanakiri Province borders
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and
Laos
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...
.
[Ray, Nick. ''Cambodia''. Lonely Planet (2002)]
p315
. Banlung had been previously known as Banlung district before it officially gained town status. The town has a population of around 17,000 and the surrounding district has a population of 23,888.
The town became the capital of Ratanakiri Province in 1979, following the fall of the
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...
. The capital was moved from
Veun Sai to Banlung in order to facilitate trade with Vietnam (prior to Veun Sai, the capital was
Lumphat). Prior to 1979, Banlung was known as Labansiek.
[
It is a relatively lively commercial centre; people from surrounding villages often come to the town market to sell their goods.][
Three kilometres west of Banlung are the Katieng Waterfalls, where Ratnakiri's last elephants are covered by a conservation programme operated by the Airavata Elephant Foundation.
]
Transportation
The most convenient way to reach Banlung is by road. It is well connected with its neighbouring cities such as Stung Treng, Kratie and Phnom Penh. One can fly into Phnom Penh International Airport and travel by road from there.
Administration
Banlung city is divided into 4 sangkats (communes) which together contain 20 villages.
Infrastructure
Electricity in Banlung is produced by the nearby O Chum 2 Hydropower Dam, but in the region only around 13% of homes have access to electricity.
Gallery
File:Banlung.jpg
File:Budizam u provinciji Ratanakiri.jpg
File:Budističko svetište u Banlungu 24.1.2018.jpg
File:Prikaz Bude u Banlungu.jpg
File:Crkva u Banlungu.jpg
File:Banlung u siječnju.jpg
File:Banka u Banlungu.jpg
File:Banlung siječnja 2018.jpg
File:Jezero u Banlungu.jpg
File:Kmerski grad Banlung, u sumrak.jpg
References
External links
*
''Big Stories, Small Towns''
an online documentary about the town of Banlung
{{Authority control
Provincial capitals in Cambodia
Cities in Cambodia
Populated places in Ratanakiri province