Banlung ( km, បានលុង, ) is the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

of Ratanakiri Province in northeastern

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

, and is 636 kilometres from the Cambodian capital of

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

. Ratanakiri Province borders

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

and

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

.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 (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. ...

. The capital was moved from Veun Sai to Banlung in order to facilitate trade with Vietnam (prior to Veun Sai, the capital was

Lumphat Lumphat ( km, លំផាត់) is a district in Ratanakiri Province, north-east Cambodia. In 1998, it had a population of 10,301. Lomphat, the former capital of Ratanakiri, is located in the district on the Srepok River. The town is home to f ...

). 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 Airavata is a nonprofit organisation founded by Chenda Clais, Professor François-Xavier Roux and Pierre-Yves Clais, protecting the last captive Asian elephants in Ratanakiri Province in Cambodia, as well as protecting up to 100 hectares of th ...

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. Banlung market2

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