Banlung ( km, បានលុង, ) is the
capital 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 Thailan ...
, and is 636 kilometres from the Cambodian capital of
Phnom Penh. 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.
[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 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
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 ...
.
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