Buôn Ma Thuột

Buôn Ma Thuột Thành phố Buôn Ma Thuột Ban Me Thuot
Buôn Ma Thuột city square in June 2006 Buôn Ma Thuột city square in June 2006
Official seal of Buôn Ma Thuột Seal
Buôn Ma Thuột Location of in Vietnam
Coordinates:
Country	Vietnam
Province	Đắk Lắk
Area
• Total	370 km2 (140 sq mi)
Elevation	536 m (1,759 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	340,000
• Density	920/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Website	buonmathuot.gov.vn (Vietnamese)

Buôn Ma Thuột () (formerly Lac Giao) or sometimes Buôn Mê Thuột or Ban Mê Thuột, is the capital city of Đắk Lắk Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Its population is approximately 300,000. The city is the largest in Vietnam's Central Highlands region, and is famous as the regional "capital of coffee".

Buôn Ma Thuột is served by Buon Ma Thuot Airport.

Mnong Longhouse in Buôn Ma Thuột

Geography

The city locates at 12.6667° N, 108.0500° E, right at the heart of the central highland of Vietnam, 1300 km from Ha Noi, 500 km from Da Nang, and 350 km from Ho Chi Minh City. Lying on a fairly flat highland, at an average height of 536m (1608 ft) above the sea, Buon Ma Thuot has a vital role in Vietnam's national security and defense system. Buon Ma Thuot is the capital of Dak Lak Province and also the biggest city in Central Highlands (Tay Nguyen).

History

In 1904 Đắk Lắk Province was established by the French and Buôn Ma Thuột was selected as the provincial administrative centre, rather than the trading center of Đôn on the Srepok River. Buôn Ma Thuột was originally settled by the Ê Đê, but due to the incoming Việt settlement after the Vietnam War and the active acculturation policy, less than 15% (around 40,000) are still Montagnards. An important battle took place there at the end of the second Vietnam war.

Institutions

Buôn Ma Thuột is the site of Tay Nguyen University.

External links

• "Establishing Buon Ma Thuot City and Adjusting the Border Between it and the Districts of Cu Jut, Ea Sup and Krong Pac of Darlac Province" Laws of Vietnam, Decree 8-CP, 21 January 1995
• "Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam" Falling Rain Genomics, Inc.