RATANAKIRI Provinces
Ratanakiri became a province of Kingdom of Cambodia in 1960 under King Norodom Sihanouk's reign. Banlung is the capital city of Ratanakiri, situated in the highland, along the National Road No 19 from Ou porng Moan to the Vietnam border about 200 km. (Ou´ porng Moan-Banlung is about 120km, Banlung-Vietnam 80k.m).
Ratanakiri is situated on the north - east plateau , 636 Km from Phnom Penh. It is bordering Vietnam on the east, Laos PDR on the North, Steung Treng on the West and Mondul Kiri on the South. There are two rivers crossing the province (Sre Pork and Sresan River).
A sparsely populated province, it is renowned for its unique natural beauty and wealth of natural resources. The physical and environmental characteristic of the province forms an impressive range including undulating hills and mountains, a level plateau, watershed lowlands, crater lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Forest cover varies from area to area, from the dense impenetrable forest in the northern reaches, which are still rich in wildlife, to the drier and sparser forest, found in the southwest. Similarly, the soil types present range from rich volcanic soil to the sandy soil found near rivers.
Thus Ratanakiri province offers wonderful opportunities for Eco-tourism in Cambodia.
Ratanakiri is scarcely populated, and it is also true that the capital city does not have an adequate market, but if we can conclude that Ratanakiri abundantly possesses a variety of natural resources, they could then satisfactorily served as important elements to develop the national economy. Underground and on land resources are gold, mine, gem stone, granite, onyx, fertile red soil, water sources (home of wild animals), luxury and quality wood and above all, the beautiful weather with fresh and pure air, and yearly rain.
Province Capital: 636 km. north - east of Phnom Penh
Area: 11,052 Square kilometers
Population: 94243 people (ethnic minority) represent 75.77% of the total.
Religion: Buddhism and Animism.
Accessibility: by air, by land, by boat (from Phnom Penh to Kracheh or Steung Treng in rainy season only), continue by car from Kratia and by plane or car from Steung Treng to Ratanakiri.
Major occupations: farming
Major products: gemstones & agriculture
Major industries: farming & tourism