Central Highlands (Vietnam)
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Central Highlands
Cao nguyên Trung phần | |
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UTC+7 (UTC +7) |
The Central Highlands (
Geography
Central Highlands is a plateau bordering the lower part of
Actually, Central Highlands is not situated on a unique plateau, instead, it lies on a series of contiguous plateaus, namely Kon Tum Plateau at the height of 500 m, Kon Plông Plateau, Kon Hà Nừng Plateau, Pleiku Plateau with the height of around 800m, Mdrak Plateau of approximately 500 m, Đắk Lắk Plateau of around 800m, Mơ Nông Plateau with the height of about 800–1000 m,
The Central Highlands are mostly drained by tributaries of the Mekong. The Sesan or Tonlé San river drains the northern portion of the highlands, and the Srepok River the southern. A series of shorter rivers run from the eastern edge of the highlands to the Vietnamese coast.
Tây Nguyên can be divided into three subregions according to their deviation in topography and climate, namely: North Tây Nguyên (Bắc Tây Nguyên) (inclusive of Kon Tum and Gia Lai provinces), Middle Tây Nguyên (Trung Tây Nguyên) (covering provinces of Đắk Lắk and Đắk Nông), South Tây Nguyên (Nam Tây Nguyên) (Lâm Đồng). Trung Tây Nguyên has a lower altitude and therefore has a higher temperature than the other two subregions.
Provinces
Province- Level Division |
Capital | Population (May 2023) |
Area (km2) |
---|---|---|---|
Đắk Lắk
|
Buôn Ma Thuột | 2,130,724 | 13,139.2 km2 |
Đắk Nông
|
Gia Nghĩa | 674,206 | 6,516.9 km2 |
Gia Lai
|
Pleiku | 2,219,520 | 15,536.9 km2 |
Kon Tum
|
Kon Tum | 603,023 | 9,690.5 km2 |
Lâm Đồng
|
Da Lat | 1,556,352 | 9,776.1 km2 |
History
The native inhabitants of the Central Highlands (
Throughout pre-modern history, the Central Highlands were not under the control of surrounding lowland classical kingdoms, thus much of prehistoric indigenous cultures were preserved. Highlands and mountains acted like barricades that curtailed much of the lowland influences on the Central Highlands people. The region falls into the geographical category described by
During the early fifteenth century, the northern part of Central Highlands (around present-day
Ethnic
The Champa state and Chams in the lowlands were traditional suzerains whom the Montagnards in the highlands acknowledged as their lords, while autonomy was held by the Montagnards.[5] After 1945, concept of "Nam tiến" and the southward expansion was celebrated by Vietnamese scholars.[6] The Pays Montagnard du Sud-Indochinois was the name of the Central Highlands from 1946 under French Indochina.[7]
Up until French rule, the Central Highlands was almost never entered by the Vietnamese since they viewed it as a savage (Moi-Montagnard) populated area with fierce animals like tigers, "poisoned water" and "evil malevolent spirits". The Vietnamese expressed interest in the land after the French transformed it into a profitable plantation area to grow crops on,[8] in addition to the natural resources from the forests, minerals and rich earth and realization of its crucial geographical importance.[9]
An insurgency was waged by Montagnards in
Ethnic groups
Below is a list of officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam that are indigenous to the Central Highlands and nearby areas. They speak Austroasiatic languages of the Katuic and Bahnaric, as well as Chamic languages (which belong to the Austronesian language family). Population statistics are from the 2009 Vietnam Population Census.
- Katuic speakers
- Quảng Trị Province
- Quảng Nam Province
- Quảng Trị Province
- Bahnaric speakers
- West Bahnaric
- Kon Tum Province
- East Bahnaric
- Quảng Ngãi Province
- North Bahnaric
- Quảng Nam Province
- Quảng Ngãi Province
- Kon Tum Province
- Central Bahnaric
- Kon Tum Province
- Quảng Nam Province
- South Bahnaric
- Đồng Nai Province
- Lâm Đồng Province
- Lâm Đồng Province
- Bình Phước Province
- Đắk Nông Province
- West Bahnaric
- Chamic speakers
- Bình Thuận Province
- Lâm Đồng Province
- Đắk Lắk Province
- Gia Lai Province
- Khánh Hòa Province
Listed by province, from north to south as well as west to east:
Culture
Economy, natural resources, society, and environment
In comparison with other regions in Vietnam, the Central Highlands has to encounter great difficulties in socio-economic conditions such as the skilled labor shortage, poor infrastructure, possibilities of ethnic-group conflict in a small area and a low standard of living. This area, however, has many advantages in natural resources. The region is home to nearly 2 million
Unequal land and resource allocation also spark many disputes. Previously, the government aimed to exploit the Central Highlands of Vietnam by establishing a system of state-owned agriculture and forestry farms (before 1993, there were major agricultural-forestry-industry Union Enterprises, which switched to central or provincial agriculture and forestry farms after the same year). In reality, these economic organizations control most of the Central Highlands’ land. In
Forest resources and forestry land areas in Tay Nguyen are facing the risk of serious attenuation due to different reasons, such as small unowned area of deep forest is being trespassed by newly arrived migrants for residential and production purposes (which rapidly increases the agricultural land in the whole region), as well as deforestation and illegal exploitation of forest products. Due to the attenuation of forest resources, the output of logging has constantly been decreasing, from 600 to 700 thousand square meters in the late 1980s - early 1990s to about 200-300 thousand square meters per year at the moment. Currently, local authorities are experimenting with allocating, leasing forestry land to organizations, households and individuals for stable usage and forest allocation, and contracting to forests protection for households and communities in the villages.
With the geographical advantages of highland and numerous waterfalls,
According to old Soviet documents, the Central Highlands holds about 8 billion tons of bauxite reserve. On November 1, 2007, the Prime Minister signed Decision no.167 to approve the zoning plan for exploration, mining, processing and using of bauxite ore in the 2007–2015, orientation to 2025. Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group is currently exploring and investing in some bauxite exploring, alumina mining projects in the Central Highlands. However, this implementation has generated fierce opposition from scientists and local people due to the environmental destruction and the negative impacts on social culture, especially the indigenous culture of the Central Highlands.
Tourist attractions
Đắk Lắk
With an average elevation of 400 - 800m above sea level,
There are primeval forests,
Don village is well known for elephant hunting and taming, historical relics such as Cham tơers in the 13th century, Bao Dai Palace and Buon Ma Thuot Prison.
Ðắk Nông
Dak Nong Province is located in the southwest of
Dak Nong is renowned for the majestic landscape of waterfalls, nighttime campfires with the sound of gongs and the local-favored stem wine.
The Srepok river with its tributaries form numerous stunning cascades, which can be mild at some points, and real havoc at another. Even more noticeable are Gia Long waterfall with the shape of a wildly sleeping mountain girl and Dray Nur waterfall, which resembles a Great wall of nature. Besides, there are also falls of Dieu Thanh, Three Layers and Dray Sap, also known as Smoke waterfall since it is obscured by layers of water mist all year round.
Gia Lai
This region possesses a long history and an ancient culture. This culture's identity is intricately involved with ethnic minorities, primarily Gia Rai and Ba Na. Their specificities are exhibited through communal houses, stilt houses, funeral houses, traditional festivals, costumes and musical instruments.
Gia lai is home to numerous lakes, streams, waterfalls, mountain passes, and primeval forests where natural scenes hold the stunning wilderness of The Central Highlands such as Kon Ka Kinh and Kon Cha Rang tropical forests.
Coming to Gia Lai, Xung Khoeng waterfall (Chu Prong district) and Phu Cuong waterfall (Chu Se district) are indispensable destinations. There are many mesmerizing streams such as White Rock Creek, Dream Spring. Moreover, other landscapes are not as beautiful as Mong ferry on Pa river, Pleiku Lake on an immense and tranquil mountain, Ham Rong Mountain with a height of 1.092m whose ridge is an inactive crater.
Kon Tum
Kon Tum is a province to the north of Gia Lai - Kon Tum plateau, which is one of the three biggest ones in Tay Nguyen.
Kom Tum City is built on Đắk Bla riverside, a branch of Pơ Ko river. It is also a former French Administrative Center. French missionaries arrived here in 1851.
There are Ngoc Linh Mountain, Chu Mon Ray, Sa Thay primitive forest, Đắk Tre tourism area, and Đắk Tô hot springs. There are more than 20 ethnic groups, the most populated of whom are Ba Na, Xo Dang, Gie Triêng, Gia Rai, B Rau, Ro Min, etc.
Most of the ethnic minorities live by shifting cultivation and hunting. There is a diverse and colorful culture in the community of ethnic groups in Tay Nguyen.
Agriculture
Tây Nguyên contains in it many primitive forests and is protected in its
Flora and fauna
Tây Nguyên is home to the most prominent and also the most endangered species in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, namely, the
In 2012, at least three Vietnamese soldiers were arrested and imprisoned for their online pictures showing them torturing and killing
References
- PMID 20513740.
- PMID 32344428.
- ^
ISBN 978-0-300-15228-9.
Zomia is a new name for virtually all the lands at altitudes above roughly three hundred meters all the way from the Central Highlands of Vietnam to northeastern India and traversing five Southeast Asian nations (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Burma) and four provinces of China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and parts of Sichuan). It is an expanse of 2.5 million square kilometers containing about one hundred million minority peoples of truly bewildering ethnic and linguistic variety
- ^ Griffiths et al. (2012) The inscriptions of Campā at the Museum of Cham sculpture in Đà Nẵng / Văn khắc Chămpa tại bảo tàng điêu khắc Chăm – Đà Nẵng, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House (published in collaboration with EFEO and the Center for Vietnamese and Southeast Asian Studies, Hồ Chí Minh City).
- ISBN 978-0-8248-2579-9.
- ^ Zottoli, Brian A. (2011). Conceptualizing Southern Vietnamese History from the 15th to 18th Centuries: Competition along the Coasts from Guangdong to Cambodia (A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in The University of Michigan). p. 5.
- ISBN 978-0-8248-2579-9.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-7899-6.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-7899-6.
- ISBN 978-1-85109-961-0.
- ISBN 978-0-8248-2579-9.
- ISBN 978-9971-69-418-0.
- ISSN 1559-372X. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
- ^ Bray, Adam (June 16, 2014). "The Cham: Descendants of Ancient Rulers of South China Sea Watch Maritime Dispute From Sidelines". National Geographic News. National Geographic. Archived from the original on June 20, 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ Bray, Adam. "The Cham: Descendants of Ancient Rulers of South China Sea Watch Maritime Dispute From Sidelines". IOC-Champa. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
- ^ Cota-Larson, Rhishja (July 26, 2012). "Vietnam: Soldiers Arrested for Torturing, Killing Endangered Langurs". Annamaticus.
External links
- Media related to Tay Nguyen at Wikimedia Commons