2:18:41 PM | 8/11/2005
1. Geographical conditions: Natural area of 8,057 sq. kilometres, 296 km by railway and 345 km by road from Hanoi, 230 km-border with China.
2. Social conditions: Population in 2002: 631,000 people (12.21 per cent in urban areas and 87.79 per cent in rural areas), population density: 77 people per sq. km. 27 ethnic nationalities (Kinh 33 per cent, ethnic minorities 67 per cent). Administrative units: a town (Lao Cai) and 9 districts).
3. Infrastructure:
Communication and transport : Five national highways, an international railway (Haiphong-Hanoi-Lao Cai (Vietnam) - Hekou - Kunming (China), two rivers (the Red River and Chay) and a future airport in Lao Cai.
Electricity: Electricity supply by national grid to all 10 districts and town, 97 communes and 50 per cent of households.
Water: Clean water supply to Lao Cai town and most of the districts, and the network of wells ensuring water to 42 per cent of the population.
Post and telecommunication: Digital, optical cable and micro-wave communications connected with all the 10 districts and town; mobile phone network covered six out of 10 districts; 3.6 telephone sets for 100 people.
Public health: Dispensaries and medical workers available in 100 per cent of communes and wards; four provincial hospitals, 10 district hospitals, 39 dispensaries and 1,000 hospital beds.
4. Potentials and advantages:
Industry: rich in mineral resources: 35 kinds of minerals in over 150 sites of industrial value including those of high quality and big quantity such as apatite, copper, iron, graphite, rare earth, materials for porcelain and glass.
Agriculture-forestry: Natural area: 805,700 hectares (agriculture: 91,958 hectares, forestry : 288,679 hectares), forest area : 35.8 per cent, fertile land and diversified climate most favourable for the development of vegetable and fruit, tropical and temperate.
Trade: Lao Cai - Hekou border gate on Haiphong - Kunming railway is most favourable for the development of trade and tourism between Vietnam and South-Western part of China (11 provinces and cities, 5 million sq. kilometres and 380 million people).
Tourism: Lao Cai has famous tourist attractions such as Sapa, Bac Ha, Bat Xat, Muong Khuong. Sapa tourist centre is 100 years old in 2003.
Source: Lao Cai People’s Committee
Vietnamese
October 2024
Hanoi