Cà Mau Province


Cà Mau is a province of Vietnam, named after its capital city. It is located in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam, and is the southernmost of Vietnam's 58 provinces. It is bordered to the north by Kiên Giang and Bạc Liêu provinces, to the west by the Gulf of Thailand, and to the south and east by the South China Sea.

Economy

Being surrounded by water on three sides, fishing is an important industry in Cà Mau province. An extensive network of canals also supports a strong agricultural sector, as well as providing a popular means of transport. The U Minh biosphere reserve and Mũi Cà Mau, the southernmost point of Vietnam, serve also as important tourist destinations. The Mũi Cà Mau National Park is located at Mũi Cà Mau.

Name

Cà Mau's name came from the Khmers who inhabited the area before the arrival of the Vietnamese, Cà Mau means "black" in Khmer. The Khmer name for this province is Teuk Khmao, meaning "black water".

Administrative divisions

Cà Mau is subdivided into nine district-level sub-divisions:
8 districts:
1 provincial city:
They are further subdivided into nine commune-level towns, 82 communes, and 10 wards.

Typhoon Linda (1997)

In November 1997, the Cà Mau Peninsula was struck by Typhoon Linda. Thousands of people were killed, and an estimated 200,000 homes were destroyed, along with much of the Cà Mau fishing fleet.