Encyclopedia > Chiang Mai province

  Article Content

Chiang Mai province

Statistics
Capital:Chiang Mai
Area:20,107.0 km²
Ranked 2nd
Inhabitants:1,472,403 (2001)
Ranked 7th
pop. density:73 inh./km²
Ranked 61st
ISO 3166-2:TH-50
Map

Chiang Mai (Thai เชียงใหม่) is the second-biggest province (changwat) of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are (from north-east clockwise) Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun[?], Tak and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Myanmar.

Table of contents

Geography The district is covered by many mountains, usually stretching in the south-north direction. The river Ping, one of the major tributaries of the Chao Phraya River, originates in the Chiang Dao mountains. The highest mountain of Thailand, the 2,575 meter high Doi Inthanon, is located in the district. Several national parks are in the district: Doi Inthanon, Doi Suthep-Pui, Mae Ping, Sri Lanna, Huay Nam Dang, Mae Phang, Chiang Dao.

History The city of Chiang Mai was capital of the kingdom Lannathai after its founding in 1296. In 1599 the kingdom lost its independence and became part of the Ayutthaya kingdom. 1932 the province Chiang Mai was created by splitting up the administrative unit of Monthon Phayap, the remains of the Lanna kingdom.

Demographics 13.4% of the population in the province are members of the hill tribes, among them the Hmong, Yao[?], Lahu[?], Lisu[?], Akha[?] and Karen[?].

Symbols

The seal of the province shows a white elephant in a glass pavilion. The white elephant is a royal symbol in Thailand, and it is depicted to remember the offering of a white elephant by King Rama II[?] to the ruler of Chiang Mai. The pavilion symbolizes that Buddhism prospered in Chiang Mai, especially when in 1477 the teachings of Buddha, the Tripitaka, were reviewed. The provincial flower and tree is the Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma[?]).

Administrative divisions

Amphoe
(districts)
King Amphoe
(minor districts)
  1. Muang Chiang Mai
  2. Chom Thong
  3. Mae Chaem
  4. Chiang Dao
  5. Doi Saket
  6. Mae Taeng
  7. Mae Rim
  8. Samoeng
  9. Fang
  10. Mae Ai
  11. Phrao
  1. San Pa Tong
  2. San Kamphaeng
  3. San Sai
  4. Hang Dong
  5. Hot
  6. Doi Tao
  7. Omkoi
  8. Saraphi
  9. Wiang Haeng
  10. Chai Prakan
  11. Mae Wang
  1. Mae On
  2. Doi Lo

External links



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
DB

... Bahn, the major German railway company DB is the abbreviation of Dominion Breweries[?], a major beer brewing company of New Zealand. This is a disambiguation page; ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 40 ms