Bắc Kạn province facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bắc Kạn province Tỉnh Bắc Kạn
Province
From top, left to right: Ba Bể Lake, Đầu Đẳng Waterfall, Puông Cave
Location of Bắc Kạn within Vietnam
Country	Vietnam
Region	Northeast
Capital	Bắc Kạn
Subdivision	1 city, 7 rural districts
Government
• Type	Province
• Body	Bắc Kạn Provincial People's Council
Area
• Province	4,860.1 km2 (1,876.5 sq mi)
Population  (2021)
• Province	320,039
• Density	65.8503/km2 (170.5515/sq mi)
• Urban	71,347
Ethnic groups
• Tày	52.58%
• Dao	17.86%
• Vietnamese	11.98%
• Nùng	9.15%
• Mông	7.20%
• Others	1.23%
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Area codes	209
ISO 3166 code	VN-53

Bắc Kạn (pronounced "Bak Kan") is a beautiful province in Vietnam. It's located in the country's Northeast region, just north of Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi.

The main town in the province is also called Bắc Kạn. It's the capital and a special city within the province. Bắc Kạn province covers an area of about 4,859 square kilometers (1,876 square miles). In 2019, about 313,905 people lived there. It's a very mountainous area, full of forests and natural resources like minerals. You'll find many amazing mountains, rivers, and lakes here, including the famous Ba Bể National Park and Ba Bể Lake.

What Does Bắc Kạn Mean?

The name Bắc Kạn comes from two words. "Bắc" means "north" in a Chinese-Vietnamese language. "Kạn" is an old Vietnamese word meaning "dry" or "arid." So, Bắc Kạn means "North Dry."

Exploring Bắc Kạn's Geography

Ba Bể Lake is a beautiful natural wonder in Bắc Kạn.

Bắc Kạn province is in the mountainous part of northeastern Vietnam. It has the highest land among the 11 provinces in this region. More than 95% of the province is covered by forests! The rest of the land is used for farming and other activities.

The land here changes a lot, from high mountains to lower valleys. The highest point is about 1,640 meters (5,380 feet) in the Khie Thiouing mountains. The lowest point is about 40 meters (130 feet) in the Chợ Mới District. Many rivers and streams flow through the province, but they are often short and steep.

Most people in Bắc Kạn (about 83%) work in agriculture, meaning they grow crops or raise animals.

Bắc Kạn's Climate

Bắc Kạn has a tropical monsoon climate. This means it has two main seasons:

• Rainy Season: From May to October, when about 88-90% of the year's rain falls.
• Dry Season: From November to April, when there is less rain. This can sometimes lead to water shortages.

Who Lives in Bắc Kạn?

In 2019, Bắc Kạn province had a population of 313,905 people. This makes it the least populated province in Vietnam. There were slightly more males (160,036) than females (153,869). Most people (about 248,773) live in rural areas, while about 65,132 live in towns.

Many different ethnic groups live in Bắc Kạn. The main groups, from largest to smallest, are:

• Kinh (the largest ethnic group in Vietnam)
• Tày
• Nùng
• Dao

How Bắc Kạn is Organized

Bắc Kạn province is divided into 8 main areas:

• 7 districts
• 1 district-level town (which is the capital, Bắc Kạn)

These areas are further divided into smaller towns (called townlets), communes (like small villages or rural areas), and wards (parts of a city).

Local Government Divisions

Bắc Kạn's Economy

Farming is a big part of life in Bắc Kạn.

The economy of Bắc Kạn mainly relies on mining, forest products, and agriculture. Tourism is also growing, thanks to its beautiful mountains, lakes, and the national park.

Here are some facts about the economy:

• In 2008, there were only 10 farms in the province, compared to over 120,000 farms in all of Vietnam.
• The value of agricultural products in 2008 was 406.3 billion đồngs.
• The province produced 151,800 tonnes of cereals (like rice and corn) in 2008.
• In 2007, the total value of industrial products was 376.5 billion đồngs.

Water Management for Farming

Because water resources are limited, local communities work together to manage water. They use special groups called "water users associations" to make sure everyone has enough water for their homes and farms. This teamwork has helped farmers get more water to their fields. It has even increased the area of land they can farm by 15% and boosted crop yields by 20%! This has helped improve the lives of many farmers.

Amazing Places to Visit in Bắc Kạn

Bắc Kạn is a great place for tourism. Its mountains, rivers, and lakes are very scenic. The most famous attraction is Ba Bể Lake, which is part of Ba Bể National Park.

Discover Ba Bể Lake

Cool limestone rocks rise from the banks of Ba Bể Lake.

A Francois langur, one of the animals found near the lake.

A Snub-nosed monkey in the Ba Bể area.

Ba Bể Lake is located high up in the mountains, about 178 meters (584 feet) above sea level. It's a huge lake, covering 500 hectares (about 1,235 acres). The lake stretches for over 8 kilometers (5 miles) from north to south and is about 800 meters (2,600 feet) wide on average. Its depth ranges from 20-25 meters (65-82 feet) to 35 meters (115 feet). The bottom of the lake isn't flat; it has underwater hills and small limestone islands.

Ba Bể Lake is the biggest natural lake in Vietnam. It formed in a special type of rocky area called "Karst" terrain. What's amazing is that it stays full of water all year round, unlike some other lakes in similar areas. Vietnam's government has made the lake a protected forest area.

The lake and its surroundings are home to many different plants and animals.

• Plants: Over 417 types of trees, many kinds of orchids, and medicinal plants. The lake water itself has 179 types of tiny plant life called phytoplankton.
• Animals: 319 species of animals, including 42 species that are rare or endangered in Vietnam. There are also 3 unique animals found only here: a type of gibbon (snub nose), a bamboo-thread plant, and a red algae. The lake also has 106 species of fish!

The lake is actually made up of three smaller lakes, called Pé Lầm, Pé Lù, and Pé Lèng, all connected. Three rivers flow into the lake from the south and west. The Năng River flows out of the lake to the north. The lake water is very clear and blue. It also helps prevent floods in other river areas downstream.

Ba Bể National Park: A Protected Area

The narrow central part of Ba Bể Lake during the dry season.

Ba Bể National Park was created in 1992 to protect Ba Bể Lake and the forests around it. The park covers about 100.48 square kilometers (38.8 square miles). The mountains in the park range from 517 to 1,525 meters (1,696 to 5,003 feet) high.

The park has two main types of forests:

• Limestone Forest: Found on steep limestone slopes with thin soil. Trees like Burretiodendron hsienmu and Streblus tonkinensis grow here.
• Lowland Evergreen Forest: Found on gentler slopes with thicker soil. This forest has many different kinds of trees and plants on the ground.

A sign for Ba Bể National Park near the lake.

The park is home to 65 different types of mammals. Some important ones include:

• Owston's civet (a small, cat-like animal)
• Francois' leaf monkey and Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (both are rare and endangered)
• Other animals like Chinese pangolin, slow loris, rhesus macaque, stump-tailed macaque, Asian black bear, European otter, and many types of bats.

About 330 species of butterflies have been found in the park, with 22 of them being new discoveries!

The park has places for visitors, like an information center and guest houses. There are 13 villages inside the park, where over 3,000 people live. Five different ethnic groups call this park home, with the Tày people being the oldest and largest group.

Other Cool Spots in Ba Bể Park

Puong Cave, where the Năng River flows through.

• Puông Cave (Động Puông): This is a huge cave in the north of Ba Bể Park. The Năng River flows right through it! The cave is about 50 meters (164 feet) high and 300 meters (984 feet) long. Many bats live here, and some help pollinate plants and spread seeds.

• The "Fairy Pond": This is a small, clear pool of water surrounded by limestone rocks. Even though it's separate, its water level is the same as Ba Bể Lake.

• Dau Dang Waterfall (Thác Đầu Đẳng): This waterfall is formed by the Năng River. It's a series of rapids that stretch for almost 1 kilometer (0.6 miles).

• Widow Island: This is a small, cone-shaped island in the middle of the southern part of Ba Bể Lake. A local legend says an old widow was saved from a flood here by a miracle.

Other interesting caves in the area include Nả Poỏng, Ba Cửa Cave, Sơn Dương Cave, and the Kim Hỷ nature reserve.

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Bắc Kạn para niños