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General informations
Natural land area: 593,05 square kilometres
Population: 79.800 people
Administrative units: 2 towns (Duong Dong, An Thoi) & 8 districts (Duong To, Cua Can, Ganh Dau, Cua Duong, Bai Thom, Hon Thom, Ham Ninh, Tho Chau)
Ethnics: Kinh (Viet Nam's main ethnic group)
Geography
Phú Quốc is 120km from Rach Gia city and 45 km from Ha Tien town
Phú Quốc, known as Koh Tral by Cambodians, is the largest island of Vietn
am. Situated in the Gulf of Thailand, the island is part of Kiên Giang province. The district of Phú Quốc includes the island proper and 21 smaller islets. The district seat, Dương Đông, which is located on the west coast, is also the largest town on this island, whose total area is 593.05 km².
Verdant and topographically varied, the island offers the visitor an array for landscapes, ranging from sandy beaches and coves to forested mountains, river plains and smaller islets which together make up an archipelago of 26 islands. The island's variety extends to its maritime heritage, Phu Quoc having both an active fishing industry and good quality coral reefs, most notably to the south and northwest of the island.
In the centre and south much of the original lowland tropical evergreen forest cover has been cleared leaving behind a mix of agricultural and secondary forest landscapes and a variety of rural, settlements. These areas contrast with denser and more extensive rainforest areas in the north which national conservation laws protect and whose scenery is particularly striking when combined with the natural coasting and rivers.
Traditionnal customs and festivals
Like special events everywhere, the local festival days based on the lunar calender falling on Oct.,16 (Dinh Cau Temple); Nov., 20 (Thuy Long Thanh Mau Temple); July 15 (Temple consecration ); July 30 (Sung Hung Ancient Pagoda consecration); Ham Ninh Lady's spirits memory; Oct.7 & 8 (Su Muon Pagoda); Sep. 25 & 26 (Suoi Da Pagoda; Sep. 26 & 27 (Ganh Gio Pagoda); August 27 (Nguyen Trung Truc monument's day) ; July 27 (Phu Quoc jail martyr Vietnamese monument's day); Jan. 15 (Gia King's Temple day); From Oct.3, 1997 (Many local people died in the Storm no. 5 ); May 16 (Bon Canh Temple day).
Traditionnal products
Phu Quoc has worldwide been famous for its two traditional products: the pepper and fish sauce. The numbers are quite surprising: hundreds of fish sauce workshops (annual output: 10 million liters) and countless pepper gardens (total area: 500 ha). Visitors to pepper gardens will be captivated by word of "itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny coins" of patient growers while at fish sauce workshops, they will be amazed at the sight of dozens of bulky barrels being lined up and waiting to be jammed with fresh fish. You will be tempted to try a few pungent green pepper coins and half a spoonful of the tasty salty sauce.
Here are the details of some programmes in Phu Quoc island:
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