CAO BANG

town in northeastern Vietnam. Cao Bang is an administrative and market centre, located about 16 miles (25 km) south of the Vietnam-China border on the Bang Giang River, which flows through the region in a southeasterly direction. The Tinh Tuc mines nearby produce tin. The surrounding area borders China's Kwangsi Chuang autonomous region to the north and east. The region is mountainous: one peak to the east of Cao Bang rises to 2,936 feet (895 m). Principal products of the region include livestock (beef, pork, and goats), zinc, and lumber from the forests that cover one-third of the land. It also has become a growing area for tobacco, fruits (peaches and persimmons), mushrooms, medicinal plants, honey, and chestnuts. Ethnic groups, including the predominant Nung and the Tay, Zao, and Meo, constitute almost all of the population. Chi Lang Pass between Vietnam and China is a historic invasion route. Pop. (1979) 30,197.