CUU LONG

tinh (province) on the Mekong delta, southern Vietnam. It was created in 1976 from the former provinces of Vinh Long and Vinh Binh and has an area of 1,488 sq mi (3,854 sq km). It is bounded on the north by the Song (river) Tien Giang, on the northeast by Song Co Chien, and on the southwest by the Song Hau Giang (Bassac River), all branches of the Mekong. The Tien Giang, the main branch of the Mekong, further divides into the three main streams of the delta proper at Vinh Long, the provincial seat. To the southeast the province is bounded by the South China Sea. The flat, alluvial lowland, subject to the summer monsoonal flooding of the Mekong, has rice paddies except along the coastal mangrove swamps. Near the coast fishing and fish farming are important economic activities; the yield annually supplies fish to other provinces. Vung Liem, 20 mi (32 km) southeast of Vinh Long, is a rice centre. Other activities include coconut raising, sawmilling, and distilling. Besides the extensive network of canals and arroyos, there are two large river ports, Cua Cung Hau and Cua Song Hau. Cuu Long was formerly a district of Cambodia, but in 1731 the area passed to the Vietnamese. The population includes Vietnamese and Khmer. Pop. (1979) 1,504,215.