Pleiku is a city in central Vietnam, located in the Central Highlands region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province. Many years ago, it was inhabited primarily by the Bahnar and Jarai ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or Degar, although now it is inhabited primarily by the Kinh ethnic group. The city is the centre of the urban district of Pleiku which covers an area of 261 km² (100 mi²).
As of 2019, the city has a population of around 254,802 people.[2]
Name
The name "Pleiku" first appeared in the Governor-General of French Indochina records in 1905, in the decree that established the province of Gia Lai. The Decree of the Governor-General of Indochina dated July 4, 1905, established an autonomous province in the western mountainous region of Binh Dinh province, naming it "Plei-Kou-Derr". This marked the first official use of the name "Plei-Kou" in writing.
The word "Plơi" means "village" in Jarai, while "Kơdưr" can mean either "north" or "upper". Therefore, the name "Pleiku" can be translated as "upper village" or "village in the north".
The word "Derr" is likely a Jarai word that was added to the name "Pleiku" by the French to distinguish it from other villages in the area. The name "Pleiku" has been used since the colonial period and is still the official name of the city today.
T' Nung Lake in outskirt of PleikuPleiku Square in PleikuMinh Thanh Pagoda in Pleiku
Pleiku was strategically important during the Vietnam War because it was the primary terminus of the military supply logistics corridor extending westwards along Highway 19 from the coastal population centre and port facilities of Qui Nhơn. Additionally, its central location on the plateau, between Kon Tum to the North, Buôn Ma Thuột to the south, and the North Vietnamese Army's base areas inside Cambodia to the west made Pleiku the main centre of defense of the entire highland region of the Republic of Vietnam. This was obvious to both sides; the United States established an armed presence very early in the conflict at Camp Holloway, and the Việt Cộng attack on this base in early 1965 was one of the key escalating events that brought U.S. troops into the conflict.[3]
On 15 June 1972, Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z, operating a Convair 880 (VR-HFZ) from Bangkok to Hong Kong, disintegrated and crashed while the aircraft was flying at 29,000 feet (8,800 m) over Pleiku, Vietnam after a bomb exploded in a suitcase placed under a seat in the cabin, killing all 81 people on board.
After the fall of Buôn Ma Thuột to a major North Vietnamese assault in early 1975, and the resulting insecurity of National Route 19 leading from Qui Nhơn, the president, Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, ordered the hasty evacuation of Pleiku. The military operation to attempt the withdrawal of ARVN forces, down the poorly maintained tertiary road LTL-7B through Ayun Pa to Tuy Hòa, led to a catastrophe in which over 100,000 evacuees from Pleiku and Kon Tum were killed or left stranded without support.[citation needed]
Geography
Pleiku city is located in the center of Gia Lai province, geographically located:
Pleiku is located on the traffic axis between National Highway 14 and National Route 19 connecting the whole country, near the Indochina intersection, on the Ho Chi Minh Highway, and in the growth triangle of neighboring provinces, as well as other countries. Neighboring countries such as Cambodia and Laos. The total natural area is 26,076.8 hectares, and is the economic, political, cultural and social center of Gia Lai province. Pleiku city is about 600 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, 1,287 km south of Hanoi Capital, 181 km from Buon Ma Thuot City, 377 km from Da Nang city.
Source 1: Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology[4]
Source 2: The Yearbook of Indochina (1930-1931)[5]
Demography
In 1971, during the Republic of Vietnam, Pleiku provincial capital had 34,867 residents. According to the statistical yearbook, the city's population includes 28 ethnic groups; The Kinh people make up the majority (87.5%), the rest are other ethnic groups, mainly the Gia Rai and Ba Na ethnic groups (12.5%). The number of people of working age is about 328,240 people, accounting for 65% of the population.
The natural population growth rate decreased rapidly, reaching 1.12% in 2008. The above results have contributed positively to the work of hunger eradication and poverty reduction, creating jobs and improving the quality of life for the people.
Ethnic minorities live mainly in villages such as Plei Op village (Hoa Lu ward), Kep village (Dong Da ward), Brúk Ngol village (Yen The ward), and some other villages. The entire urban area has 62,829 households with 274,048 people with permanent residence. Including the converted population, there are about 504,984 people.
Vietnam
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