The Chiang Mai region
Chiang Mai also sometimes written as "Chiengmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in Northern Thailand, and the capital of Chiang Mai
Province. It is located some 700 km north of Bangkok, among some of the highest mountains in the country. The city stands on the Ping river, a major
tributary of the Chao Phraya river.
In recent years Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern city, although it lacks the cosmopolitan gloss of Bangkok. It has many attractions for the
thousands of foreign visitors who come to the city each year. Chiang Mai's historic strength derived from its important strategic location on an ancient
trade route, and long before the modern influx of foreign visitors the city served as an important centre for handcrafted goods, umbrellas, jewellery
(particularly silver) and woodcarving.
While officially the city of Chiang Mai only covers most part of the Chiang Mai district with a population of 150,000, the urban sprawl of the city extends
into several neighboring districts. This Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area has a population of nearly 700,000 people, nearly half of the whole Chiang Mai
Province..........
Adopted from and read more at:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_mai |
