Thai.
‘Northern City’ or ‘City of the North’.
Name of a province (map)
and its capital city in Northeast Thailand, 568 kms from
Bangkok with a
population of around 95,000. Shortened named
Udon.
It is an important regional hub that connects the
Isaan region with
the rest of the country as well as neighbouring
Laos. Once a remote,
sleepy provincial town, Udonthani became more prominent when the
Thai and US governments built a joint-force military base in the
province during the Vietnam War, bringing a large influx of GIs and
Vietnamese immigrants to the city. This created a multi-cultural
diversity that still lasts today. Udonthani is also home to one of
the world’s earliest bronze-age civilizations, with evidence that
settlements existed here between 2100 BC and 200 AD. Archaeological
excavation in
Ban Chiang
unearthed
earthenware
pottery (fig.)
and bronze fragments, while
ancient structures and
other
artifacts are also found
at
Phu Phrabaht Historical Park
(fig.), which besides peculiar rock
formations, also features dinosaur foot prints and prehistoric
cave paintings. The province has eighteen
amphur and two
king amphur.
See also
Udonthani data file.
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