U Minh Thượng National Park
National park in Vietnam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
U Minh Thượng National Park or National Park of Upper U Minh (Vietnamese language: Vườn quốc gia U Minh Thượng) is a national park in the province of Kiên Giang, Vietnam.[2]
| U Minh Thượng National Park | |
|---|---|
 U Minh Thượng National Park | |
  Location within Vietnam | |
| Location | miền Nam Việt Nam |
| Nearest city | Rạch Giá[clarification needed] |
| Coordinates | 9°35′00″N 105°5′0″E |
| Area | 80.53 km2 (30 square miles) |
| Established | 14 January 2002 |
| Governing body | UBND of Kiên Giang Province |
Official name | U Minh Thuong National Park |
| Designated | 30 April 2015 |
| Reference no. | 2228[1] |
Establishment
It was established according to decision number 11/2002/QĐ-TTg, dated 14 January 2002, signed by then[clarification needed] Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng. This decision turned the U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve into U Minh Thuong National Park.
Area and location
The park covers approximately 80.53 km2 (30 square miles) with the nearest city being Rạch Giá[clarification needed]
Flora and fauna
U Minh Thuong National Park is widely considered the richest region of the Mekong Delta in terms of plant and animal biodiversity.[3] It boasts of over 243 plant species.[2] The park has a rich and varied mammalian population, totaling an impressive 32 species, including hairy-nosed otters. U Minh Thuong National Park is a haven for rare and endangered birds. A total of 187 species of birds has been recorded here, including the oriental darter, spot-billed pelican, black-headed ibis, glossy ibis, greater spotted eagle and Asian golden weaver.[4] There are also a total of 39 amphibian species and 34 species of fish in the park. Both the saltwater crocodile and the Siamese crocodile were once found here, but a 2002 study concluded that both species were extinct in the park.[5]
History
During the First Indochina War, the U Minh Forest was a Viet Minh stronghold. In 1952, 500 French paratroopers dropped into the U Ming forest to attack Viet Minh and were never heard from again.[6] During the Vietnam War, it was a Vietcong base area.[7] Officers Humbert Roque Versace and James N. Rowe of the United States Army were captured by the Vietcong during a battle in the U Minh Forest in October 1963.[8]