Sóc Trăng province

Sóc Trăng Province

*Tỉnh Sóc Trăng*
Sóc Trăng Province Tỉnh Sóc Trăng
Province
	Rural Sóc Trăng
	Location of Sóc Trăng within Vietnam
Country	Vietnam
Region	Mekong Delta
Capital	Sóc Trăng
Area
• Total	3,223.30 km2 (1,244.52 sq mi)
Population (2004)
• Total	1,213,400
• Density	380/km2 (970/sq mi)
Demographics
• Ethnicities	Kinh (64.83%); Khmer (29.21%); Hoa (5.93%)
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
ISO 3166 code	VN-64
Website	Tỉnh Sóc Trăng

Sóc Trăng (listen^ⓘ) is a province in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam, with its capital in Sóc Trăng. The province occupies an area of 3,223 km², and has a population of approximately 1,213,400.

Etymology

The province's original Khmer name was Srok Kh'leang, meaning "silver depository" because it was where the Khmer king's silver treasury was located. The Vietnamese settlers corrupted it into "Sốc-Kha-Lang" and eventually "Sóc Trăng". Under the Nguyễn Dynasty emperor Minh Mạng, it was given the Sino-Vietnamese name Nguyệt Giang (月江), a calque of "Sông Trăng" (Moon River).^[2]

Geography

Sóc Trăng province lies roughly between 9°14'N and 9°56'N latitude and between 105°34'E and 106°18'E longitude. It is bordered to the north west by Hậu Giang Province (meaning Hau River province). To the southwest it is bordered by Bạc Liêu Province (meaning "silver").^{[citation needed]} And to the north east it is bordered by Trà Vinh Province (meaning "honoured tea"). To the north is Vĩnh Long Province (meaning "eternal prosperity"). To the southeast is 72 km of coastline of the South China Sea. The province has two large rivers: the Hậu River and the Mỹ Thanh River. The provincial capital of Sóc Trăng Province is the town which is also called Sóc Trăng. It is 231 km from Hồ Chí Minh City.