Lampang province

Statistics
Capital:	Lampang[?]
Area:	12,534.0 km² Ranked 10th
Inhabitants:	779,215 (2001) Ranked 29th
pop. density:	62 inh./km² Ranked 67th
ISO 3166-2:	TH-52
Map

Lampang (Thai ลำปาง) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Chiang Rai, Phayao[?], Phrae[?], Sukhothai, Tak, Lamphun[?] and Chiang Mai. The old name of Lampang is Khelang Nakhon.

Table of contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Symbols 4 Administrative divisions 5 External links

Geography

Lampang is located in the broad river valley of the Wang river, surrounded by mountain chains. In the Mae Mo district lignite is found and mined in open pits.

History

Starting in the 7th century Lampang was part of the Dvaravati period Haripunchai[?] kingdom of the Mon[?]. In the 11th century the Khmer empire occupied the Lampang area, but it was King Mengrai[?] of Lannathai who incorporated the complete Haripunchai kingdom into his kingdom in 1292. After the fall of Lannathai it was under Burmese rulership, and finally became part of Thailand in 1774.

Symbols

The provincial seal show a white cock inside a mondhop of the Pra Thart Lampang Luang temple. According to the local legend Buddha visited the province in his lifetime. The god Indra worried that the people would not get up by themselves to show respect to Buddha, and thus woke them himself by transforming into a white cock. The provincial flower is the Heliconia[?] (Heliconia sp.), and the provincial tree is the Indian Elm[?] (Holoptelea integrifolia[?]).

Administrative divisions

Amphoe (districts)
Muang Lampang Mae Mo Ko Kha Soem Ngam Ngao Chae Hom Wang Nuea	Thoen Mae Phrik Mae Tha Sop Prap Hang Chat Mueang Pan

External links

• Province page from the Tourist Authority of Thailand (http://www.tat.or.th/province/north/lampang/index.htm)
• Golden Jubilee Network province guide (http://kanchanapisek.or.th/cgi-bin/kp8/oncc/province.cgi?prov=n13)