Introduction
Chiang Mai is a city built on the roots of a
traditional heritage that dig deep into the soil of
time. It's a city with a beautiful cultural
personality of its own. In addition, it's been
blessed with much majestic beauty in nature. The
people themselves are an unforgettable part of
Chiang Mai. Handicrafts of silk, silver and wood are
timeless souvenirs for visitors from all over the
globe. Along with all this, a wide variety of
accommodations, restaurants, and entertainment all
help to make Chiang Mai one of Thailand's prime
tourist attractions.
Topography
A large part (69.31 %) of Chiang Mai's land is covered by mountains
and forests. These generally run in a north-south pattern through
the province and give birth to several streams and tributaries (such
as the Mae Jam, Mae Ngud, and Mae Klang) which in turn feed
important rivers and irrigation canals (such as the Muang and Faay)
which provide the water necessary to Chiang Mai's agriculture.
Chiang Mai's largest and most important river is the Ping, which
originates in the mountains of Chiang Dao and flows southward for
540 kilometers (337.5 miles). It is along the banks of this river
that Chiang Mai's flat, fertile valley atea lies.
Chiang Mai is also home to Inthanon Mountain, which stands 2,575
meters (8,448 feet) above sea level and is Thailand's highest
mountain.
Climate
Cool Season : (late October to end of Februry). average
temperature 21°C and much cooler at night. The colest months are
December and January.
Hot Season : (early March to end of May) Average temperature
29.9°C. The hottest month is April.
Rainy Season : (early June to end of October). Average
temperature 25.5°C. The wettest month is September.
Population
With
a population of 1,547,085 Chiang Mai is one of Thailand's largest
provinces. Of the above number, 170,348 are currently living in
Chiang Mai's city area with the rest distributed throughout Chiang
Mai's 21 districts, 2 sub-districts. 80% of the people in Chiang Mai
are locals by birth, and speak a sialext that is a slight variation
of the central Thai language. The remaining 20% is made up of Thai
nationals and foreigners who have moved to Chiang Mai to work,
study, or retire.
There are many hilltribe people living in the
mountainous districts surrounding Chiang Mai such as Omkoi, Mae Jam,
Chiang Dao, and Mae Ai. Statistics reported by the Tribal Research
Institute of Chiang Mai stated that in the year 1992 there were
1,049 hilltribe villages in the Chiang Mai province, constituting a
total of 174,195 people. Of this amount, 106,116 were from the Karen
tribe, 27,392 from the Lahu (Musur) tribe, 17,198 from the Hmong
(Meo) tribe, 10,873 form the Lisu tribe, 8,862 from the Lua tribe,
2,609 from the Akha tribe, 1,145 from the Mien (yao) tribe, and 485
from the Palong tribe. The hilltribe people are agricultural;
planting fields, raising animals, and hunting for a living. Since
each tribe has its own culture and language, they blanket the hills
of Chiang Mai with an interesting patchwork quilt of diverse
variety.
The majority (80%) of the Chiang Mai people earn a
living through agriculture and agricultural related professions. The
second largest vocation is tourism and its directly and indirectly
related jobs. General commerce and industry-mainly in the form of
handicrafts, and of processing agricultural products-are the two
other major professions in which the Chiang Mai people are involved.
