Da Lat becomes first-tier city in Vietnam’s rankings

      The Prime Minister has recognized Da Lat as the first-tier city worthy of its important political and socio-economic role in the Central Highland region and the country as a whole.
The city now has a population of at least 500,000 with a density of 12,000 people/km2, and 85 percent of the workforce involved in the non-agriculture sector of Lam Dong province.
Covering an area of more than 400 sq.km on the Lang Biang highlands, Da Lat is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country and a major producer of vegetables and flowers, annually turning out around 170,000 tonnes of vegetables, of which 35,000 are exported to Northeast Asian countries and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In addition, Da Lat produces around 540 million flower stems each year, including 33.3 million for export.
In 2007, the city posted an economic growth rate of over 17 percent and its citizens earned an income of around US$890 per capita.