Phú Quốc

Phú Quốc is the largest island in Vietnam. Phú Quốc and nearby islands, along with distant Thổ Chu Islands, is part of Kiên Giang Province as Phú Quốc District, the island has a total area of 574sqkm and a permanent population of approximately 103,000. Located in the Gulf of Thailand, the district of Phú Quốc includes the island proper and 21 smaller islets. Dương Đông town, is located on the west coast, and is also the administrative and largest town on the island. The other township is An Thoi in the southern tip of the island. The economy is centered on fishing, agriculture and a fast-growing tourism sector. With tourist boom in decades, Phu Quoc has achieved fast ecomomic growth. Many infrastructure projects has been carried out including some five-star hotels and resorts. Phu Quoc International Airport is the hub connecting Phú Quốc with mainland Vietnam and other international destinations.By 2017, the government of Vietnam is planning to set up a Special Administrative Region which covers Phu Quoc Island and peripheral islets and so far upgrades it to a provincial city with special administration.From March 2014, Vietnam allows all foreign tourists to visit Phú Quốc visa-free for a period of up to 30 days.GeographyPhú Quốc lies south of the Cambodian coast, west of Kampot, and 40 km west of Ha Tien, the nearest coastal town in Vietnam. Roughly triangular in shape the island is 50km long from north to south and 25km from east to west in the north at its widest. It is also located 62nmi from Rạch Giá and nearly 290nmi from Laem Chabang, Thailand. A mountainous ridge known as "99 Peaks" runs the length of Phú Quốc, with Chúa Mountain being the tallest at 603m.