belonged to Kon Tum, part of Vietnam 22 November 1904: Đắk Lắk province was created and administrated by Annam 9 February 1913: Đắk Lắk province again part of Kon Tum 2 July 1923: a new Đắk Lắk was formed. It only had villages. 1931: it consisted of 5 provinces: Buôn Ma Thuột, Buôn Hồ, Đắk Song, Lak, M'Đrăk 2 July 1958: Đắk Lắk (Darlac) is composed of Buôn Ma Thuột, Lạc Thiện, M'Đrăk, Đắk Song, Buôn Hồ 23 January 1959: Quảng Đức province was created with the separation of Đăk Song. Part of M'Đrăk district was added to Khánh Hòa Province 20 December 1963: Phước An District was formed, with the capital at Phước Trạch, then later to Thuận Hiếu on 1 September 1965. 1976: new Đắk Lắk was formed from Đắk Lắk and Quảng Đức. 26 November 2003: Đắk Lắk was dissolved again into Đắk Lắk and Đắk Nông. Geography Đắk Lắk is based around the Đắk Lắk Plateau, around six hundred metres above sea level. About 60 km south of Buôn Ma Thuột is Lak Lake. Overlooking the lake is the old summer residence of Emperor Bảo Đại which has been renovated into a hotel. Surrounding the lake is Jun Village, home of the Jun people. The villagers have a peculiar form of fishing where they attach metal rods to a car battery and run the rods through the water, zapping and stunning the fish, and then collecting them to keep in a tank at the village until they are needed. Administrative divisions Đắk Lắk is subdivided into 15 district-level sub-divisions: They are further subdivided into 12 commune-level towns (or townlets), 152 communes, and 20 wards. Economy Coffee, fruit, and rubber play an important part in its economy. Recently, there have been efforts to harness the province's considerable potential for hydroelectric generation. The Jun people take advantage of the small tourist trade that passes through, giving elephant rides through the village and across the lake. References External links Official website Provinces of Vietnam