Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam. Phu Quoc and nearby islands, along with distant Tho Chu Islands, is part of Kien Giang Province as Phu Quoc District, the district has a total area of 574 square kilometres (222 sq mi) and a permanent population of approximately 85,000. The district of Phu Quoc includes the island proper and 21 smaller islets. The district seat, Duong Dong, is located on the west coast, and is also the largest town on the island. The economy is centered on fishing, agriculture and a fast-growing tourism sector. Located in the Gulf of Thailand, just 12 km south of the Cambodian coast, the island has long been a bone of contention between the governments of Cambodia and Vietnam, both of which have an historical claim to it and the surrounding waters. A July 1982 agreement between Vietnam and The People's Republic of Kampuchea ostensibly settled the dispute, but since Vietnam's withdrawal from Cambodia, the agreement has not been recognized and the island is still the object of irredentist sentiments. The opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party still claims the island as Cambodian territory.