Binh Phuoc Province
Encyclopedia
Bình Phước is a province
of Vietnam
. It is located in the southeastern region of the country, to the north of Ho Chi Minh City
. It shares a border with Cambodia
.
and Binh Long province
provinces, which existed before reunification. Both Phuoc Long and Binh Long then became part of Song Be province in 1976, which also included Binh Duong province
. Song Be Province was dissolved in 1997 and Binh Phuoc again became a separate province.
Several significant battles were fought in what is now Binh Phuoc province. These include the Battle of Song Be
in May 1965, the Battle of Đồng Xoài in June 1965, the Battle of Loc Ninh
in April 1972, and the Battle of Phuoc Long
December 1974 to January 1975.
province of Dak Nong
. The highest elevation is Ba Ra mountain (736m) in the centre of the province. There are several hills around the province with heights of up to around 200m in the west and 300m in the southeast.
Most of the rivers in the province are tributaries of Be River
, which in turn is a tributary of Dong Nai River
, or of other tributaries of Dong Nai River. Therefore, the entire province is part of the Dong Nai River system. Thác Mơ lake is a large artificial lake in the east of the province. Several rivers originating from the Central Highlands
flow into it, including dak Glun, dak Nhau, dak Rlap, and dak Oa (from north to south). It is the point of origin of Be River
(Sông Bé), which flows through much of central and western Binh Phuoc.
Forestry land takes up 337,000 ha or 49 per cent of the province's total area Forests are located mostly in the northeast and southeast of the province as well as along the northern border to Cambodia
and the western border to Tay Ninh Province. Much of the rest of the area is used to grow perennial cash crops. The total agricultural area is 293,700 ha. There are 21,900 ha of specially used land and 5700 ha of residential land.
Binh Phuoc's GDP in 2007 was 9534.4 billion VND or 11.58 million VND per capita, which is 86 per cent of the national and significantly lower than that of the other provinces in the Southeastern
region.
Growth in GDP has been between 14 and 15 per cent per year from 2000 to 2007.
Binh Phuoc province exported goods with a value of 325.5 million US$ in 2007, far exceeding its imports of 57.4 million. Since 2000, exports have increased almost sevenfold while imports increased almost tenfold. Main export products include rubber latex, shelled cashew nuts and pepper.
The most important cash crop is cashew nuts. 156,377 tons of cashew nuts were harvested in 2007, accounting for 51.8 per cent of the national output. This is a significant increase from 110,000 tons in 2006 and just 19,000 tons in 2000. Cashew nuts are grown mostly in the east and south of the province, roughly along (north and west of) National Road 14. Cashew nuts are an important export product for Binh Phuoc as well as Vietnam in general. Exports in 2010 are expected to reach 1 billion USD, while there are also increasing imports of raw cashew nuts because processing capacity by now significantly exceeds the quantity grown in Vietnam
Another important crop is rubber, with 147,520 tons produced in 2007. This accounts for 24.5 per cent of the national output and has more than doubled since 2000 (67,000 tons). Rubber is mostly produced in the north and west of the province, along Be River
and National Road 13.
Binh Phuoc's pepper production also accounts for significant share of national output (24 per cent). Production has more than doubled to 21,736 between 2000 and 2007. Pepper is grown in the southwest of the province in the districts of Bình Long and Chơn Thành, between National Road 13 and Be River
.
Coffee is grown in the northeast of the province, north of Thac Mo Lake. 56,148 tons of coffee were harvested in 2007, accounting for 5.8 per cent of the national output.
Other crops that are less significant in the national context are coconuts (877 tons in 2007), sugar cane (28,800 tons), peanuts (800 tons) and cotton (500 tons).
Many of the industries are based on agricultural products or raw materials. Food processing industries include the production of shelled cashew nuts (29,200 tons) and cassava starch (78,100 tons). There is also an industry producing hand farming tools. Other industries include construction materials (stones and bricks) and forest product processing (saw wood and paper).
Đồng Xoài, Bình Long and Phước Long are municipalities.
from Dĩ An
on the main north-south line to Lộc Ninh
near the Cambodia
n border.
Besides the majority Vietnamese
, there are minorities of Xtiêng
, Nùng
, Tày
, and Khmer
. Ethnic minorities are present throughout the province.
Provinces of Vietnam
Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces and five centrally governed cities existing at the same level as provinces ....
of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It is located in the southeastern region of the country, to the north of Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
. It shares a border with Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
.
History
Binh Phuoc province is a merger of two previous provinces: Phuoc Long provincePhuoc Long Province
thumb|right|200px|[[Binh Duong Province|Binh Duong]], Phuoc Long and [[Binh Long Province|Binh Long]] in map of South VietnamPhuoc Long is former province of Dong Nam Bo region in South Vietnam...
and Binh Long province
Binh Long Province
thumb|right|[[Binh Duong Province|Binh Duong]], [[Phuoc Long Province|Phuoc Long]] and Binh Long provinces in map of South VietnamBình Long is a former province of Dong Nam Bo region in South Vietnam. It now corresponds to the western part of Binh Phuoc province. It was formed on October 22, 1956...
provinces, which existed before reunification. Both Phuoc Long and Binh Long then became part of Song Be province in 1976, which also included Binh Duong province
Binh Duong Province
Bình Dương is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the southeastern part of the country, immediately to the north of Ho Chi Minh City. The province was created from Song Be province on January 1, 1997.-Geography:...
. Song Be Province was dissolved in 1997 and Binh Phuoc again became a separate province.
Several significant battles were fought in what is now Binh Phuoc province. These include the Battle of Song Be
Battle of Song Be
The Battle of Song Be was a major action between the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and Army of the Republic of Vietnam in May 1965....
in May 1965, the Battle of Đồng Xoài in June 1965, the Battle of Loc Ninh
Battle of Loc Ninh
The Battle of Loc Ninh was a major battle fought during the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive in the Vietnam War, which is also known in Vietnam as the American War...
in April 1972, and the Battle of Phuoc Long
Battle of Phuoc Long
The Battle of Phuoc Long was a decisive major battle of the Vietnam War which began on December 12, 1974, and concluded on January 6, 1975. The battle involved the deployment of North Vietnam's 4th Army Corp for the first time, against determined units of the South Vietnamese Army in Phuoc Long,...
December 1974 to January 1975.
Geography
Binh Phuoc Province is relatively flat with elevations of between 50m and 200m throughout most of the provinces. Elevations are gradually higher towards the east of the province and reach around 500m near parts of the border to the Central HighlandsTây Nguyên
Tây Nguyên, translated as Western Highlands and sometimes also called Central Highlands, is one of the regions of Vietnam. It contains the provinces of Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng....
province of Dak Nong
Dak Nong Province
Đắk Nông , or Ðắc Nông, is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the country's Central Highlands. The provincial capital is Gia Nghĩa.-Geography:...
. The highest elevation is Ba Ra mountain (736m) in the centre of the province. There are several hills around the province with heights of up to around 200m in the west and 300m in the southeast.
Most of the rivers in the province are tributaries of Be River
Bé River
The Bé River is a river of southern Vietnam. It flows through Binh Phuoc Province, Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province for approximately 350 kilometres. It starts from Thác Mơ lake in Phuoc Long district of Binh Phuoc Province and empties to Dong Nai River near Tri An Hydro Power Plant....
, which in turn is a tributary of Dong Nai River
Dong Nai River
Đồng Nai is a river in Vietnam that originates in the Central Highlands of the southern portion of the country. It is approximately 586 km in length.-External links:*, from the UNDP*...
, or of other tributaries of Dong Nai River. Therefore, the entire province is part of the Dong Nai River system. Thác Mơ lake is a large artificial lake in the east of the province. Several rivers originating from the Central Highlands
Tây Nguyên
Tây Nguyên, translated as Western Highlands and sometimes also called Central Highlands, is one of the regions of Vietnam. It contains the provinces of Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng....
flow into it, including dak Glun, dak Nhau, dak Rlap, and dak Oa (from north to south). It is the point of origin of Be River
Bé River
The Bé River is a river of southern Vietnam. It flows through Binh Phuoc Province, Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province for approximately 350 kilometres. It starts from Thác Mơ lake in Phuoc Long district of Binh Phuoc Province and empties to Dong Nai River near Tri An Hydro Power Plant....
(Sông Bé), which flows through much of central and western Binh Phuoc.
Forestry land takes up 337,000 ha or 49 per cent of the province's total area Forests are located mostly in the northeast and southeast of the province as well as along the northern border to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and the western border to Tay Ninh Province. Much of the rest of the area is used to grow perennial cash crops. The total agricultural area is 293,700 ha. There are 21,900 ha of specially used land and 5700 ha of residential land.
Economy
Binh Phuoc is one of the agriculturally most productive provinces of Vietnam, especially relying on cash crops such as cashew nuts, and rubber. As of 2007, its agricultural GDP per capita was 7.03 million VND, the highest in Vietnam, while industrial GDP per capita was only 1.7 million VND, making it one of the least industrialized provinces in the southern half of Vietnam.Binh Phuoc's GDP in 2007 was 9534.4 billion VND or 11.58 million VND per capita, which is 86 per cent of the national and significantly lower than that of the other provinces in the Southeastern
Dong Nam Bo
Đông Nam Bộ is a region in Vietnam. This region includes one municipality, Ho Chi Minh City; and five provinces: Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Binh Phuoc and Tay Ninh. This region is the most economically developed region in Vietnam...
region.
Growth in GDP has been between 14 and 15 per cent per year from 2000 to 2007.
Binh Phuoc province exported goods with a value of 325.5 million US$ in 2007, far exceeding its imports of 57.4 million. Since 2000, exports have increased almost sevenfold while imports increased almost tenfold. Main export products include rubber latex, shelled cashew nuts and pepper.
Ownership structure
The state sector accounts for 41.5 per cent of GDP of 2007, an increase from the 29.5 per cent of 2000 but somewhat lower than 2006, when its share peaked at 45.9 per cent. At the same time, the household sector has seen its share being reduced from 61.1 per cent in 2000 to 49.2 per cent in 2007, but it is still the largest ownership sector in Binh Phuoc. The private sector is still very small at only 7.7 per cent of GDP. There has been very little foreign investment, so that this sectors contributes only 1.4 per cent to the province's GDP.Agriculture
Agriculture in Binh Phuoc is dominated by perennial crops, mainly cashew nuts, rubber, coffee, and pepper. 4333 of the 4458 farms in 2007 were perennial crop farms. Production of cereals is much less significant and accounts only for a small part of agricultural area and output. 34,200 tons of rice and 19.7 tons of maize were harvested in 2007, accounting for only 0.1 and 0.5 per cent of the national output. Sweet potatoes and cassava are also grown in Binh Phuoc.The most important cash crop is cashew nuts. 156,377 tons of cashew nuts were harvested in 2007, accounting for 51.8 per cent of the national output. This is a significant increase from 110,000 tons in 2006 and just 19,000 tons in 2000. Cashew nuts are grown mostly in the east and south of the province, roughly along (north and west of) National Road 14. Cashew nuts are an important export product for Binh Phuoc as well as Vietnam in general. Exports in 2010 are expected to reach 1 billion USD, while there are also increasing imports of raw cashew nuts because processing capacity by now significantly exceeds the quantity grown in Vietnam
Another important crop is rubber, with 147,520 tons produced in 2007. This accounts for 24.5 per cent of the national output and has more than doubled since 2000 (67,000 tons). Rubber is mostly produced in the north and west of the province, along Be River
Bé River
The Bé River is a river of southern Vietnam. It flows through Binh Phuoc Province, Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province for approximately 350 kilometres. It starts from Thác Mơ lake in Phuoc Long district of Binh Phuoc Province and empties to Dong Nai River near Tri An Hydro Power Plant....
and National Road 13.
Binh Phuoc's pepper production also accounts for significant share of national output (24 per cent). Production has more than doubled to 21,736 between 2000 and 2007. Pepper is grown in the southwest of the province in the districts of Bình Long and Chơn Thành, between National Road 13 and Be River
Bé River
The Bé River is a river of southern Vietnam. It flows through Binh Phuoc Province, Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province for approximately 350 kilometres. It starts from Thác Mơ lake in Phuoc Long district of Binh Phuoc Province and empties to Dong Nai River near Tri An Hydro Power Plant....
.
Coffee is grown in the northeast of the province, north of Thac Mo Lake. 56,148 tons of coffee were harvested in 2007, accounting for 5.8 per cent of the national output.
Other crops that are less significant in the national context are coconuts (877 tons in 2007), sugar cane (28,800 tons), peanuts (800 tons) and cotton (500 tons).
Industry
Industry and construction contribute only 14.7 per cent to the province's GDP as of 2007. However, it has contributed significantly to recent economic growth. While the large agricultural sector has been growing by around 10 per cent from 2005 to 2007, the growth of industry and construction was 35.8, 25.9, and 21.6 per cent in these three years.Many of the industries are based on agricultural products or raw materials. Food processing industries include the production of shelled cashew nuts (29,200 tons) and cassava starch (78,100 tons). There is also an industry producing hand farming tools. Other industries include construction materials (stones and bricks) and forest product processing (saw wood and paper).
Administration
Politically, Bình Phước is divided into seven districts:- Bù Đăng
- Bù Đốp
- Bù Gia MậpBù Gia Mập DistrictBù Gia Mập is a district of Bình Phước Province in the Southeastern region of Vietnam.It was established on 11 August 2009 on land of Phước Long District remaining after the establishment of Phước Long town...
- Chơn Thành
- Đồng Phú
- Hớn Quản
- Lộc Ninh
Đồng Xoài, Bình Long and Phước Long are municipalities.
Transportation
In September 2007, moves were made to consider construction of a section of the proposed Trans-Asian RailwayTrans-Asian Railway
The Trans-Asian Railway is a project to create an integrated freight railway network across Europe and Asia. The TAR is a project of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific .- Overview :...
from Dĩ An
Di An
Dĩ An, Bình Dương , is a town of Binh Duong Province in the Southeast region of Vietnam. It is about 20 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. It is 1706 km by rail from Hanoi. As of 2003 the towan had a population of 136,530...
on the main north-south line to Lộc Ninh
Loc Ninh
Lộc Ninh is a town in southern Vietnam. It is a rural district of Binh Phuoc province in the southeastern region of Vietnam. A major battle, the Battle of Loc Ninh, occurred there during the Vietnam War.-Transport:...
near the Cambodia
Transport in Cambodia
War and continuing fighting severely damaged Cambodia's transportation system — a system that had been inadequately developed in peacetime. The country's weak infrastructure hindered emergency relief efforts and created tremendous problems of procurement of supplies in general and of...
n border.
Demography
Binh Phuoc's population in 2007 was 823,600. This is a significant increase from 684,600 in 2000. In contrast to many other provinces, much of this growth has taken place in rural areas, where population increased by 118,500 compared to 20,500 in urban areas. Binh Phuoc is a predominantly rural province, with only 15.4 per cent of the population living in towns. The population has grown by 16.5 per cent between 2000 and 2005, but has since slowed down to 2.23 per cent in 2006 and 1 per cent in 2007.Besides the majority Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
, there are minorities of Xtiêng
Stieng people
The Stieng people are an ethnic group of Vietnam and Cambodia. They speak a language in the Bahnaric group of the Mon–Khmer languages.Most Stieng live in the Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province of southeastern Vietnam...
, Nùng
Nung people
The Nùng are an ethnic minority in Vietnam. In China, the Nùng, together with the Tày, are classified as Zhuang people.-Description:The population of the Nùng is estimated to be more than 700,000...
, Tày
Tay people
The Tày people speak a language of the Central Tai language group, and live in northern Vietnam. They are sometimes also called Thô, T'o, Tai Tho, Ngan, Phen, Thu Lao, or Pa Di....
, and Khmer
Khmer Krom
The Khmer Krom are Khmer people living in the Mekong Delta and the Lower Mekong River area. Under the Khmer Rouge regime- according to the conservative estimates are that 150,000. Under the rule of Vietnam from 1979-93, Cambodia may have lost 20,000 Khmer Krom...
. Ethnic minorities are present throughout the province.