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The Thi Nai Bridge that links the city of Quy Nhon to the Phuong Mai Peninsula |
Binh Dinh is a coastal province in south central Vietnam. To the north lies Quang Ngai province, Phu Yen province is the next province south, Gia Lai province is to the west and the Eastern Sea is – east. The land area of 6,025 sq.km is divided up into 11 administrative units – the city of Quy Nhon and 10 districts. The province had a population of about 1.57 million in 2007 and more than 50 percent of the population is of working age (between 18 and 60 years old). Quy Nhon, the political and socioeconomic center of Binh Dinh, is 284.28sq.km big and has more than 260,000 residents.
Binh Dinh can be reached by land, rail, waterway or air. National Highway 1A runs north-south through the province and National Highway 19 runs east-to-west linking Binh Dinh to the Central Highland, southern Laos and northeastern Cambodia. The Tam Quan coastal road that passes through Quy Nhon parallel to National Highway 1A is particularly important for tourism. The railway passes through the province, the Dieu Tri stop 9one of the 10 biggest train stations in Vietnam) being 12km from the center of Quy Nhon. The Quy Nhon Seaport is a large, deepwater port that can receive 30,000DWT ships. Phu Cat Airport is 30 km from Quy Nhon which handles many domestic flights each day.
Binh Dinh province is rich in land, forest and mineral resources. There are in Binh Dinh 30 kinds of soil, including about 70,000 ha of alluvial soil, which is good for growing food and industrial crops. Thirty four percent of the province’s land area is not being used. More than 40 species of trees in Binh Dinh have pharmaceutical uses. There is about 500 million cu.m of granite and 1.5 million cu.m of titanium ore (in De Gi, Phu Cat) that could be mined, and there’s a huge amount of white sand in Hoai Nhon. Mineral water in Binh Dinh is being used to make soft drinks.
Binh Dinh has a good post and telecommunication network and an adequate banking system. Post and telecom services in Binh Dinh province make possible both domestic and international communication. In Binh Dinh there are many commercial banks, both state-owned and joint stock, which hold deposits and provide loans in Vietnamese dong and foreign currency. There are also insurance companies in the province. The international-standard hotels in Binh Dinh include the Sai Gon-Quy Nhon Hotel, the Hai Au Hotel, Life Resort and the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Resort. Besides providing accommodation, these are also good places to hold national or international workshops and conferences.
The Quy Nhon University provides educational opportunities in 40 areas of study and is the most important educational institution in Binh Dinh province.
In addition, there is also the Quang Trung University, the Teacher Training College, the Medical College, vocational schools, and vocational training centers. These schools train thousands of students to become skilled workers each year.
In Binh Dinh there are many general hospitals, state and privately-owned, specialized hospitals and communal health-care clinics, which together serve the residents of Binh Dinh and neighboring provinces.
Throughout Binh Dinh province there are many cultural and historical sites, a few being the Quang Trung Museum, the Cham towers (Duong Long, Canh Tien, Banh It, Thap Doi), the Do Ban Citadel, various temples and beautiful places such as Ghenh Rang, Ham Ho, Nui Mot, and Vinh Hoi.
It is expected that the gross domestic product (GDP) of Binh Dinh province will increase 12.5 percent in 2008 and the local economy is undergoing restructuring. The 2010 target is: industry and construction 37.4 percent, services 35 percent and agriculture and fishery 27.6 percent.
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