Binh Dinh Province
Encyclopedia
Bình Định is a 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 Vietnam's South Central Coast
Nam Trung Bo
Nam Trung Bộ is one of the regions of Vietnam. It consists of the independent municipality of Đà Nẵng and seven other provinces. The two southern provinces Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận are sometimes seen as part of the Southeast region.The region has traditionally been one of the main gateways to...

 region.

Administration

Binh Dinh is divided into one city (Qui Nhơn
Qui Nhon
Qui Nhơn , also Quy Nhơn, is a coastal city in Binh Dinh province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of 286 km². Quy Nhon is the capital of Bình Định province. As of 2009 its population was 280,900. Historically, the commercial activities of the city...

) and 10 districts:
  • An Lão
  • An Nhơn
  • Hoài Ân
  • Hoài Nhơn
  • Phù Cát
  • Phù Mỹ
  • Tuy Phước
  • Tây Sơn
  • Vân Canh
  • Vĩnh Thạnh
    Vĩnh Thạnh District, Binh Dinh
    Vĩnh Thạnh is a rural district of Binh Dinh province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. The district capital is Vĩnh Thạnh town....


Champa

Binh Dinh was probably one of the places where the Cham first arrived in what is now Vietnam. Its favourable geography led to the rise of the Cham Port of Thi Nai
Port of Thi Nai
Thi Nai Port is the second largest port in Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. It is located in Hai Cang ward at the eastern tip of Quy Nhon city...

 where Quy Nhon is now located. The city-state of Vijaya
Vijaya (Champa)
Vijaya was a city-state in the ancient kingdom of Champa in what is now south-central Vietnam. It was the capital of Champa for several centuries until it was conquered by Vietnam in 1471.-Geography, Economy, Transport:...

 was located around this port and the main city, which was further inland. Its centre was in the southern lowland of Binh Dinh. However, its architecture implies that it did not become important until the eleventh or twelfth century.

Vijaya’s architecture also distinguishes it from other Champa centers, since it used a combination of stone and brick elements, while most other Cham structures only used bricks. This suggests some influence from 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...

n Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...

. It also points to the relative abundance of labour in Vijaya compared to other Champa centers of powers, because processing stones for construction was more labour-intensive than the production of bricks.

Vijaya was involved various wars with neighbouring countries. Major wars were fought with Angkor
Angkor
Angkor is a region of Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to 15th centuries. The word Angkor is derived from the Sanskrit nagara , meaning "city"...

 (now 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...

) in the 12th and 13th centuries. Around this time Vijaya seems to have been associated and at times even dominated by the Khmer king Jayavarman VII
Jayavarman VII
Jayavarman VII was a king of the Khmer Empire in present day Siem Reap, Cambodia. He was the son of King Dharanindravarman II and Queen Sri Jayarajacudamani. He married Jayarajadevi and then, after her death, married her sister Indradevi...

. Major wars with Vietnam were fought in 1069 and again in the 15th century, which eventually led to the defeat of Vijaya and the demise of Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...

 in 1471.

Topography

The majority of Binh Dinh province is covered by mountains or hills. Elevations range from 0 at the coast to around 1200 meters above sea level in An Lão District in the north-west of the province. While most of the mountains as well as the highest peaks are in the west, there are mountains throughout the province, even near the coast. Most districts of Binh Dinh have a topography that is a mix of mountains or hills and lowlands. The districts of An Lão in the north-west, Vĩnh Thạnh
Vĩnh Thạnh District, Binh Dinh
Vĩnh Thạnh is a rural district of Binh Dinh province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. The district capital is Vĩnh Thạnh town....

 in the west, and Vân Canh in the south-west are mostly mountainous. All other districts have some lowlands.

The largest lowland area is located in the south of the province along the lower Côn River
Côn River
Côn River is a river of Vietnam. With a length of 171km, it is the longest river in Binh Dinh Province. Much of it can be used as an inland waterway for transportation....

. It encompasses much of Quy Nhon City, the districts of Tuy Phước, An Nhơn, the western part of Phù Cát, and the eastern part of Tây Sơn. Given its size, and the access to a major port as well as Binh Dinh's major river, it has long been the place where most of Binh Dinh's people and economic activities concentrate. It was the site of Vijaya
Vijaya (Champa)
Vijaya was a city-state in the ancient kingdom of Champa in what is now south-central Vietnam. It was the capital of Champa for several centuries until it was conquered by Vietnam in 1471.-Geography, Economy, Transport:...

, one of the major city-states of Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...

. The majority Binh Dinh's population lives in the districts around this plain.

Other lowland areas are located in the coastal districts of Hoài Nhơn, Phù Mỹ, Phù Cát, as well as the inland district of Hoài Ân. There are some hills or mountains near the coast in all of the coastal provinces, with the highest peak in Phù Cát at 874m (Ba mountain, núi Bà) and in Phù Mỹ at 602m.

Mountains form natural borders to the neighbouring provinces. Cu Mong pass (đèo Cù Mông) is the main border crossing to Phu Yen Province. National Road 1A passes through this pass, while there is another road (1D) along the coast. The border to Gia Lai Province
Gia Lai Province
Gia Lai is a province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.-Administrative divisions:The province is divided into one city , two towns , and 13 districts:#Chư Păh#Chư Prông#Chư Sê#Đắk Đoa#Đắk Pơ#Đức Cơ#Ia Grai#Ia Pa...

 is the most mountainous, with the only road connection at An Khe pass (đèo An Khê) between the towns of Phu Phong
Phú Phong
Phú Phong is a town in south central Vietnam. It is the capital of Tây Sơn District in Bình Định Province.-Geography and Transport:...

 in Tây Sơn District and An Khe
An Khe
"An Khe" is the 102nd The West Wing episode and 14th of the fifth season. It originally aired on NBC February 18, 2004. Events circle around the rescue of five US pilots shot down over North Korea. Written by John Wells and directed by Alex Graves, the episode contains guest appearances by Philip...

 in Gia Lai. The border to Quang Ngai Province
Quang Ngai Province
Quảng Ngãi is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam, on the coast of South China Sea. It is located 883 km south of Hanoi and 838 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.-History:...

 is also very mountainous, with the major road and railway passing through Binh De pass (đèo Bình Đê) near Tam Quan.

Hydrography

Côn River
Côn River
Côn River is a river of Vietnam. With a length of 171km, it is the longest river in Binh Dinh Province. Much of it can be used as an inland waterway for transportation....

 is the largest and most important river in Binh Dinh. It forms a small delta north of Quy Nhon. Most of it can be used as an inland waterway for transportation. This is probably one of the reason why a major centre of power of Champa
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...

 emerged along this river.
Other rivers are Lai Giang River at the centre of the lowland areas of Hoai Nhon and Hoai An in northern Binh Dinh, My Cat River in central Binh Dinh, and Ha Thanh River
Hà Thanh River
The Hà Thanh River is a river of Vietnam. It flows through Vân Canh District in Binh Dinh Province for 58 kilometres....

 along the valley in Van Canh District in southern Binh Dinh.

The largest lake is Dinh Binh Lake, an artificial lake mainly used for irrigation in the highlands of western Binh Dinh. Also in western Binh Dinh is Vinh Son Lake (hồ Vĩnh Sơn) at Vinh Son Hydropower Station. Other major lakes include Nui Mot Lake (hồ Núi Một) in the south and Hoi Son Lake (hồ Hội Sơn) in the centre of the province.

Mineral Resources

Ilmenite
Ilmenite
Ilmenite is a weakly magnetic titanium-iron oxide mineral which is iron-black or steel-gray. It is a crystalline iron titanium oxide . It crystallizes in the trigonal system, and it has the same crystal structure as corundum and hematite....

 reserves in Phu Cat and graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...

 reserves in northern Binh Dinh are substantial and support significant local export industries. There is also some gold in western Binh Dinh.

Economy

With a GDP per capita of 9.57 million VND in 2007 Binh Dinh is ranked 4 out of 8 provinces and cities in the South Central Coast
Nam Trung Bo
Nam Trung Bộ is one of the regions of Vietnam. It consists of the independent municipality of Đà Nẵng and seven other provinces. The two southern provinces Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận are sometimes seen as part of the Southeast region.The region has traditionally been one of the main gateways to...

. While being significantly behind the main success stories of the region, namely Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...

 and Khanh Hoa Province
Khanh Hoa Province
Khánh Hòa is a province of Vietnam, located in the South Central Coast. It has a population of 1,066,300 and spans an area of 5,197 km². Its capital is Nha Trang...

, it is more developed than most other provinces in the region. It has been benefiting from its strategic position as one of the main gateways to 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....

 and its port
Quy Nhon Port
Quy Nhon Port is the major port of Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. It is located in Hai Cang ward at the eastern tip of Quy Nhon city....

. It is the region's third largest industrial center (mainly based on furniture manufacturing) and also has strong agricultural, forestry, livestock, and fishing sectors.

In 2007 Binh Dinh exported goods worth 327.3 million US$, while importing goods worth 141.6 US$. Most of the province's exports are furniture.

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing

Binh Dinh has the most productive primary sector (agriculture, fishery, forestry) in the South Central Coast
Nam Trung Bo
Nam Trung Bộ is one of the regions of Vietnam. It consists of the independent municipality of Đà Nẵng and seven other provinces. The two southern provinces Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận are sometimes seen as part of the Southeast region.The region has traditionally been one of the main gateways to...

 region, mostly because of its large output of rice, coconuts and its strong livestock, forestry and fishing sectors. It contributes roughly 23% of sector 1 GDP and rice output of the South Central Coast (while it has 17.7% of the region’s population).
The rice harvest is the largest of the South Central Coast region but accounts only for a modest 1.62% of the national output. It has been fluctuating around 600,000t over the last few years. The average yield is 53.1t/ha as of 2009 with the highest yields around the lower Côn River
Côn River
Côn River is a river of Vietnam. With a length of 171km, it is the longest river in Binh Dinh Province. Much of it can be used as an inland waterway for transportation....

.

The province’s output of coconuts (95,040t) accounts for 9% of the national total as of 2007. Other significant crops include peanuts (13.7kt, 2.71%), cashew nuts (4.2kt, 1.39%), and sugar cane (185.7kt, 1.07%). Coconuts are planted mostly in the districts of Hoai Nhon (30kt in 2009), Phu My (27kt), Phu Cat (16.4kt), and Hoai An (15.7kt).

The livestock sector makes up 35% of the agricultural gross output
Gross Output
Gross output is an economic concept used in national accounts such as the United Nations System of National Accounts and the US National Income and Product Accounts...

, a relatively high value compared to other provinces. Binh Dinh is by far the largest producer of pork, both in terms of total output and per capita output (over 50kg per capita). As of 2009, there were 684,300 pigs, 288,400 cows, 18,900 buffaloes, and 3 million chickens and 2 million other poultry.

Binh Dinh has a large fishing sector. Its gross output
Gross Output
Gross output is an economic concept used in national accounts such as the United Nations System of National Accounts and the US National Income and Product Accounts...

 contributes one fifth of the South Central Coast's
Nam Trung Bo
Nam Trung Bộ is one of the regions of Vietnam. It consists of the independent municipality of Đà Nẵng and seven other provinces. The two southern provinces Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận are sometimes seen as part of the Southeast region.The region has traditionally been one of the main gateways to...

 total, ranking second after Khanh Hoa Province
Khanh Hoa Province
Khánh Hòa is a province of Vietnam, located in the South Central Coast. It has a population of 1,066,300 and spans an area of 5,197 km². Its capital is Nha Trang...

 (as of 2007). In 2009 gross output was 3.97 trillion VND or 137,466t. In contrast to Khanh Hoa, the vast majority of this was contributed by sea fishing, with only a small share (11.1%) from aquaculture. As of 2009 61,900 people were employed in fishing, compared to 481,200 in agriculture and forestry.

Industry

Binh Dinh has transformed itself in a regional center of furniture manufacturing. The industry has been successful in creating large numbers of jobs, with furniture manufacturing enterprises employing around 40,000 workers and manufacturing in total around 107,000, making Binh Dinh leading in the South Central Coast in terms of industrial employment. More than two thirds of the province's gross industrial output is produced in Quy Nhon, which is the regions third largest industrial center after Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...

 and Nha Trang
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the North by Ninh Hoà district, on the East by the South China Sea, on the South by Cam Ranh town and on the West by Diên Khánh district...

. Phu Tai Industrial Park is central to Binh Dinh's industry in general and the furniture industry in particular. Several chemical enterprises that supply the furniture and wood processing industry have been set up in the vicinity of the industrial park.

The largest industries after furniture manufacturing (5290.8 billion VND in 2009) in terms of gross output are food products and beverages (2770.5 billion), non-metallic mineral products (938.4 billion), wood processing (843.6 billion), and chemical products (755.1 billion). The latter includes not only companies supporting the furniture industry, but also a pharmaceutical industry, the most significant company of which is Bidiphar
Bidiphar
Bidiphar is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Quy Nhon, Vietnam. Apart from pharmaceutical products, it also produces medical equipment....

, a local state-owned enterprise. Smaller manufacturing sectors include garments, paper, leather, plastics and rubber products.

Nhon Hoi Economic Zone
Nhon Hoi Economic Zone
Nhon Hoi Economic Zone is new urban center in the east of Quy Nhon, Vietnam. It includes or is planned to include residential areas, an industrial park, a deep water port, and a resort....

 is under construction, but behind schedule (as of September 2010).

Transport Infrastructure

Binh Dinh’s infrastructure has been significant for its economic development. It has traditionally been the site of a major port and the intersection of two national roads has further increased Binh Dinh’s role as a gateway to 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....

 and access to the latter’s resources. As a result, the province has received one of the highest infrastructure scores in the Provincial Competitiveness Index 2009, second only to Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...

 in central Vietnam.

Roads

There are national roads with a total length of 208 km and provincial roads a total length of 458.5 km. National Road 1A runs through the province from north to south with a length of 118 km, connecting the eastern districts of Hoài Nhơn, Phù Mỹ, Phù Cát, An Nhơn, and Tuy Phước to much of the rest of Vietnam. A branch of it - National Road 1D - connects the provincial capital Quy Nhon to 1A and Song Cau
Song Cau
Sông Cầu is a town of Phu Yen Province in the South Central Coastal region of Vietnam.After Vietnam War, Sông Cầu was merged into Đồng Xuân District in 1976. The latter was then combined with Tuy An District to become Xuân An District in March 1977, but Xuân An was soon split again into the two...

 town in Phu Yen Province. 20 km of 1D’s 33 km are in Binh Dinh. National Road 19 runs from Quy Nhon Port
Quy Nhon Port
Quy Nhon Port is the major port of Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. It is located in Hai Cang ward at the eastern tip of Quy Nhon city....

 through northern Quy Nhon, the towns of Tuy Phuoc, Phu Phong
Phú Phong
Phú Phong is a town in south central Vietnam. It is the capital of Tây Sơn District in Bình Định Province.-Geography and Transport:...

 to An Khe
An Khe
"An Khe" is the 102nd The West Wing episode and 14th of the fifth season. It originally aired on NBC February 18, 2004. Events circle around the rescue of five US pilots shot down over North Korea. Written by John Wells and directed by Alex Graves, the episode contains guest appearances by Philip...

, Pleiku
Pleiku
Pleiku is a town in central Vietnam, located in that nation's central highland region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province; it is inhabited primarily by the Bahnar and Jarai ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or Degar....

 and Lệ Thanh border gate in Gia Lai Province
Gia Lai Province
Gia Lai is a province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.-Administrative divisions:The province is divided into one city , two towns , and 13 districts:#Chư Păh#Chư Prông#Chư Sê#Đắk Đoa#Đắk Pơ#Đức Cơ#Ia Grai#Ia Pa...

. This direct link from Quy Nhon to 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....

 and the 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...

 has been important for Binh Dinh’s role as a gateway to the highlands and its industrial development, since especially the wood processing and furniture industry has relied on raw materials from the highlands, Cambodia and Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

. 70 km of National Road 19 are located in Binh Dinh.

74.6 per cent of roads in Binh Dinh (including national, provincial, and district roads) are paved, which is relatively good by Vietnamese standards and significantly above the median province with 51.44 per cent. However, the assessment of road quality by the local business community is not very good, with only 34.76 per cent stating that roads are in good or very good condition.

Road transport is by far the most important mode of transport within the province. It accounts for between 97 and just under 100 per cent of passenger and freight movements. 22.77 million passengers and 7928 tons of cargo were transported by road in 2009.

Railways

The North-South Railway
North-South Railway, Vietnam
The Vietnam North-South Railway, also known as the Reunification Express, is a railway that runs from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh City. The total length of this railway is , with a gauge of metre gauge...

 in Binh Dinh has a length of 134 km. All Reunification Express trains stop at Dieu Tri Railway Station. Quy Nhon Railway Station
Quy Nhon Railway Station
Quy Nhon Railway Station is a railway station on the North-South Railway in Vietnam. It serves the city of Quy Nhon, in Binh Dinh Province....

 is around 10 km east of the main railway. It is served by a daily train from Quy Nhon to Saigon Railway Station
Saigon Railway Station
Saigon Railway Station is a railway station in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This station is the largest and most important railroad transportation hub of Vietnam as Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city and the economic center of Vietnam. The station was constructed in early 1930s by the...

 and a 3-times weekly train from Quy Nhon to Vinh Railway Station
Vinh Railway Station
Vinh Railway Station is one of the main railway stations on the North-South Railway in Vietnam. It serves the city of Vinh....

. Tam Quan Railway Station, located along North-South Railway
North-South Railway, Vietnam
The Vietnam North-South Railway, also known as the Reunification Express, is a railway that runs from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh City. The total length of this railway is , with a gauge of metre gauge...

 in Hoài Nhơn District, is frequented by only a few trains, such as the train to Vinh
Vinh
Vinh is a city in Vietnam. It is located in the northern half of the country, and is the capital of Nghệ An Province. Politically, Vinh is a municipality within Nghệ An Province. On September 5th, 2008, it was upgraded from Grade-II city to Grade-I city, the fourth Grade-I city of Vietnam after...

.

Water Transport

Much of Côn River
Côn River
Côn River is a river of Vietnam. With a length of 171km, it is the longest river in Binh Dinh Province. Much of it can be used as an inland waterway for transportation....

 - almost up to the border in Vĩnh Thạnh District with Gia Lai Province
Gia Lai Province
Gia Lai is a province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.-Administrative divisions:The province is divided into one city , two towns , and 13 districts:#Chư Păh#Chư Prông#Chư Sê#Đắk Đoa#Đắk Pơ#Đức Cơ#Ia Grai#Ia Pa...

 - and a small stretch of Lai Giang River up to Bong Son town in Hoài Nhơn District are inland waterways and can be used for transportation. There has been a significant change in the use of inland waterways away from passenger and towards freight traffic between 2006 and 2008. The number of passenger decreased from 113000 in 2006 to 42000 in 2007 and 7000 in 2008 and 2009, while freight transport on inland - apparently almost non-existent until 2008 - has accounted for 10 tons and around 70 tons.km in 2008 and 2009. This is, however, still miniscule compared to other modes of transportation within the province.
Maritime transport within the province has showed a declining trend in recent years and was at 171 tons and 31000 passengers in 2009. The two main ports of the province - Quy Nhon Port
Quy Nhon Port
Quy Nhon Port is the major port of Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam. It is located in Hai Cang ward at the eastern tip of Quy Nhon city....

 and Thi Nai Port - are both located in Quy Nhon. In 2009 they had a combined freight turnover of 4500 tons, with 30856 tons handled by Quy Nhon port, including 2016 tons of exported goods (mainly processed wood, furniture and stones). Thi Nai Port, in contrast, mostly handles domestic trade. The volume of cargoes handled has increased by more than 50 per cent between 2005 and 2009.

Ownership Structure

While Vietnam Railways
Vietnam Railways
The railway system in Vietnam is operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route is the thousand-mile single track North-South Railway line, running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This was built at the metre gauge in the 1880s during the French colonial rule...

 and the major seaports are owned and operated by the state sector, almost none of the local transport is state-run. Household businesses are dominant in the passenger sector, accounting for more than 70 per cent of passengers and passenger kilometers over the last few years - although their share has been decreasing. The other traditionally significant enterprise form have been collective enterprises. Their share has been decreasing, too, while private sector participation has been increasing from a very low base since 2008. As of 2009, the share of the collective sector (11.8 per cent) is still slightly ahead of the private sector (11.6 per cent), but it has been clearly overtaken in terms of passenger.km, with shares of 5.4 and 23.3 per cent, respectively.
The freight transport sector is dominated by the household and private sector. While household businesses take the lead in freight volume (54.8 as compared to 41.4 per cent), private companies have a larger share if distance travelled (tons.km) is considered (50 as compared to 43.4 per cent). Both private and household businesses have been able to grow and increase their share in recent years, mainly at the expense of the declining collective sector.

Telecommunication

In 2009, there were 74.1 telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants. The total number of subscriptions in the province was 1.1 million - a rapid increase from the 101,230 in 2005, most of which was contributed by mobile phones. The calling time has also increased rapidly in the same period, from 53 to 488 million minutes. The quality of telecommunications has received relatively good assessments, with 70.74 per cent of respondents to a survey stating that it is good or very good.
As of 2009, there were 28919 Internet subscribers in Binh Dinh, up from 18260 in 2008 and 8716 in 2006.
While telephones and Internet connections have become much more widespread, the number of letters and money telegrams sent has decreased 119000 in 2005 to 77421 in 2009 and telegrams services have been discontinued after 2007.

Demography

Binh Dinh had a population of 1.488 million in 2009, making it the most populous province of the South Central Coast
Nam Trung Bo
Nam Trung Bộ is one of the regions of Vietnam. It consists of the independent municipality of Đà Nẵng and seven other provinces. The two southern provinces Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận are sometimes seen as part of the Southeast region.The region has traditionally been one of the main gateways to...

. It has been growing slowly from 2000 to 2007 - at just 0.92% per year on average. As of 2009, 27.8% of the population live in urban areas, up from 19% in 1995 and 24.2% in 2000. More than 40% of the total population is concentrated in Quy Nhon and the two suburban districts of An Nhon
An Nhon
An Nhơn is a town of Binh Dinh province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 187,737. The district covers an area of 255 km². The district capital is Binh Dinh. It has a population density of 779 people per km2, and they are distributed...

 and Tuy Phuoc
Tuy Phuoc
Tuy Phước is a rural district of Binh Dinh province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. The district capital lies at Tuy Phuoc...

. There is another relatively large concentration in the northern Hoai Nhon District with a population of 206,700 (2009) and a population density of 499/km2. Population density in the rest of the province range from 30 to 40 in Van Canh, An Lao, and Vinh Thanh to 982 in Quy Nhon.

The eastern lowlands and Tay Son District are largely ethnically homogeneous. There are minorities of Ba Na people in the sparsely populated districts of An Lao
An Lao District
An Lão is a district of Binh Dinh province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 24,091. The district covers an area of 690 km². The district capital lies at An Lao.-References:...

, Vinh Thanh
Vinh Thanh District
Vĩnh Thạnh is a rural district of Binh Dinh province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. The district capital is Vĩnh Thạnh town....

 and Van Canh. Some Hre people live in An Lao and some Cham in Van Canh. Hoai An's population is mostly Kinh, but there are some remote communes that are dominated by Ba Na and Hre people.

Sights

A number of towers built by the Cham are now significant tourist attractions in Bình Định. The province's Tây Sơn district is also famous as the starting place of the Tây Sơn Uprising (and thus the Tây Sơn Dynasty
Tây Son Dynasty
The name of Tây Sơn is used in many ways to refer to the period of peasant rebellions and decentralized dynasties established between the eras of the Later Lê and Nguyễn dynasties in the history of Vietnam between 1770 and 1802...

). The Quang Trung Museum commemorates the event.

External links

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