Ben Tre Province
Encyclopedia
Bến Tre is a province
of Vietnam
. It is one of the country's southern provinces, being situated in the delta
of the Mekong
River.
The provincial capital, also known as Ben Tre, is a separate municipality.
Geographically, Bến Tre is wedged between the two main branches of the Tiền Giang River, which is itself one of the two main branches of the Mekong. The province's northern boundary is formed by the Tiền Giang's main course, while the province's southern boundary is formed by the Tiền Giang's largest branch (which breaks away from the Tiền Giang just upriver from Bến Tre province). Between the Tiền Giang and its main branch are two smaller branches, passing through the middle of Bến Tre.
The entire province is criss-crossed with a network of smaller rivers and canal
s. The extensive irrigation that this provides makes Bến Tre a major producer of rice
, but also means that the area is prone to flood
ing. The Climate Change Research Institute at Can Tho University, in studying the possible consequences of climate change, has predicted that 51% of Bến Tre province can be expected to be flooded if sea levels rise by 1 meter. Bến Tre province is, on average, only 1.25 metres above sea level.
, which links Bến Tre to its northern neighbour, Tiền Giang province, was started in 2002. The bridge was finished and opened for traffic on January 19, 2009. Before that time, Bến Tre was only accessible to automobiles via ferry.
, a Bến Tre native who would become one of the most prominent female Vietnamese revolutionary leaders, ambushed the 23d Division
of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
, killing 12 and wounding 14. This battle is commonly considered the start of the Vietnam War.
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 one of the country's southern provinces, being situated in the delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
of the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
River.
Administration
Politically, Ben Tre is divided into eight districts:- Ba TriBa TriBa Tri is a rural district of Ben Tre province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2004 the district had a population of 201,802. The district covers an area of 351 km². The district capital lies at Ba Tri....
- Bình ĐạiBinh DaiBinh Dai , is a district of Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 131,813, growing from 129,446 in 2001. The district covers an area of 381 km²...
- Châu Thành
- Chợ LáchCho LachCho Lach , is a district of Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 134,584 . The district covers an area of 189 km². The district capital lies at Cho Lach. The district capital lies on Provincial Highway 57 and is 45 km west of Ben Tre...
- Giồng TrômGiong TromGiồng Trôm is a rural district of Ben Tre province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. As of 2003 the district had a population of 186,719. The district covers an area of 311 km². The district capital lies at Giong Trom. This district is the homecountry of Phan Văn Trị. The commune Mỹ...
- Mỏ Cày Bắc
- Mỏ Cày Nam
- Thạnh PhúThanh PhuThanh Phu , is a district of Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 131,964. The district covers an area of 401 km². The district capital lies at Thanh Phu....
The provincial capital, also known as Ben Tre, is a separate municipality.
Geography
Geographically, Bến Tre is wedged between the two main branches of the Tiền Giang River, which is itself one of the two main branches of the Mekong. The province's northern boundary is formed by the Tiền Giang's main course, while the province's southern boundary is formed by the Tiền Giang's largest branch (which breaks away from the Tiền Giang just upriver from Bến Tre province). Between the Tiền Giang and its main branch are two smaller branches, passing through the middle of Bến Tre.
The entire province is criss-crossed with a network of smaller rivers and canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s. The extensive irrigation that this provides makes Bến Tre a major producer of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, but also means that the area is prone to flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing. The Climate Change Research Institute at Can Tho University, in studying the possible consequences of climate change, has predicted that 51% of Bến Tre province can be expected to be flooded if sea levels rise by 1 meter. Bến Tre province is, on average, only 1.25 metres above sea level.
Transportation
Construction on the Rach Mieu BridgeRach Mieu Bridge
Rach Mieu Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam. The bridge connects Tien Giang Province with Ben Tre Province, over the Mekong. The construction began on 30 April 2002 and achieved completion on 19 January 2008, also its inaugural date...
, which links Bến Tre to its northern neighbour, Tiền Giang province, was started in 2002. The bridge was finished and opened for traffic on January 19, 2009. Before that time, Bến Tre was only accessible to automobiles via ferry.
Start of the Vietnam War
The first large-scale military action by Viet Cong forces occurred in Bến Tre on September 26, 1959. A force led by Nguyen Thi DinhNguyen Thi Dinh
Nguyễn Thị Định was a Vietnamese communist during the Vietnam War.She was born from a peasant family in Ben Tre , and fought with the Viet Minh forces against the French...
, a Bến Tre native who would become one of the most prominent female Vietnamese revolutionary leaders, ambushed the 23d Division
23rd Division (South Vietnam)
The 23rd Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam —the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975—was part of the II Corps that oversaw the region of the central highlands north of the capital Saigon....
of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
, killing 12 and wounding 14. This battle is commonly considered the start of the Vietnam War.
External links
- Bến Tre website (English)
- Bến Tre website (in Vietnamese)
- http://www.vietnamtourism.org.vn/guide/list-of-cities-in-vietnam/ben-tre-province.html Bến Tre Province