An overview of Vinh Long

1. Geographical location

Vinh Long is a province located in the lower Mekong River basin, situated between the Tien and Hau rivers and in the heart of the Mekong Delta region, bordering the following areas:

To the north and northeast, it borders the provinces of Tien Giang and Ben Tre ;

To the northwest and east, it borders Dong Thap province.

To the southeast, it borders Tra Vinh province;

To the southwest, it borders the provinces of Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and the city of Can Tho.

The geographical coordinates of Vinh Long province are from 9 ^{° 52'45 ''} to 10 ^{° 19'50 ''} North latitude and from 104 ^{° 41'25 ''} to 106 ^{° 17'03 ''} East longitude.

Vinh Long province has 8 administrative units, including 6 districts (Binh Tan, Long Ho, Mang Thit, Tam Binh, Tra On, Vung Liem); Binh Minh town and Vinh Long city with 109 communes, wards and towns (94 communes, 5 towns and 10 wards).

The total natural area is 152,017.6 hectares, ranking 12th out of 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region (larger than Can Tho city). Agricultural land covers 118,918.5 hectares, accounting for 78.23%; non-agricultural land covers 33,050.5 hectares, accounting for 21.74%. Within agricultural land, land for annual crops covers 72,565.4 hectares, accounting for 47.73% of the natural area; mainly rice land (71,069.2 hectares); land for perennial crops covers 45,372.4 hectares, accounting for 29.85%; and water surface for aquaculture covers 942.2 hectares, accounting for 0.62%.

2. Population - Labor Force.

The average population of the province in 2013 was 1,040,500 people (513,400 males, 527,600 females; 173,720 urban residents, 866,780 rural residents), accounting for 6.8% of the Mekong Delta population and 1.4% of the national population. Population density was 684 people/ ^km² ; Vinh Long City had the highest population density at 2,934 people / ^km² ; the lowest was Tra On district with 509 people/ ^km² . The Kinh people accounted for approximately 97.3%, while other ethnic groups accounted for 2.7% (Khmer people: 21,820, accounting for nearly 2.1%; Chinese people: 4,879; and other ethnic groups: 216). The Kinh people were evenly distributed; the Khmer people lived concentrated in 48 hamlets, 10 communes, and 1 town in 4 districts. The Chinese community is concentrated in Tra On district, Tam Binh, Binh Minh town, and Vung Liem; the Chinese community is mainly found in Vinh Long city and other towns.

The labor force aged 15 and above numbers 630,195 people (338,081 male, 292,024 female; 87,514 urban, 542,940 rural). The number of employed people aged 15 and above is 613,045 (89,902 urban, 523,143 rural); 30,983 in the state sector (5.05%), 566,020 in the non-state sector (92.33%), and 16,042 in the foreign-invested sector (2.62%).

3. Topography.

Vinh Long has a relatively flat terrain with a slope of less than 2 degrees and a relatively low elevation compared to sea level (absolute elevation from 0.6 to 1.2m accounts for 90% of the natural area). Only Vinh Long city and Tra On town have an average elevation of about 1.25m. This is a type of floodplain at the river mouth; the province's micro-terrain takes the form of a basin in the center, gradually rising towards the banks of the Tien River, Hau River, Mang Thit River, and along major rivers and canals. Generally, the province's topography stretches along the Tien and Hau rivers, gradually decreasing in elevation from North to South, influenced by saltwater intrusion, and not prone to major floods. It can be divided into three levels as follows:

- Areas with elevations from 1.0 to 2.0m (accounting for 37.17% of the area) are located along the Hau River, Tien River, Mang Thit River, along major canals and waterways, as well as alluvial islands and hilly areas of Vung Liem and Tra On districts.

- The area with an elevation of 0.4 to 1.0m (accounting for 61.53% of the area) is mainly composed of land for 2-3 high-yield rice crops with considerable potential for gravity irrigation and high productivity. The area north of National Highway 1A is affected by floods in August every year.

- Areas with an elevation less than 0.4m (accounting for 1.3% of the area) have low-lying, flood-prone terrain.

Given these geographical conditions, in the future, when global climate change affects the Mekong Delta region in general and Vinh Long province in particular, a 1-meter sea level rise scenario will cause the districts of Vung Liem and Tra On to be affected by salinization, and approximately 606 ^km² (nearly 40% of the area) of land in the central part of the province will be flooded, impacting agricultural production; aquaculture and fishing activities; infrastructure (road systems, construction works, houses, etc.); and the living environment of the people and the local ecosystem and biodiversity.

4. Weather - Climate - Hydrology

Weather and climate: Vinh Long is located in the tropical monsoon region, with hot and humid weather year-round, relatively high temperatures, and abundant solar radiation.

- Temperature: The average temperature of Vinh Long province has fluctuated between 27.3 and 28.4 ^° C over the years, with the highest temperature recorded in 2010. In that year, the average monthly temperatures were approximately or higher than the multi-year average by 0.4-1.0 ^° C. The highest temperature was 36.9 ^° C, the lowest was 17.7 ^° C, and the average diurnal temperature range was 7.3 ^° C.

The province experiences relatively high solar radiation, with an average of 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. Annual photosynthetic radiation reaches 79,600 cal/ ^m² . The average annual daylight hours are 2,550-2,700 hours/year. Abundant temperatures and radiation provide favorable conditions for plant growth and development.

- The average air humidity is 81-85%, with the highest humidity reaching 90% in September and the lowest in March and April at 74%.

- The average number of rainy days per year is 100-115 days with an average rainfall of 1,300-1,690 mm/year. Rainfall during the dry season is approximately equal to or higher than the multi-year average, while rainfall during the rainy season is approximately equal to or lower than the multi-year average. In general, during the rainy months, monthly rainfall in most areas of the province is only 35-50%, lower than the multi-year average.

Over the years, Vinh Long province has not experienced extreme weather events, although some areas have seen tornadoes, floods, and lightning strikes during the rainy season or widespread unseasonal rain, influenced by tropical depressions from the East Sea causing prolonged rainfall.

Hydrology: Vinh Long province is influenced by the irregular semi-diurnal tidal regime of the East Sea through two major rivers, the Tien River and the Hau River, along with the Mang Thit River and a system of canals and waterways. Specifically:

- The Co Chien River is a branch of the Tien River, with a length of 90km. The section passing through Vinh Long has an average river cross-section width of 1,700m, a depth of 7-10m, and a flow rate ranging from 1,814 to 19,540 ^m³ /s.

- The Hau River is the second largest tributary of the Mekong River flowing through Vietnam, with a length of approximately 75km and an average flow rate ranging from 1,154 to 12,434 ^m³ /s.

- The Mang Thit River connects the Tien and Hau rivers, with the Tien River side having a larger river mouth than the Hau River side. Due to the tidal influence from the Co Chien and Hau rivers, the Mang Thit River flows in two directions, with water flowing in and out through its two river mouths. Specifically, when the tide rises, water flows in through the Quoi An and Tra On river mouths; when the tide recedes, water flows out through these two mouths. The area where water flows in both directions is the Ba Ke mouth (Thầy Hạnh junction), 17km from the Hau River. The Mang Thit River is not affected by salinity, so it has fresh water year-round, which is favorable for agricultural production, industry, and the daily lives of the local people. However, due to the low elevation of the land in the northern part of the Mang Thit River, drainage will be more difficult.

Water levels and tidal ranges on the rivers are quite high, with strong tidal currents. During the flood season, the tidal range is about 70-90cm, and during the dry season, it fluctuates between 114-140cm. Combined with the inland canal system, this allows for good gravity irrigation, helping crops to grow and develop.

The weather and climate are quite favorable for agriculture, particularly for diversified and intensive farming with multiple cropping cycles, and are suitable for the development of natural biodiversity. However, due to rainfall concentrated in only six months of the rainy season, coupled with floodwaters from the upstream Mekong River, localized flooding occurs in some areas, affecting agricultural production, the livelihoods of the people, and the ecological environment of the region.

Provincial e-Government Portal