| Ben Tre province Tỉnh Bến Tre |
|
|---|---|
| — Province — | |
| Bến Tre 38629853 countryside around Cái Mon | |
| Nickname(s): Bamboo Landing | |
| Location of Bến Tre within Vietnam | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Vietnam |
| Region | Mekong Delta |
| Capital | Bến Tre |
| Government | |
| • People's Council Chair | Nguyễn Hữu Phước |
| • People's Committee Chair | NGUYỄN THỊ THANH HÀ |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,321.6 km2 (896.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 1,345,600 |
| • Density | 579.6/km2 (1,501.2/sq mi) |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnicities | Vietnamese, Khmer, Hòa, Tày |
| Time zone | ICT (UTC+7) |
| Calling code | 75 |
| ISO 3166 code | VN-50 |
| Website | Official website |
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.
Contents |
Politically, Bến Tre Province is divided into eight districts:
The provincial capital, also known as Bến 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 canals. The extensive irrigation that this provides makes Bến Tre a major producer of rice, but also means that the area is prone to flooding. The Climate Change Research Institute at Cần Thơ 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.[1] Bến Tre province is, on average, only 1.25 metres above sea level.
Construction on the Rach Mieu Bridge, which links Bến Tre to its northern neighbour, Tiền Giang province, was started in 2002. The bridge was finished and opened for traffic on 19 January 2009. Before that time, Bến Tre was only accessible to automobiles via ferry.
The first large-scale military action by Viet Cong forces occurred in Bến Tre on 26 September 1959. A force led by Nguyễn Thị Định, 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.[2] This battle is commonly considered the start of the Vietnam War. [3][4]
| Tien Giang province | ||||
| Vinh Long province | South China Sea | |||
| Bến Tre province | ||||
| Tra Vinh province |
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