Hà Giang
| Hà Giang Thành phố Hà Giang | |
|---|---|
| City | |
  Hà Giang | |
| Coordinates: 22°50′N 104°59′E / 22.833°N 104.983°E | |
| Country |
 Vietnam |
| Province | Hà Giang |
Hà Giang (
listen) is a town located on the east bank of the Lô River in the Northeast region of Vietnam . It is the capital of Hà Giang Province. The town has an area of 168.7 km² and population of 40,000 inhabitants.
History
Up until the 19th century the settlement of Vị Xuyên, to the south of Hà Giang (chu Han: 河江), was the principal market town in the area. Under the Nguyễn dynasty the town of Hà Giang, in what is now the Trần Phú District, began to grow in size. In 1842 the town was included in the former Tuyên Quang Province. The town became an important French military outpost afer 1886.[1]
Administration
Hà Giang is divided into one city (Hà Giang) and ten districts:
- Bắc Mê
- Bắc Quang
- Đồng Văn
- Hoàng Su Phì
- Mèo Vạc
- Quản Bạ
- Quang Bình
- Vị Xuyên
- Xín Mần
- Yên Minh
Economy
Hà Giang is a highly mountainous region, and travel around the province can be difficult. Much of the province is too mountainous for agriculture, leaving much of the land covered by forests. Hà Giang's central plateau is good for growing plums, peaches, and persimmons, which the province exports. Tea is also grown.
Hà Giang is one of the poorest provinces of Vietnam. Traditionally, the vast majority of its economic activity revolved around agriculture and forestry, but in recent years, there have been attempts to establish a manufacturing industry. Infrastructure in Hà Giang has seen improvement, but remains poor - roads, schools, and health services are less developed than in many other parts of Vietnam.
Demographics
Many people in Hà Giang belong to one of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. Aside from the Viet (or Kinh), the most numerous ethnic groups in Hà Giang are the Tày, the Dao, and the Hmong.
References
- ↑ Tim Doling North East VietNam: mountains and ethnic minorities 2000 Page 98 "Throughout the medieval and early modern period, the largest settlement in the area was at Vị Xuyên, south of Hà Giang, but under the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945) the town of Hà Giang - located on the east bank of the Lô River in what is now the Trần Phủ District- began to grow steadily in size. In 1842 Hà Giang was Incorporated into the new Tuyên Quang Province, which at that time stretched north as far as the Chinese border. Following the French conquest of the area in 1886, Hà Giang became an important colonial military outpost ..."
Coordinates: 22°50′N 104°59′E / 22.833°N 104.983°E
