Bac Giang is located to the north of Vietnam, surrounded by Lang Son and Thai Nguyen in the north, Hai Duong and Bac Ninh in the south, Hanoi in the west, and Quang Ninh in the east. The main ethnic groups in this area are the Kinh, Tay, Nung, San Chay, San Diu, and Hoa. The annual average...

Location: some 50km to the north of Ha Noi Capital, 100km to the south of Huu Nghi (Friendship) International Border-gate, and more than 100km to the east of Hai Phong Port. Bac Giang Province borders Lang Son Province in the north and north-east, Ha Noi Capital and Thai Nguyen Province in the west and north-west, and Bac Ninh, Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces in the south and south-east.

Total area: 3,816.7sq.km

Terrain: midlands (representing 10.5 percent) and highlands (making up 89.5 percent).

Climate: Bac Giang lies in the tropical monsoon zone of the Northeast. Its weather is determined by four distinctive seasons: cold winter; hot, humid summer; and mild spring and autumn. Average annual temperature is 22-230C, and humidity ranges from 73% to 74%.

Population & labor: The province’s population in 2005 was roughly 1.58 million, including 980,000 people of working age, accounting of 62% of the population, and 830,000 people engaged in economic activities. Of the working-age population, 8.86% work in the industrial and construction sector, 14.57% get involved in the service sector, and the remainder takes part in the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector.

Ethnicities: Bac Giang is home to 27 ethnicities, of which ethnic minorities account for 123.9%.

Infrastructure: The transport system is evenly distributed and convenient, including road, railway and riverway. The road network is comprised of National Highway 1A, provincial roads, district’s and communal roads with a combined length of 4,008 km. Of these, the National Highway includes five routes, with a total length of 277.5 km. The provincial road encompasses 18 routes (387.5 km in length). The district’s roads have 54 routes (469.5 km in length). The inter-communal roads are 2,874 km long. Road density is 0.3 km per sq. km in plains, midlands and mountainous areas. However, the roads’ quality is generally low, with many routes not being upgraded and unasphalted, especially routes in mountainous areas, midlands and district’s and communal routes.

There are three large rivers in the province, namely Thuong River, Cau River, and Luc Nam River, with a combined length of 347 km (187 km currently under operation), creating a convenient riverway network. Annually, the river system provides a plentiful source of surface water with a reserve of hundred millions of cubic meters in service of living and production. Additionally, the province has three port systems, including central ports, specialized ports and local ports with a combined handling capacity of around 200 to 300 thousand tons.

Moreover, there are three rail routes (87 km in length) across Bac Giang, namely the routes of Ha Noi - Dong Dang (Lang Son Province), Ha Noi - Kep (Bac Giang Province) - Ha Long (Quang Ninh Province), Ha Noi - Kep - Luu Xa.