Kiên Giang province

Teminology

Kiên Giang roughly translates to "strong river". The province has no official Hán tự renditions, since it was created after the adoption of Chữ Quốc Ngữ.

History

In 1774, Lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát divided into 12 in the palace, but still leave the town of Hà Tiên, Mạc Thiên Tích as a ruler.

By the reign of Minh Mệnh, in 1832, Hà Tiên had become one of the six provinces of the south.

In 1876, France divided into four big administrative regions, each region divided into smaller administrative sub-district or county take action (administratif arrondissement), Hà Tiên, the former being divided into two particle parameters are Hà Tiên and Rạch Giá. From January 1, 1900, two-particle parameters of Hà Tiên and Rạch Giá became two provinces of Hà Tiên and Rạch Giá.

In 1976, Kiên Giang Province was established based on the former Rạch Giá Province and three districts from Long Châu Hà Province.

On 12 June 2025, as part of major nationwide reforms, Kiên Giang province was dissolved and merged with An Giang province.

Geography

General

• Coordinates: 9°23'50" N to 10°32'30" N, 104°40' E to 105°32'40" E.
• Area: 6,299 km2, 4,119.74 km2 of agricultural land (66% natural area), private land for rice accounts for 3,170.19 km2 (77% of agricultural land). Forests cover 1,200.27 km2 (19% of the area). The province also contains 500.00 km2 of unused land.
• The average elevation of the province is 0.39 m above sea level, making it vulnerable to sea level rise.

Natural condition

Kiên Giang has a diverse range of terrains including plains, mountains, forests, and islands. The mainland area is relatively flat, gradually sloping from the northeast to the southwest. Due to its low latitude and coastal location, Kiên Giang has a tropical monsoon climate, hot and humid year-round, with average monthly temperatures ranging from 27 to 27.5 °C. Although Kiên Giang is not directly affected by typhoons, rainfall from storms contributes a significant portion, especially at the end of the rainy season. The rainy season lasts from April to November, while the dry season runs from December to March of the following year. The average annual rainfall is about 1,600 – 2,000 mm on the mainland and 2,400 – 2,800 mm in the Phu Quoc island area. Kiên Giang's climate experiences very few natural disasters, with no cold spells or direct typhoons, and abundant sunlight and heat, making it highly favorable for the growth of various crops and livestock.

Kiên Giang has four main types of land: the freshwater alluvial zone in the western part of the Hậu River, the flood-prone acid sulfate soil zone in the Long Xuyên Quadrangle, the saline soil zone on the Cà Mau Peninsula, and the hilly and island zone in Phú Quốc and Kiên Hải. Of these, agricultural land accounts for 64.2% of the natural area, forest land covers 122.8 thousand hectares, land for special use 35.4 thousand hectares, and residential land 10.1 thousand hectares. In addition, the province has over 70 thousand hectares of fallow or unstable production land, including more than 25 thousand hectares of mixed gardens. Forests in Kiên Giang are limited, mostly consisting of protective forests. Kiên Giang also has relatively large mineral potential. Although exploration and research are still ongoing, preliminary assessments have identified 152 ore points and 23 different types of mineral mines. The province's total limestone reserves are currently at 440 million tons, with an exploitable amount of 342 million tons, including 235 million tons suitable for industrial exploitation — enough to produce 4.6 million tons of clinker per year for 40 years. Peat reserves are estimated at 150 million tons.

Administration

Kiên Giang is subdivided into 14 district-level sub-divisions and two cities:

• 12 districts: :* An Biên :* An Minh :* Châu Thành :* Giang Thành :* Giồng Riềng :* Gò Quao :* Hòn Đất :* Kiên Hải Island :* Kiên Lương :* Tân Hiệp :* Thổ Châu :* Vĩnh Thuận :* U Minh Thượng

• 3 cities: :* Phú Quốc Island :* Hà Tiên :* Rạch Giá (capital)

They are further subdivided into 12 commune-level towns (or townships), 118 communes, and 15 wards.

References

References

1. (18 October 2023). "Biểu số 4.6: Hiện trạng sử dụng đất vùng Đồng Bằng Sông Cửu Long năm 2022".
2. "Tình hình kinh tế, xã hội Kiên Giang năm 2018".
3. "Human Development Index by province(*) by Cities, provincies and Year".
4. "Tạp chí Điện tử Công nghiệp môi trường".
5. (2025-06-12). "Quốc hội thông qua Nghị quyết về việc sắp xếp đơn vị hành chính cấp tỉnh, từ ngày 12/6, cả nước còn 34 tỉnh, thành phố".
6. (2019). "Mekong delta much lower than previously assumed in sea-level rise impact assessments". Nature Communications.
7. "Kiên Giang: Hiệu quả kinh tế từ các sản phẩm đặc trưng".
8. "Điều kiện tự nhiên tỉnh Kiên Giang".
9. "Từ đạo Kiên Giang đến tỉnh Kiên Giang: Hành trình mở đất và xác lập chủ quyền ở phương Nam".