PHU YEN PROVINCE, SOUTHERN VIETNAM

Phu Yen Province General Information

Phu Yen province, Southern Vietnam
Region: South Central Coast
Capital: Tuy Hòa
Area: 5,023.42 km²
Population: 872,964 (2019 Census)
Density: 174/km²
Demographics: Vietnamese, Cham, Ê Dê, and Ba Na
Calling code: 257
Website: http://www.phuyen.gov.vn

Phú Yên is a coastal province on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is the easternmost province of Vietnam’s mainland.

History

Prior to the 15th century, Phu Yen province belongs to the Kingdom of Champa.

Geography

Phu Yen borders Binh Dinh province to the north, Khanh Hoa province to the south. Phu Yen is separated from these provinces by two passes: Cù Mông pass in the north and Ca pass in the south.

The province’s topography consists of hilly regions in the west (70%) and the fertile plain of Tuy Hòa in the east. Lowlands also extend west along the Da Rang River. The highest peaks are at 1,592m on the border to Khanh Hoa Province in the south and at 1,331m in the northwest (Dong Xuan District). There are several hills near the coast, including Mo Cheo (Núi Mô Cheo, 814m) in Song Cau and Da Bia (Núi Dá Bia, 706m) near Dai Lanh in Dong Hoa District.

The main rivers that flow across Phu Yen are the Da Rang River (the largest river in Central Vietnam), Ban Thach river, and Ky Lo river. Song Hinh Lake, a large artificial lake, is in the southwest of the province.

Phu Yen province has various picturesque landscapes, such as the Ô Loan Lagoon, Sông Cau coconut ranges, Dá Bia and Nhan mountains, Rô Bay, Xep Beach, and Long Thuy beach.

Economy

With a GDP per capita of 8.43 million VND in 2007 and a relatively small industrial sector, Phu Yen is one of the less developed provinces of the South Central Coast.

Phu Yen has had a trade deficit. In 2007, it exported goods worth 72.7 million US$ while importing goods worth 116.25 million, mainly fuel, raw materials, machinery, and medical goods.

Total employment was at 482,800 in 2007. The vast majority (361,400) are still employed in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. 45,600 people were employed in industry and construction and 75,800 in the service sector. Both industry and service have shown little employment growth between 2005 and 2007. Service employment has actually declined significantly since 2000.

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing

The main agricultural regions of the province are the plains around Tuy Hoa and the lowlands along the Da Rang River. In 2007 the rice harvest was 321,800t. It is the South Central Coast’s largest producer of sugarcane with a harvest of 1.051 million tonnes (6% of Vietnam’s total harvest). Cultivation of cotton and tobacco is also significant, with 800t (5% of the national total) and 700t (2.2%) respectively. Other crops include peanuts, cashew nuts, pepper, and coffee.

Phu Yen has a relatively large fishing sector. Its gross output is the third-largest in the South Central Coast after Khanh Hoa Province and Binh Dinh Province. Aquaculture, mostly shrimp farms, made up around one-third of the fishing output while using 2300ha.

Industry

Phu Yen is one of the less industrialized provinces of the South Central Coast. Its industrial production is mostly based on the processing of local primary products, such as fish, shrimp, cashew nuts, sugar. The province also produces mineral water, beer, garments, and cement. Industrial parks are in the north of Tuy Hoa and Song Cau, near Quy Nhon.

The province is zoning and developing a large economic zone, namely the Nam Phú Yên Economic Zone in the southern Dong Hoa District. Upon completion, it will become an oil-refining hub in Vietnam and potentially provide high profits for the province.

Infrastructure

Transport

National Road 1A, as well as the North-South Railway, runs through the province. Phu Yen’s main railway station is Tuy Hoa Railway Station. Smaller railway stations are in Dong Xuan District and Tuy An District north of Tuy Hoa. National Road 25 connects Tuy Hoa to Chu Se in Gia Lai Province, mostly along the Da Rang River.

Dong Tac Airport, a small domestic airport, is south of Tuy Hoa.

The province has a port around 28km south of Tuy Hoa, namely Vung Ro Port (cang Vung Rô).

Energy

A hydropower plant is in Song Hinh District in the southwest of Phu Yen. It is on Hinh River, a major tributary of Da Rang River, and created a lake of the same name (Song Hinh Lake, meaning Song River Lake). Phu Yen produced 379.9 million kWh of electricity in 2007.

Demography

As of 2007 Phu Yen has a population of 880,700. It has a relatively small urban population (178,600), making up 20% of the province’s population. With 174 people per square kilometre, it is also one of the least densely populated provinces of the South Central Coast. Population density is relatively high (exceeding 500/km²) along the lower Da Rang River, but is lower than 50/km² in much of the western part of the province. The average yearly population between 2000 and 2007 has been 1.3%, close to the regional average. Urban population growth has been faster with 2.2% per year on average.

The vast majority of the population is ethnic Kinh. There are also minorities of Cham, E De, and Ba Na people. Significant minorities of Cham live in Dong Xuan District and Son Hoa District and E De people in Song Hinh District and Son Hoa District. Much smaller communities of Ba Na people also live in these three districts.

Phu Yen Province Administration

Phú Yên is subdivided into nine district-level sub-divisions:

6 districts

Dong Xuan
Phú Hòa
Son Hòa
Sông Hinh
Tây Hòa
Tuy An

2 district-level towns

Dông Hòa
Sông Cau

1 provincial city

Tuy Hòa (capital)

They are further subdivided into eight commune-level towns (or townlets), 88 communes, and 16 wards.

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