Overview of Bac Kan Province
Geographical and Natural Characteristics:
Bac Kan is a mountainous province situated in the central inland region of Northeast Vietnam. To the north, it shares borders with Bao Lac, Nguyen Binh, and Thach An districts of Cao Bang Province; to the east, it borders Trang Dinh and Binh Gia districts of Lang Son Province; to the south, it shares borders with Vo Nhai, Phu Luong, and Dinh Hoa districts of Thai Nguyen Province; and to the west, it borders Na Hang, Chiem Hoa, and Yen Son districts of Tuyen Quang Province.
Administrative Map of Bac Kan Province:
Bac Kan lies entirely within the tropical monsoon climate belt of Southeast Asia. In this location, Bac Kan experiences distinct seasonal variations in temperature, rainfall, and day-night length. Positioned between two mountainous arc systems in the northeast, the province is strongly influenced by the continental climate of Asia, resulting in cold winters and limited impact from storms in the summer.
Natural Land Area:
The natural land area of Bac Kan is 485,996 hectares, including 44,116 hectares of agricultural land (9.08%), 413,366 hectares of forest land (85.05%), and 28,514 hectares of other land types (designated land, residential land, unused land), accounting for 5.87%. The soil is relatively fertile in many areas, with thick topsoil in hilly regions suitable for agriculture, forestry, industrial crops, and fruit trees.
Administrative Units and Population:
Bac Kan is administratively divided into 8 units, including 1 city (Bac Kan City) and 7 districts (Ba Be, Bach Thong, Cho Don, Cho Moi, Na Ri, Ngan Son, Pac Nam), comprising a total of 108 communes, wards, and townships.
As of April 1, 2019, the population of Bac Kan Province is 313,905 people, ranking 63rd in the country. The ethnic composition includes the Kinh people with 37,615 individuals (11.98%), Tay people with 165,055 individuals (52.58%), Nung people with 28,709 individuals (9.15%), Dao people with 56,063 individuals (17.86%), H’Mong people with 22,607 individuals (7.20%), San Chay people with 1,680 individuals (0.54%), and other ethnic groups with 2,176 individuals (0.69%). The population density is 65 people/km2.
