An Giang Province


An Giang is a province of Vietnam. It is located in the Mekong Delta, in the southwestern part of the country.

Geography

An Giang occupies a position in the upper reaches of the Mekong Delta. The Hậu Giang and Tiền Giang branches of the Mekong River are the dominant geographical features of the province. With the exception of the west, most of An Giang is fairly flat and is criss-crossed by many canals and small rivers. This terrain has led to An Giang being a significant agricultural center, producing significant quantities of rice.
The Cấm Mountains, also known as the Thất Sơn range or the "Seven Mountains", are located in the western Tịnh Biên District. Followers of the Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương tradition, founded in An Giang in 1849, refer to these mountains as Bửu Sơn, "Precious Mountains".

Administrative divisions

An Giang is subdivided into 11 district-level sub-divisions:
  1. An Phú: 2 towns and 12 rural communes
  2. Châu Phú: 1 town and 12 rural communes
  3. Châu Thành: 1 town and 12 rural communes
  4. Chợ Mới: 2 towns and 16 rural communes
  5. Phú Tân: 2 towns and 16 rural communes
  6. Thoại Sơn: 3 towns and 14 rural communes
  7. Tịnh Biên: 3 towns and 11 rural communes
  8. Tri Tôn: 2 towns and 13 rural communes
  1. Tân Châu: 5 wards and 9 rural communes
  1. Châu Đốc: 5 wards and 2 rural communes
  2. Long Xuyên: 11 wards and 2 rural communes
An Giang first became a province in 1832, having been settled by the Vietnamese migrants moving southwards in search of new land. It is believed that An Giang was once an important center of the 1st millennium Óc Eo culture, presumably owing to its position on the river. Traditionally, An Giang has been known for its silk industry.
An Giang is home to a sizable number of people from Vietnam's ethnic minorities. Due to the province's proximity to Cambodia, the Khmer Krom are the largest non-Vietnamese group. Other groups, such as the Chams and ethnic Chinese, are also found in An Giang.

Etymology

The province's name is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese word:, meaning "peaceful river".

Notable people from An Giang

Politics