NATURAL CONDITIONS

Terrain

Quang Ninh has a diverse terrain from mountains to midlands, coastal plains, coastal areas and islands, creating a diverse climate, ecosystem and geology.

The complex mountainous terrain divides the province into two regions, including the East (from Tien Yen through Binh Lieu, Hai Ha, Dam Ha to Mong Cai City) and the West (from Tien Yen through Ba Che, north of Ha Long City and Uong Bi and gradually descends to the north of Dong Trieu town). The terrain of the coastal plain includes parts of Dong Trieu, Uong Bi, northern Quang Yen, southern Tien Yen, Dam Ha, Hai Ha and part of Mong Cai City, which is favourable for agricultural and transportation development.

The divided mountainous terrain also creates population distribution and development, as well as regional differences between the east and west, the midland mountains and the coastal strip. The mountainous terrain also causes difficulties in economic development (including the limitation of land funds, and the lack of premises for economic development), as well as in preserving and ensuring the security and social order of the province.

Quang Ninh has a coastal archipelago topography, which is a unique terrain consisting of islands of different sizes. In particular, Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay are natural treasures that have exceptional value and unique magnificence, with thousands of limestone islands and white sand beaches, serving tourism and raw materials for glass technology.

The seabed topography has reefs where diverse coral reefs grow, which is a favourable factor for the development of marine tourism. In particular, the seabed topography has deep creeks forming channels and ports on a sheltered coastline thanks to island corridors, facilitating the construction and development of seaport systems, especially deep-water ports that can accommodate large tonnage ships, and inland waterway ports to meet the needs of goods exchange with provinces in the region.

With more than 250km of coastline and 2,077 islands, it accounts for the majority of the country's islands, including large and medium-sized land islands such as Cai Bau 190km2, Tra Ban 76.4km2, Vinh Thuc 32.6km2, Ba Mun 23.4km2, Thanh Lan 16.8km2, Co To 15.6km2. The islands are suitable for residential living and economic development, as a stepping stone to the sea, and in protecting the sovereignty of the country.

In addition, Ha Long Bay has many rocky islands. Of which, Bai Tu Long Bay has many islands, possibly inhabited, with beautiful beaches, especially the 17km-long Tra Co Beach — the longest beach in Vietnam.

NATURAL RESOURCES

LAND RESOURCES

Quang Ninh has the largest area in the Red River Delta, accounting for 1.84% of Vietnam's total land area, however about 80% of the land area is mountainous. Agricultural land accounts for 75.4% of the total land area, but most of it is forest land, with 50,886 hectares of arable land, equivalent to 8.3%. In addition, the province also has a large area of unused land that can be exploited for the purpose of developing the construction industry.

WATER RESOURCES

Water sources from reservoirs play an important role in stabilising water sources for domestic, industrial, and irrigation water supply. The potential of underground water resources is relatively rich, but the ability to exploit and use it for socio-economic development still faces many difficulties due to fragmented terrain and the distribution of aquifers mainly in cracks and tectonic rupture zones.

FOREST RESOURCES

Quang Ninh has 435,932 hectares under planning of three types of forests, with a coverage of 55%, much higher than the average rate of 40% in the country. Quang Ninh forests play an important role in preserving biodiversity, protecting watersheds, preventing erosion, regulating, and protecting the ecological environment, and providing high-value wood and non-wood forest products for the processing industry, meeting consumer and export needs.

MARINE RESOURCES

Quang Ninh has great strengths and potential to develop marine economic sectors. With a coastline length of more than 250km, 2,077 islands (accounting for the majority of islands in the country), over 40,000ha of tidal flats, more than 20,000ha of straits and bays, and a large fishing ground of over 6,100km2, Quang Ninh’s waters are home to many valuable species, creating great opportunities for aquaculture and fishing development, especially for export and the high-value food processing industry.

Quang Ninh’s coastal area also has many deep-water and wind-tight areas, which are favourable for the development of the seaport system, especially deep-water ports which can receive large ships and inland waterway ports that can accommodate goods exchange with provinces throughout the region. Quang Ninh’s most valuable marine resources are Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay. Ha Long Bay was twice recognised by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage for its landscape, geological and geomorphological value and was also honoured as one of the seven new natural wonders of the world.

Beaches such as Tra Co, Ngoc Vung, Minh Chau, and Quan Lan have the advantage of becoming tourist attractions. The system of islands with primaeval forests, featuring rich and rare ecosystems and animals, is suitable for promoting various types of exploration and adventure tourism.

MINERALS RESOURCES

Quang Ninh has rich mineral resources with 209 mines and ore sites of 36 types of minerals that have been surveyed, explored and evaluated. Quang Ninh's coal reserve is estimated at 8.8 billion tonnes, stretching from Dong Trieu to Cam Pha, 3.6 billion tonnes of which is located at a depth of less than 300 metres, making it the locality with largest coal reserves in Southeast Asia, supplying mainly anthracite coal with high durability and carbon content.

Quang Ninh is Vietnam's number one centre for coal resources, accounting for more than 90% of the country's coal output. Quang Ninh is also home to Vietnam’s only oligocene coal in Dong Ho, with reserves of about 4.21 million tonnes. With such huge coal resources, Quang Ninh has become the largest coal mining and power production centre in the country.

However, Quang Ninh also faces the conflicts between economic development, which is based on mining industry and coal power, and environmental protection and tourism landscape preservation; and between exploitation of natural resources to ensure national energy security and the goal of reducing CO2 emissions to zero by 2050.

MINERAL WATER RESOURCES

Mineral water resources at five mines and mineral water sites — Quang Hanh and Tam Hop in Cam Pha District, Khe Lac (Tien Yen District), Dong Long (Binh Lieu District), and Cai Chien (Hai Ha District) — can be put into use to serve tourist activities, medical examination and treatment, and beverage production.