Ba Ria-Vung Tau (in Vietnamese, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu) is a Province of Vietnam. It is located on the coast of the country's southern region. It also includes the Con Dao islands, located some distance off Vietnam's southeastern coast.

Politically, Ba Ria-Vung Tau is divided into five districts: Chau Duc, Con Dao, Long Dat, Tan Thanh, and Xuyen Moc. The town of Ba Ria is a separate municipality, as is the city of Vung Tau (the provincial capital).

Vung Tau is an important tourist destination, being particularly well known for its beaches, for its colonial-era architecture, and for a large statue of Jesus on a hill by the sea. Tourism is a major industry for Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Other significant economic activities include fishing and off-shore oil exploration.

With the exception of the Con Dao islands, all of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province was once a part of Dong Nai province to the north. In 1979, Vung Tau was broken away from Dong Nai and merged with the Con Dao islands (formerly part of Hau Giang province), forming the new Vung Tau-Con Dao "special zone". Later, in 1992, Ba Ria was also broken away from Dong Nai province, merging with Vung Tau-Con Dao to form the modern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

External link

• Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province Foreign Affairs Department website

• Ba Ria-Vung Tau province home page (mostly in Vietnamese)