Binh Duong province is located at the transition between the southern slope of the Truong Son mountain chain and the Mekong Delta provinces; plain terrain, light wavy. Elevation varies from 10 to 15 meters above sea level. The center of the province is at the geographical coordinates of 10^o-50’-27’’ to 11^o-24’-32’’ north latitude, and from 106^o-20’ to 106^o25’ east longitude.

 

Terrain in Binh Duong is relatively flat, sloping from north to south. Across Binh Duong there are many different topographic regions, including low mountainous terrain with slight undulation, flat plains and alluvial valley. There are some low mountains, including Chau Thoi in Di An town and the Cau mountain (also called Lap Vo) in Dau Tieng district and some low hills.

 

Natural affects have created many different types of landrorms including worn areas, accumulative areas (due to the deposition of corrosive materials in the flow) and some areas were worn , accumulative and depositional at the same time. This is due to rainfall and the flow affect the ground, with the effects of wind, temperature, climate, the erosion and collapse because of gravity of the geology. The impact took place in millions of years.

 

The plentiful lands of Binh Duong include various types:

 

 + Grey on ancient alluvial soil, an area of 200,000 hectares, is distributed over the districts, town, city of Dau Tieng, Ben Cat, Thuan An, and Thu Dau Mot. This soil is suitable for intense cropping, especially industrial plantations and fruit trees

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+ Yellow-brown on ancient alluvial soil, covering approximately 35,206 hectares, is located on the low sloping hills in the districts, town, city of Tan Uyen, Phu Giao, Thu Dau Mot, Thuan An, and a few areas along Highway 13. This land is suitable for vegetable crops as well as fruit and nut trees such as jackfruit or cashew.

 

 + Alluvial Glay on slope convergence, located in the north of Tan Uyen, Phu Giao, Ben Cat, Dau Tieng, Thuan An, and Di An. Flat humus clay of about 7,900 hectares is scattered in depressed areas along rivers and streams. This soil is alkaline, acidic because of its iron and aluminum sulphate content. Treated soil can grow rice, vegetables and fruit trees, among other crops.

 

The Binh Duong climate like the climate of the South East region is hot and rainy, with high humidity. It is a tropical monsoon climate, divided into two distinct dry and wet seasons. The rainy season usually starts in May until late October.

 

In early months of the rainy season, there are regular short but heavy showers, while the months of July, August, and September usually have continuous rain, sometimes lasting for 1-2 days and nights continually. Binh Duong seldom experiences hurricanes and only affected by local storms.

 

The average annual temperature in Binh Duong is 26oC-27oC, with the highest temperature reaching 39.3oC, but the overnight low falls to 16oC-17oC. In the dry season, the average annual humidity is in the range of 76%-80%, with the highest at 86% in September and the lowest at 66% in February. The average rainfall each year is 1.800-2.000 mm, but rainfall at So Sao crossroads in Binh Duong regularly measures up to 2113.3 mm.

 

River flow volume varies seasonally: Rainy season lasts from May to November and Dry season lasts from November to May. There are three major rivers, many canals in the riverside areas and innumerous small streams.

 

The Dong Nai River is the largest river in the South East, with its source in the Lam Vien Plateau in Lam Dong province. The river is 635 km long but only flows through the territory of Binh Duong in Tan Uyen district. The Dong Nai River is valuable to provide agricultural water, water transport and fisheries.

 

The 256-km Saigon River originates in the mountains of Loc Ninh district in Binh Phuoc province with many tributaries, canals and streams. The Saigon River flows through Binh Duong to the west. The section from Lai Thieu to Dau Tieng is 143 km long and gently slopes, making it useful for transportation, agriculture, and fishery supply. Upstream, the river is narrow (20m) and meandering, gradually extending from Dau Tieng to the town of Thu Dau Mot where it becomes wider (200m).

 

Its tributary, the Thi Tinh River, originates in Cam Xe hill, Binh Long district in Binh Phuoc province. It flows through Ben Cat, and then merges with the Saigon River at Ong Co dam. The Saigon river and the Thi Tinh river bring alluvial to the plain along Ben Cat town, Thu Dau Mot city, Thuan An town and fields along Dong Nai river, formulating high-yield rice fields and lush orchards.

 

The Song Be River is 360 km in length and is fed by the three rivers in Dac Ro Lap, Dac Giun, and Dac Huyt in the mountain area of Dak Lak province. Downstream, the section which flows into Binh Duong is 80 km long but difficult to navigate due to steep banks, rocks, and waterfalls, thus the Song Be River is not convenient for water transport.

 

The system of roads and waterways of Binh Duong province is very important in connecting regions inside and outside the province. The road system centers on the important transport routes of Highway 13, running from Ho Chi Minh City through the province from south to north, crossing Binh Phuoc province, connecting Cambodia to Thailand border. This highway is significantly meaningful to military and economic purposes.

 

Highway 14 from Tay Ninh province runs through Dau Tieng district to Chon Thanh district, Dong Xoai city, Bu Dang district (Binh Phuoc province) across the vast Central Highlands. The road is strategically important to Vietnam’s development both in war and peacetime.

 

There are also inter-provincial highway 1A from Thu Dau Mot cỉt to Phuoc Long town (Binh Phuoc), inter-provincial highway 13 from Chon Thanh district to Dong Phu district (Binh Phuoc) and Dau Tieng district (Binh Duong), inter-provincial Highway 16 from Tan Uyen town to Phuoc Vinh (Phu Giao district), Route 14 from Ben Cat town to Dau Tieng district ... and the road system provides key access routes to connect Thu Dau Mot city with the other towns and residential areas inside the province.

 

About the water transport system, Binh Duong is located between three major rivers, including the important Saigon River. Binh Duong is connected by waterways to major ports in the South enabling the exchange of goods with Mekong Delta provinces.

 

Because of the humid tropical climate and fertile soil, the old forests of Binh Duong province support a very diverse and rich ecosystem. There are vast expanses of managed old growth forest.. Forests in the province provide a number of valuable timbers such Cam Xe, Sao, Trac, Go do, Cam lai, and Giang huong. Binh Duong forests also supply a variety of medicinal herbs, food plants, and animals (including rare species).

 

Over the past half century, Binh Duong forests have shrunk considerably due to enemy bombing and chemical defoliation of American invader during the war. In the war, the US’s puppet had done deforestation by cutting down all the trees and formed the “white-area” so that the revolutionary forces could be pushed far away from the base. On the other hand, after the war ended, the uncontrolled exploitation of forest resources also makes forests shrunk.

 

Along with valuable forest resources, mineral resources are another advantage of Binh Duong province, which became the cradle for many traditional industries, such as ceramics, sculpture, wood, and lacquer.

 

Kaolin, white clay, colored clay, white grit, blue stone, and laterite mines scatter across the province, mostly in Tan Uyen, Thuan An town, Di An town, and Thu Dau Mot city.

 

Recently a kaolin mine was found with large reserves distributed over an area of more than one kilometer in Dat Cuoc, Bac Tan Uyen district. The kaolin soil is high-qualified and can be used as material for pottery or as additives in industrial products.