Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area

Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan area that was in June 2008 proposed by the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam to the Government of Vietnam for approval. According to this master plan, this metropolitan area will include provinces around Ho Chi Minh City in Dong Nam Bo and 2 provinces in Tay Nam Bo. This metropolitan area currently has an area of 30,404 square kilometers with radius of 150-200 km, a population of 20-22 million inhabitants, of which uban residents account for 16-17 million, urbanized rate of 77-80%. In 2050, there will be 25-27 million people, urbanized rate of 90%. Constructed land will be 1800-2100 square kilometer by 2020. Ho Chi Minh City will be the core urban center of the area while other surrounding cities and towns will play their role as satelite municipalities. Baria-Vungtau will serve as the main deepwater seaport of the region, especially Sao Mai-Ben Dinh seaport, Thi Vai Port. Long Thanh International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport will serve as the air traffic hub of the region. Hi-tech park will be located in Ho Chi Minh City while other heavy industry will concentrate in Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Vung Tau will serve as tourism hub, with its beautiful beaches and several entertainment resort mega projects like a 4.2-billion-USD project invested by Canadian corporations, Cua Lap Resort, Disneyland-like theme park, Vungtau Aquarium… [ [http://www.baobariavungtau.com.vn/en/tourism/46263/index.brvt Vung Tau Offers Beach and Sun] ] [ [http://www.luxuo.com/2008/06/ho-tram-strip-42-billion-resort-in.html Ho Tram Strip - A $4.2 billion Resort in Vietnam] ] citeweb|url=http://www.thiennhien.net/news/140/ARTICLE/5356/2008-05-01.html|title=Quy hoạch xây dựng vùng thành phố Hồ Chí Minh ("Master Plan for Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area")|date=2008-5-01]

Component localities

This metropolitan area will straddle in following provinces: citeweb|url=http://vneconomy.vn/?home=detail&page=category&cat_name=17&id=7838380a353206|title=Quy hoạch xây dựng vùng Tp.HCM|date= 2008-04-25|publisher=VnEconomy]
*Ho Chi Minh City
*Dong Nai Province
*Binh Duong Province
*Binh Phuoc Province
*Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province
*Tay Ninh Province
*Tien Giang Province
*Long An Province

Major cities

Current cities and towns (as of 2008)
*Ho Chi Minh City, core city
*Vung Tau
*Bien Hoa
*Thu Dau Mot
*Tan An
*My Tho
*Go Cong town
*Tay Ninh town
*Dong Xoai town
*Long Khanh town
*Ba Ria townAdditional cities which will be developed in a decade:
*Phu My City upgraded from Phu My Township
*Nhon Trach City, upgraded from district of Nhon Trach
*Long Thanh City, upgraded from Long Thanh Towship.

Population

Currently, there are million inhabitants in this area. It’s planned that there will be million people and million people in 2010 and 2020 respectively.The urban residents as of 2008 million, million in 2010 and million in 2020.

Transportation

Air transport

As of 2008, Tan Son Nhat International Airport is the only airport in use with the designed capacity of 15-17 passengers per annum. Long Thanh International Airport which located in Dong Nai, 40 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City will be constructed in 2010. This new airport will have full designed capacity of 80-100 million passengers annually. The estimated investment capital is US$ 8 billion and due to be completed in 2015 (phase I) and 2020 (phase II). Once the first phase is completed, this airport will be capable to serve 20 million passengers per year. [citeweb|url=http://www.dongnai.gov.vn/thong_tin_KTXH/XTDT_hoa_ky/mlfolder.2005-04-15.4057037333/mlnews.2005-09-14.2065002216?set_language=en&cl=en|title=Long Thanh International Airport|publisher=Dong Nai Province Government]

Ports

Most of the principal ports will concentrate in Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. In 2007, all ports in Ho Chi Minh City alone handled 50.5 million metric tons of cargo. [ [http://www.mofahcm.gov.vn/vi/tintuc_sk/tulieu/nr060206163738/nr061107160930/ns080114143359 mofahcm] ]

Highway

National Highway 1 A, the core road in Vietnam crosses this region. Other expressways are under construction include: Long Thanh-Dau Day-Dalat Expressway, Saigon-Cantho Expressway, Trans-Asian Highway, 3 belt ring expressways in Ho Chi Minh City, Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway, Tan An-Bien Hoa Expressway.

Railway

Together with the trans-Vietnam railway development, Ho Chi Minh City-Nha Trang express railway will be built after 2010 to enable an average speed of 300 km/hour. Ho Chi Minh City Metro is currently under construction.

Education

This region is currently home to more than 40 universities and 40 colleges and hundreds of vocational schools.

Economy

Ho Chi Minh City will host the region’s financial, commercial, hi-tech, educational, transportation and communication services. Vung Tau will be the seaside entertainment hub as well as petroleum center (oil and gas exploitation, oil refinery, LPG production), steel, fertilizer, electricity. Dong Nai and Binh Duong will focus on electrical and electronic industry, food processing, machinery, textile, footwares, furniture.

ee also

*Hanoi Metropolitan Area
*Dong Nam Bo

References