Binh Gia District was located Lat: 22° 03’ 50” N, Lon: 106° 20’ 02” E and located 75 kilometers far from the capital city of the province which was Lang Son City. In the north of Binh Gia was Trang Dinh district, in the south was Bac Son district, in the east Van Quan and Van Lang districts all from Lang Son Province; and in the west is Na Ri district from Bac Kan Province. Binh Gia district has 1 townlet and have 19 communes covered a total land area of 1,091 km2 and 54,349 total populations of Kinh, Tay, Dao, and Nung ethnicity.
Figure 4.1Binh Gia District Map
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4.1.1. Area’s Climate and weather
It was located in the tropical monsoon climate, influenced by the general climate of the north; the climate was humid tropical monsoon. The districts have cold winter; and dry, hot, humid, and rainy summer. The average temperature was 20°c and the temperature ranged from -1°c to 37°c. The air humidity was 82% per year.
Average annual rainfall is 1,540 mm, and during the rainy season was 212 mm per month. Rainfall is the natural source of irrigating the plants, tree and others. Average annual evaporation was 811mm. and the number of days legible to snow was only 2 to 3 days. Binh Gia’s climate was suitable for developing perennial crops, especially fruit trees. With the average temperature and suitable number of sunlight hours over the year it was very favorable for crop management. Binh Gia had abundant vegetation.
However being located to Northeastern part of the country can limit the growth of crop due to cold and dry winter season.
4.1.2. Digital Elevation Model Map of Binh Gia District
Figure 4.2 Digital Elevation Map of Binh Gia District
39 The DEM of Binh Gia District, this DEM was newly created using the digital contour map (scale 30x30m) as a part of “Investigation of Land Degradation in Lang Son Province”, this project was done by Spatial Research Laboratory of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry in the year 2015.
4.1.3. Water Resources
Surface water in Binh Gia was abundant. Bac Giang River was the important source of water irrigating the crops and water for the people in daily use. It was also used of the people to transport wood in nearby places. The river flows through the town of Pac Khuong Thien Thuat into Bac Giang River. The district also has hundreds of large and small streams to supply for drinking and for production. However due to complex terrain, flood and drought have caused permanent damaged each different levels in every topography region. Therefore, it requires costly investment for building up secondary water resources to supply for agricultural irrigation.
3.1.4. Forest resources
In 2012, the total area of forest land is 78129.96 ha Binh Gia, the forest coverage rate reached 54%. Inside:
+ Production forest land: 62411.04 hectares.
+ Protective forest land: 15718.92 hectares.
Forest resources, the strength of the district, Forest land mainly occupied area of land use structure of the district, however, the forest a resource in recent years has been severely reduced in both quantity and quality.
40 - Plant trees Complementary strengths of the district, 2012 In the entire district area is 8106.7 hectares, an area of 5675 ha for the product is, reaching 17 025 tons of fresh production.
- The fauna peculiar forest Eco region of northeastern rocky, but the quality and quantity has been severely reduced, the large animals no longer occurred. The bird diversity is no longer as before.
- The vegetation and fauna sharp decline requires care attention renovations, new cultivation methods of sustainable farming, industrial development towards the mining and processing of forest products.
4.1.5. Mineral Resources
Currently in the district of Binh Gia commune with peat mines in Hoang Van Thu, reserves of several hundred thousand tons can be exploited to produce fertilizer for fruit trees, crops, and rice and food crops. Precious metals including gold placers in the area of Tan Van, Hong Feng are negligible reserves, and Iron ore, Angtymol in Hoa Tham Commune.
Binh Gia also has a large limestone mass concentrated in Hieu Commune, Tan Van, Hoang Van Thu Street, Binh Gia town as feedstock for quarrying industry, production of building materials, rocks split, paving stones serve the construction work in the district and province of Lang Son.
41 4.1.6. Human
1. Population
Binh Gia was mountainous, including the main ethnic groups such as Tay, Nung, Kinh, Dao, Hoa. The population of Binh Gia was 54,349 people, of which 26 586 women (accounting for 49.96%) , urban population of 2829 people (nearly 5.32%), rural population of 50 385 people. The percentage of population between rural towns and demonstrated less fluctuation urbanization rate in the district was slow, the expansion of the small industry sector, trade, services, tourism in the district are limited because the force workers in this sector is low. The population density is 48.7 people / km2, equivalent to the density of the province.
2. Labor
Binh Gia's capital was abundant, the total labor force in the age of the district's 32 472 employees, accounting for 61.02% of the total number of household members.
Labor employment is 27,601 people, including up to 87.67% of the employees work in agriculture - forestry. Workers in the district were mostly seasonal workers should work force after crop should be arranged for other professions such as quarrying, sand, gravel, building materials production and other industries. Overall, the quality of human resources of the district was low, the number of trained laborers was low (only about 18% of the total workforce), the percentage of workers with a university degree, college small share in total workforce. This was a major obstacle in the process of absorbing the achievements of science and technology for socio-economic development of society.