South Central Coast

15°41′49.51″N 108°25′26.66″E / 15.6970861°N 108.4240722°E / 15.6970861; 108.4240722

South Central Coast Duyên hải Nam Trung Bộ
Location of the South Central Region in Vietnam
Country	Vietnam
Area [1][2]
• Total	44,605.12 km2 (17,222.13 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	9,470,840
• Density	210/km2 (550/sq mi)
GDP
• Total	VND 530 trillion US$ 23.256 billion (2021)
Time zone	UTC+7 (UTC +7)

In Vietnam, South Central Coast (Vietnamese: Duyên hải Nam Trung Bộ) and South Central Region (Vietnamese: Nam Trung Bộ) are two terms which can refer to the same region or two regions that do not correspond to each other. South Central Coast (sometimes called "South Central Region") consists of the independent municipality of Đà Nẵng and seven other provinces (picture 1), which means South Central Coast doesn't include Central Highlands (picture 2). Nevertheless, the term "South Central Region" can also be used to include Central Highlands as it is part of southern part of Central Vietnam.

The region has traditionally been one of the main gateways to neighbouring Central Highlands. It has a complex geography with mountain ranges extending up to the coast, making transport and infrastructure development challenging but favouring tourism in some places, most notable around Phan Thiết, Nha Trang, and Da Nang. Tourism also benefits from Cham cultural heritage, including architecture, performances, and museums. It is generally much less industrialized and developed than the region around Ho Chi Minh City or the Red River Delta, but it has some regional industrial centers in Da Nang, around Nha Trang and Quy Nhon.

South Central Coast (Duyên hải Nam Trung Bộ) - 8 provinces: Da Nang, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Bình Định, Phú Yên, Khánh Hòa, Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận. The two southern provinces Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận are sometimes seen as part of the Southeast region. In the Nguyễn dynasty, this area was known as Tả Trực Kỳ (the area located in the right of Thừa Thiên).