Quảng Nam Province

Quảng Nam ( listen) is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is bordered by Thừa Thiên–Huế Province to the north, the nation of Laos to the west, Kon Tum Province to the southwest, Quảng Ngãi Province to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east, and the city of Da Nang to the northeast.

History

Quảng Nam was once the political and near the geographic centre of Champa. For some time both the most powerful city-state and the busiest Cham port (at Hội An) were located in what is now Quảng Nam. Trade in luxury goods from the Central Highlands was the basis of this wealth and power. As a result of warfare with Vietnam, the centre of political power of the Cham shifted south to Vijaya. The trade in luxuries continued for some time under the Nguyễn lords but declined gradually, especially under the Nguyễn Dynasty and further in colonial Vietnam, when the economic focus shifted to the agriculture of the large river deltas.

The province was split into two in 1962, with the southern half known as Quảng Tín Province. The two provinces were merged again after unification in 1976.