Bến Tre - is a province of Vietnam. It is one of the country's southern provinces, being situated in the delta of the Mekong River. Administration People's Council Chair: Nguyễn Hữu Phước People's Committee Chair: NGUYỄN THỊ THANH HÀ Geography: Capital: Bến Tre Region: Mekong Delta Area: 2,321.6 km² Demographics Population: Density 1,345,600(2004), 579.60/km² Ethnicities: Vietnamese, Khmer, Hoa, Tày Calling code: 75 ISO 3166-2: VN-50 Website: www.bentre.gov.vn Administration: Politically, Bến Tre is divided into seven districts: Ba Tri Bình Đại Châu Thành Chợ Lách Giồng Trôm Mỏ Cày Thạnh Phú The provincial capital, also known as Bến Tre, is a separate municipality. Geography: Ben Tre countryside around Cái MonGeographically, Bến Tre is wedged between the two main branches of the Tiền Giang River, which is itself one of the two main branches of the Mekong. The province's northern boundary is formed by the Tiền Giang's main course, while the province's southern boundary is formed by the Tiền Giang's largest branch (which breaks away from the Tiền Giang just upriver from Bến Tre province). Between the Tiền Giang and its main branch are two smaller branches, passing through the middle of Bến Tre. The entire province is criss-crossed with a network of smaller rivers and canals. The extensive irrigation that this provides makes Bến Tre a major producer of rice, but also means that the area is prone to flooding. Bến Tre province is, on average, only 1.25 metres above sea level. Transportation: At present, there are no bridges connecting Bến Tre province to the rest of Vietnam - access is only possible by ferries. In 2002, however, work started on the Rach Mieu Bridge, which will link Bến Tre to its northern neighbour, Tiền Giang province. The bridge is expected to be completed in 2008.