Hòa Bình province
Template:Infobox province of Vietnam Hòa Bình is a mountainous province of Vietnam, located in the nation's northwestern region. It borders Phu Tho Province and Son La Province to the northwest, Ha Noi city to the north and northeast, Ha Nam Province to the southeast, Ninh Binh Province to the south and Thanh Hoa Province to the south. In 2004, the GDP per capita of the province was estimated to be US$228 (equivalent to 3.6 million Vietnamese dong).
Districts
Hòa Bình is divided into one city (Hòa Bình) and ten districts:
The People's Council of Hòa Bình Province decided in February 2006 making Hoa Binh the capital of the province.
History
Hòa Bình Province was created in June 22, 1886 following the decree of Tonkin with the name Mường Province, splitting Muong majority areas from Hung Hoa Province, Sơn Tây Province, Hà Nội Province and Ninh Binh Province. Its name derives from the Sino-Vietnamese 和平, meaning "peace."
The province was administered from Chợ Bờ (in Đà Bắc) hence it was also known as Chợ Bờ Province, until it November of the same year, it was relocated to Phương Lâm district (today in Bất Bạt district, Hà Tây province). In April 1888 it was renamed to Phương Lâm Province, by the French colonial authorities.
On March 18, 1891 the Governor-General of French Indochina decreed that the name of the province would change to Hòa Bình Province with six districts: Lương Sơn, Kỳ Sơn, Lạc Sơn, Lạc Thủy, Mai Châu and Đà Bắc.