Quảng Ngãi () is a coastal and mountainous province in the South Central Coast and Central Highlands regions of Vietnam. The province borders Da Nang to the north, the South China Sea to the east, Gia Lai to the south, the Lao provinces of Sekong and Attapeu, and the Cambodian province of Ratanakiri to the west.
The province's administrative is Cẩm Thành ward, located 130 km south of Đà Nẵng, 820 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, and 908 km south of Hà Nội along the National Route 1. Quảng Ngãi has a 129 km coastline with a territorial sea of .
The province was re-established in July 1989, on the basis of separating Nghĩa Bình province into 2 provinces of Quảng Ngãi and Bình Định. In May 2025, it was merged with the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, forming the new Quảng Ngãi Province with an area of and a population of 2,161,755 people.
The province has been historically populated with H're, Cham, and Kinh peoples. Quảng Ngãi has been one of the least economically developed provinces in Vietnam and has achieved progress in poverty reduction. While being a net contributor to the national budget thanks to the presence of a planned oil and gas industry, the province is one of the 20 provinces with the lowest income per capita in Vietnam.
Geography
Quảng Ngãi's topography is dominated by a plain along the coast and in the center of the province and by mountains and hills in the west. Lowlands extend further inland along Trà Khúc River. The province's highest peak is at 1630m in the west of the province near the border to Quảng Nam. The coastline is straighter in most of the south and central part of the province and features capes north of Quảng Ngãi City. The area became part of Vietnam along with Bình Định province in 1471 following the Champa–Đại Việt War.
In the 19th century, the Long Wall of Quảng Ngãi was constructed in the province, which improved security among the Vietnamese and H're people and facilitated trade. The province had become a center for religious activity, in particular with the construction of a mountain-top monastery, the Thiên Ấn Mountain Pagoda in 1695.
In the lead up to the August Revolution, Quảng Ngãi province was one of the first provinces in central Vietnam (along with Quảng Trị) to organize self-defense units in March 1945. The Ba Tơ Guerrilla Unit mobilized tens of thousands of peasants.
After reunification, the province was designated as the center of a planned oil industry, including the Dung Quất Refinery alongside an economic zone for the development of heavy and light industries.
Demography
The province had a population of 1,219,200 in 2009. A majority in Trà Bồng District (which then also included the Tây Trà District) were Co people., and in later years has seen industrialization with the application of trade rules. The economy of Quang Ngai and surrounding regions is designated for the development of heavy industries; in particular, trade-oriented export and special economic rules apply to parts of the province. The Dung Quất Economic Zone located within the province has a separate visa regime for foreigners seeking to work within the country.
Industrial output within the province has seen growth rates of 15–20% annually, far outstripping most other regions in central Vietnam. The Dung Quất Economic Zone is recognized as one of five key coastal sites for economic growth in Vietnam, and has seen Japanese foreign direct investments.
Quảng Ngãi's GDP per capita was 7.82 million VND in 2007, making it the second poorest province in the South Central Coast (after Ninh Thuận). Quảng Ngãi's economy has been booming since then, due to an increase in industrial GDP from the Dung Quat Economic Zone. It grew by 21% in 2009, increasing GDP per capita to 15.2 million VND, higher than that of its neighbours, Quảng Nam and Bình Định provinces. Exports increased from 31 million US$ in 2005 to 182 million in 2009. Other crops include sugar-cane, peanuts, and coconuts. There is a number of cattle in the province (287,800 in 2007), In contrast to the rest of the region, there is a lack of rich fishing grounds off the coast of Quảng Ngãi province.
Quảng Ngãi's industry was dominated by the state sector (mostly centrally managed companies) until 2005, after which most of the state industry was (officially) privatized. The state sector's share decreased from 2/3 in 2000 to around 1/8 in 2007, while there was a restructuring within the state sector from central state to locally managed state enterprises. To the north, the province borders Chu Lai Airport in Nui Thanh district (Quang Nam province). Quang Ngai province has Dung Quat Port (Binh Son). This is a national general seaport with wind protection, having the 5th largest total cargo throughput nationwide (in 2019), with the capacity to handle liquid cargo (petrochemical refining) and bulk cargo. This port cluster is capable of receiving various types of ships with different sizes depending on the berth. In particular, Hoa Phat Dung Quat Port has allowed ships with sizes up to 200,000 DWT to dock thanks to its depth and shipping lanes. With a 144 km coastline, Quang Ngai has estuaries and smaller-scale ports such as Sa Ky, Sa Can, Cua Dai, My A, Sa Huynh, and Ben Dinh (Ly Son), with potential for water transport, trade, and tourism.
Energy
There is a hydroelectric station on Trà Khúc River in the center of the province. It is located near the border of Sơn Hà district with Tư Nghĩa district and Sơn Tịnh district.