The northern Central region in the late19th and early 20th centuries: potentials and economic roles

Abstract

After pacifying Vietnam in the last decade of the nineteenth century, the French colonial government soon embarked on a strategy of colonial exploitation. Apart from the policy of plundering and exploiting, the colonial government aimed to maximize Vietnam's potential, such as geographical terrain, natural resources, strategic geopolitical position, and other economic and social benefits. After decades of assessing the economic potential of Indochina in general and Vietnam in particular, the French came more and more aware of the distinctiveness and advantages of the northern Central regional economic space. The region connected the sea with the mainland, bridging the East-West economic corridor. Each province/region in this area was targeted by the French to meet the overall exploitation strategy, associated with economic centres and regions from Thanh Hoa, Nghe An to Quang Tri.