Con Dao’s Positional Resources: Potential and Orientation in Value Promotion

Abstract

Con Dao is an archipelago off the coast of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, in the southeast Vietnam, including 16 islands with a total area of 72.81 km2. Through surveys and various secondary sources, the article focuses on analyzing the geo-natural, geo-political and geo-economic resources of Con Dao, thereby proposing the solutions to promote the position resources of Con Dao for sustainable economic development. Results indicate that topography, geology, and ecological landscape have created a great value for Con Dao in terms of geo-natural resources and favorable habitat for living species and humans. Regarding the value of geo-political position, as a protruding archipelago located at the crossroads of international sea routes, the intersection point of two maritime routes from South to North Asia and the maritime route from West to East and vice versa, and the gateway of Vietnam with ASEAN countries, Con Dao plays an important role in the protection of Vietnam’s past and current national rights and interests in the sea. In terms of the value of geo-economic position, Con Dao belongs to a district-level administrative unit in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province as a prioritized position for the development of the sea-island economy of the country. With the rich and diverse natural resources, human resources, healthy environment, and location in an important position on international trade routes, Con Dao is a favorable area for the development of marine economic sectors such as fisheries, marine conservation and tourism along with other types of services. However, in reality, the enhancement of the position resources of Con Dao for economic development is still limited, inconsistent and unsustainable.