Geography and Climate
Khánh Hòa Province has an area of 5,197 km². Its geographical coordinates are 108°40’33" to 109°27’55" E and 11°42’50" to 12°52’15" N.
The provincial coastline spreads from Đại Lãnh Commune to the end of Cam Ranh Bay with a total length of coastline of 385 km featuring numerous creek mouths, lagoons, river mouths, and hundreds of islands and islets. The province also administers large territorial waters. The Spratly Islands are part of the province's Truong Sa County. The coastline is indented by several bays, most notably the four bays Vân Phong Bay, Nha Phu Bay, Nha Trang Bay (Cù Huân) and Cam Ranh Bay, of which Cam Ranh Bay with its area of around 200 km², encompassed by a mountain range, is regarded as one of three best natural seaports in the world. Cam Ranh Bay is strategically important and has been used as a naval base by several major powers throughout history.
Hon Doi Cliff (Mũi Hòn Đôi) on the Hòn Gốm Peninsula, Vạn Ninh District is the easternmost tip of Vietnam's mainland.
The province is mostly mountainous. The highest peak is Vong Phu Mountain (2051m) at the border to Dak Lak Province. The only large lowland area is located around Ninh Hoa town in the north of the province. Partly as a result of this, not much land is available for agriculture. 87,100ha or 16.7% of Khanh Hoa's total area are used for farming, one of the lowest shares in the South Central Coast. Forests cover more than half of the province's area.
The province enjoys a mild climate with an average annual temperature of 26.7°C. There are two distinct seasons: the rainy season lasts from April to December, with the other months being the dry season, except in Nha Trang where the rainy season lasts for just two months. The average relative humidity is 80.5%. The climate on the summit of Hòn Bà Mountain (located 30 km from Nha Trang) features a climate like that of Đà Lạt and Sa Pa.
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