city on the flat Mekong River delta, southern Vietnam. Ben Tre is linked by highway and ferry boat to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) 53 miles (85 km) to the northeast. It is served by a commercial airfield and functions as a link on the My Tho-Phu Vinh river-canal system.

The surrounding region is devoted largely to irrigated rice and coconuts. Other crops include dates, corn (maize), potatoes, cotton, tobacco, sugarcane, and pineapples.