In 2015, Bac Kan town became a city, marking the official establishment of a city in all northern provinces. Bac Kan city is currently about 137km2 wide, with an average altitude of 150 - 200m, the highest at Khau Nang peak is about 746m. The terrain here is mainly limestone mountains, dirt mountains and valleys.

Dak Nong is the last province in Vietnam to have a city. Established in 2004, it was not until early 2020 that this province had a city, Gia Nghia. Thus, after 16 years of formation and development, Dak Nong province is the last locality in the country to have a city.

Gia Nghia City was established on the basis of the entire 284km2 natural area and population of more than 85,000 people of Gia Nghia town. Gia Nghia City borders Dak Glong, Dak R'Lap, Dak Song districts and Lam Dong province.

Bac Kan is the locality with the lowest population in the country at present, with about 320,000 people. Lai Chau and Cao Bang provinces are next. The population density in these provinces is also among the lowest in the country. In the Central region, Ninh Thuan is the locality with the lowest population, with about 600,000 people, while in the Central Highlands, Kon Tum is the locality with a population of only about 550,000 people.

In 1900, the Governor-General of Indochina issued a Decree separating a part of Thai Nguyen province to establish Bac Kan province. At that time, Bac Kan had four districts, including Bach Thong, Cho Ra, Thong Hoa (later changed to Na Ri) and Cam Hoa (later changed to Ngan Son).

In 1965, as approved by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the two provinces of Bac Kan and Thai Nguyen merged into Bac Thai province. The initial administrative units of the province included Thai Nguyen city, Bac Kan town and 12 districts. In 1996, the 9th National Assembly passed a resolution to divide Bac Thai province to re-establish Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan provinces. The two districts of Ngan Son and Ba Be were transferred from Cao Bang province to Bac Kan.

An Giang and Bac Kan are two provinces with districts named Cho Moi. In Bac Kan, Cho Moi district is located at the gateway to the vast Viet Bac mountainous region, where the terrain transitions from high mountains to low hills and in the middle of the basin of two arcs, Ngan Son and Tam Dao.

In An Giang, Cho Moi is an island district of the province, 29km from Long Xuyen city, surrounded by Tien and Hau rivers with a dense system of rivers and canals. The district has many provincial and national relics, rich in potential for tourism development.