With the exception of the west, most of An Giang is fairly flat and is criss-crossed by many canals and small rivers.

The province's name is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese word: 安江, meaning "peaceful river".

It is believed that An Giang was once an important center of the 1st millennium Óc Eo culture, presumably owing to its position on the river.

An Giang is home to a substantial number of people from Vietnam's ethnic minorities.

[6] The province is home to 24,011 households of ethnic minorities, comprising 114,632 people, accounting for 5.17% of the total provincial population.