its first capital, all of Champa's political centers were located in the South Central Coast. Some of the earlier capitals, as well as the religious center of Mỹ Sơn and the port city of Hội An were located in the territory of present-day Quảng Nam province. Probably due to defeats in wars against Đại Việt the political center shifted further south to Vijaya in what is now Bình Định province. After the fall of Vijaya to Vietnam in 1471, Champa had to retreat to the southern principality of Panduranga (now at Phan Rang in Ninh Thuận province), while much of occupied Champa continued to exist as a sort of protectorate within Vietnam for some time. Relations with the mountainous hinterland and traders from overseas were crucial. Champa's trade specialized on procuring luxury goods such as eaglewood from the Central Highlands and even as far as Attapeu in southern Laos and selling them to foreign merchants through their ports at Hội An and Thi Nai. Geography Topography In contrast to most other coastal regions in Vietnam, the South Central Coast's terrain is not mainly flat. It has a diverse topography with mountain ranges and hills extending not only along the entire border with Central Highlands but also to the coast, forming several passes, bays, peninsulas, and beautiful sceneries with beaches and mountain backdrops. Many of the highest mountains are at or near the border with the Central Highlands, the highest of which is Ngọc Linh mountain at 2598 meters. There are several high peaks near the coast of Da Nang city (696m on Son Tra Peninsula), Bình Định province (up to 874m), Phú Yên province (up to 814m), Khánh Hòa province (up to 978m), and Ninh Thuận province (up to 1040m). Several mountain passes function as geographic borders between the provinces of the region, with one or two provinces between two major passes. Major passes include the Hải Vân Pass on the northern border of the region (Da Nang), Binh De pass (đèo Bình Đê) between Quảng Ngãi province and Bình Định province, Cù Mông pass (đèo Cù Mông) between Bình Định province and Phú Yên province and Cả pass (đèo Cả) between Phú Yên province and Khánh Hòa province. The region includes several islands. Some of the larger ones are the Lý Sơn Islands, the Cham Islands, and Phú Quý island. The Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands are officially