Saturday, June 30, 2007

Window on Vietnam

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

1. AREA: 330 991 aquare kilometers.
2. POPULATION : 82 million
3. GEOGRAPHY :
Vietnam lies on the eastern seaboard of the Indochina peninsula. It borders China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west. To the east and south lies the South China Sea, which the Vietnamese call the East Sea. Mountains and hills cover four-fifths of Vietnam’territory with the Truong Son range stretching over 1400 km. Mount Fansipan ( 3143 m ) is the highest peak in Southeast Asia. The most populated areas in Vietnam are the lowland alluvial plains : The Red River Delta (15 000 sq.km, with a 3000 km-long dyke network) in the south. Vietnam’two biggest rivers, the Red River and Mekong River, respectively discharge 122109 and 1,4 million meters of water a year.
Vietnam’s 3260 km-long coastline features beautiful beaches like Tra Co, Lang co, Nha Trang, Ha Tien. National park include Ba Vi, Cat Ba, Cuc Phuong in the north, Bach Ma in the center, and Cat Tien in the south.
4. RESOURCES :
Mineral: coal, iron, aluminum, tin, oli. Agricultural and forestry product: rice, maize, rubber, lacquer, coffee, tea, tobacco, cotton, sugar, coconut, sugar cane, jute, and tropical and subtropical fruits.
5. ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS :
Vietnam has 64 province, including five municipalities ( Ho Chi Minh city, Hanoi, Haiphong, Cantho, Danang ).
6. ETHNIC GROUPS :
There are 54 ethnic groups living in Vietnam. The Viet or Kinh, people account for 88 percent of Vietnam’population and are mostly concentrated in the lowlands. In contrast, most of the country’s 5,5million ethnic minority people live in mountainous areas. Major groups include the Tay (960 000 people); the Nung (152 000 people); the Thai (770 000 people); the Muong (700 000 people); the H’mong (441 000 people); the Zao (340 000 people); the Hoa (930 000 people); the Khmer ( 720 000 people); the Bana (100 000 people); the Giarai ( 184 000 people); and the Ede (140 000 people).

Window on Vietnam

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