Vietnam

Vietnam is a long, narrow strip of land in South-east Asia, shaped like the letter 'S'. To the west, Vietnam has borders with Laos and Cambodia, and in the north, a border with China. The South China Sea is to the east and south.

Most of Vietnam is covered by mountains and hills, called the Highlands. Thick forests cover half of the Highlands, and animals such as tigers and elephants live there in the jungles.

Most of the population live on flat plains near the coast, or on flat land beside rivers that run between the mountains, where the soil is rich and fertile.

A Vietnamese farming village

Vietnam's main river, the Mekong, is almost 4200 kilometres long. The other main river is the Red River. There are more than 200 rivers flowing from the Highlands to the coast.

The climate is tropical, hot, wet and humid, but because the country is so long there are temperature variations between the north and south. It is always cooler in the mountain areas. Strong winds called monsoons blow in from China and bring dry weather from October to March. From May to September, the monsoons come from across the ocean, causing floods. In summer, violent tropical storms, called typhoons, form over the Pacific Ocean and bring thunderstorms, high winds, crashing waves and heavy rain.

Approximately 75 million people live Vietnam, with 85 per cent of them being ethnic Vietnamese. There are more than 50 other ethnic groups who are descendants of the Chinese. Most of them live in the Highlands.

A breakfast shop in ho Chi Minh City.

Pho is a noodle soup, a popular breakfast dish

Vietnamese is spoken by 90 per cent of the population. The Highlands people speak different languages. The main religion of Vietnam is Buddhism.

The capital city is Hanoi, located in the north of the country. However,Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam.

A street scene in Ho Chi Minh city

Street sellers in Hanoi

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updated May 2007