 GeographyLocated in the east of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia, Vietnam lies completely in the tropical zone. The country’s land area is 329,566 sq km. It has over 3,000km of coastline looking onto the East Sea and the Pacific; it shares common borders with China in the North(1,281 km), Laos( 1,555 km) and Cambodia(982 km) in the West. With a population of more than 80 million, it is the most densely populated country in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam’s topography varies from low, flat delta in the south and north to hilly, mountainous terrain in the central, far north and northwest. The-quarters of Vietnam is hilly or mountainous. Hanoi is the capital, and Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) is the largest city in the country.
North Vietnam has large plains( 15,000 sq km) lying in the basics of the Red, Lo and Chay rivers which run in a northwest-southeast direction into Bac Bo gulf. To cultivate land to earn their living, over thousands of years, the inhabitants of the North have built a system of dykes thousands of kilometers long along the river banks.
In South Vietnam, the Mekong river splitting into nine tributaries has created a fertile plain( 40,000 sq km) considered the largest granary of the country. Between the North and the South is long and narrow central Vietnam. In the West are the Truong Son mountain range and short rivers running straight to the sea, creating small narrow plain along the coast. In its Southwest there is a large high plateau, 1,000 m above sea level, with a fertile basalt layer appropriate for the growth of tropical and temperate industrial crops( rubber, tea, coffee, cacao, etc.)
Along the Vietnamese coast-line from North to South, there are many beautiful beaches; especially, Halong bay with over 3,000 small mountains on the sea is recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage. Vietnam boasts primitive forests with precious flora and fauna, and high mountains with a temperate climate which are very attractive to tourists. A great number of lakes, rivers, streams, water falls and grottes make up wonderful beauty spots of the country. Mines of charcoal, iron, bauxite, precious stone lie scattered shelf and coastal areas, there are oil and gas fields with great reserves as well.
There are 3 distinct geographical areas: Bac Bo (the North), Trung Bo (the central region) and Nam Bo (the South). |
© 2008 Orienttrails group. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.
