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Vietnam overview

Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats.

There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.
Located on the East of the Indochinese peninsula, Việt Nam, shaped like the letter “S”, borders China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the South China Sea to the east.

With a population of more than 80 million people, Viet Nam is home to 54 different ethnic groups. The Viet (Kinh) people account for 87% of the country's population who predominantly live in the low land areas. The other 53 ethnic minority groups, amounting to over 8 million people, are scattered over mountainous areas covering two-thirds of the country's territory.

Viet Nam remains politically stable. Since embarking on social and economic reforms in 1986, the country has become one of the fastest developing countries in the world. Over the past 15 years, the country recorded annual economic growth of between 7-9 per cent, making it East Asia’s second swiftest growing economy. Along with the phenomenal pace of growth, the country has managed to reduce its poverty rate by more than half from 58 per cent in 1990 to 19.5 per cent in 2004.

Basic Indicators and informations

Population

84.2 millions                                         

Land area

329,000sq.km

Density (people per sq.km)

252

GNI per capital

US$ 620

GDP per capital

US$ 636

Capital city

Hanoi

Largest city

Hochiminh (Saigon)

Length from north to south

1,650km

From east to west, widest point in the north

600km

From east to west, widest point in the south

400km

Narrowest part, in the centre,

50km

The coastline

3,260km

Inland border

4,510km.

Provinces and cities

64

Major language

Vietnamese

Major religious

Buddhism

Internet domain

.vn

Internatinal dialling code

+84

President

Nguyen Minh Triet (Mr)

Prime minister

Nguyen Tan Dung (Mr)

Secretary-General of the Communist Party

Nong Duc Manh (Mr)

Monetary unit

Dong (VND)

Main exports

Petroleum, rice, coffee, clothing, fish

Time zone

GMT + 07:00