
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 |

