VIETNAM: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Geography and climate

Vietnam’s territory consists of a land area of 331,212 square kilometers and a
vast/immense/extensive sea area. Vietnam is an S-shaped land, stretching 1,650km
from the northernmost to the southernmost.
Vietnam has 4,600 kilometres of land border, on China (over 1,400km) in the
north, Laos (nearly 2,100km) and Cambodia (1,100km) in the west.
Located/Situated/Lying in the east of the Indochinese Peninsula, near the center of
Southeast Asia, with a coastline of 3,260km, Vietnam has advantageous/favourable
ideal conditions to develop the economy in general, trade and tourism in particular.
Mountains and tropical forests cover/make up/occupy three-quarters of the
country’s land area, but the lowlands are the most populated. The Red River Delta in
the North and the Mekong Delta in the South are the country’s two “rice
baskets/bowls”.
In general, Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate, with high humidity
throughout the year/the whole year round. The North has four distinct seasons:
spring, summer, autumn and winter. The South has two seasons: the rainy season
and the dry season. The Central has a harsh climate with frequent natural
disasters/calamities, such as droughts and floods. Annually, Vietnam has
approximately 1,500 – 2,000 sunny hours with radiant heat of over 100kcal/cm2/year
and about 100 rainy days with an average annual rainfall of 1,500 – 2,000 mm.
Population
According to the 1999 census, Vietnam’s population is 84,156,000. In terms of
population, Vietnam ranks the third in Southeast Asia and the thirteenth in/among
more than 200 countries and territories in the world. The average population density
is 254 inhabitants/km2 (2006). The annual average population growth rate is
approximately 1.32% (2002- 2005).
Rapid population growth has put/exerted great pressure on the country’s socio-
economic development, natural resource(s) preservation and life quality improvement
for the people.
Nowadays, being better aware of the effects of population on the country’s
development as well as family happiness, more and more people are actively involved
in family planning. The annual population growth rate is expected to be reduced to
1%.
Vietnam’s population is unevenly distributed, about 75% of population live in the
lowlands and coastal areas with very high population density (the Red River Delta:
1220 people/km2 – 2006). The midlands and highlands are sparsely populated (the
Central Highlands: 89 inhabitants/km2, the Northwest: inhabitants/km2 – 2006).
Among 54 ethnic groups, the Kinh account for 86.2 % of the total population. The
rest are ethnic minorities scattering all over the territory of Vietnam. About 60% of
Vietnam’s population lives on farming, and about half of the population is under 25
years of age. Vietnam’s population growth averages more than 1 million/year. This is
not only a great potentiality but also an enormous challenge for Vietnam.
Natural resources
 Vietnam has/possesses a variety of natural resources, including forests, seas and
minerals. Vietnam forests are valued to be of high biodiversity with rich/abundant
fauna and flora. Overall, Vietnam’s forests contain/have about 800 timber, 60 bamboo
and over 1500 medicinal plant species. Forest animals consist of 257 mammal, 826
bird, 100 amphibian, 180 reptile species. Many rare and precious animal species of
Vietnam are on the World’s Red List.
Besides its potential energy sources, such as oil, natural gas, coal and hydro
power, Vietnam is also rich in other minerals, including iron ore, copper, gold, gem,
bauxite, tin, zinc, chromium, apatite, and construction materials such as granite,
marble, clay, graphite. Moreover, marine resources and agricultural potential also
enrich Vietnam’s natural resources.
History
Vietnam has got a history of over 4,000 years since the ancient Vietnames
founded their first country/kingdom under the name “Van Lang” in 2879 BC.
Vietnam’s history is always described as a long and continuous struggle for
independence and freedom. In the past, Vietnam was dominated by Chinese
feudalists for more than 1000 years (111 BC – 939 AD). Vietnam was also a French
colony for nearly 100 years (1859 – 1945).
During the Second World War, Vietnam was occupied by Japanese troops and
then by French colonialists. Vietnam declared its independence on September 2 nd,
1945, but right after that/not long thereafter (it) plunged into a war against the
French plot to recolonize Vietnam. This war lasted for another nine years/nine more
years and ended in 1954 when the country was divided into two parts at the 17th
parallel (of latitude). The North became the Democratic Republic of Vietnam under
the leadership of the Communist Party. Meanwhile, the South was influenced by the
West, mainly America.
American/The US intervention/interference in Vietnam kept increasing in the
1950s and escalated into a full-scale war in March 1965 when the first American
troops landed onto Vietnam. Although all the US troops withdrew/retreated in March
1975 according to the Paris Peace Accords, the war continued until 30 th April 1975
when the South was completely liberated. The country was reunified and named the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam in January 1976.
However, the war’s remnant/vestige/legacy lasted until 1979. The Vietnam today
is a country at peace.
International relations
Before launching/initiating/embarking on the/its economic renovation policy,
Vietnam had international relations mainly with the former Soviet Union and Socialist
Bloc countries. Nowadays, thanks to its/the open-door economic policy, Vietnam’s
international relations have become more diverse.
Vietnam’s relation with China was normalized in 1991. In July 1995 Vietnam
reached/achieved a historic turning point in its diplomatic relations: the diplomatic
relation between Vietnam and America was fully normalized. In the same year,
Vietnam became an official/a full member of the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and signed a cooperation treaty with the European Union (EU).
Currently, Vietnam has diplomatic relations with more than 160 countries and trade
relations with 120 countries and territories.
 Vietnam has also resumed/restored/reestablished its relationships with
international financial institutions and multilateral credit organizations, such as the
World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank
(ADB). Vietnam has been a member of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) since 1 st
January 1996 and an official/a full member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) forum since 1998. After 11 years of preparation and negotiation, Vietnam has
officially become the 150th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since
January 2007.

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