Where is Vietnam? Location and History
Everyone has a vague idea that Vietnamis “somewhere in Southeast Asia.” But where just is Vietnam? The unusual thing about Vietnam is the S-shapedshape of the country, which is about 1,650 kilometers long from north to south. Some refer to the form of Vietnam as a “bamboo stick with two rice bowls.”
Vietnam means “land in the south.” Vietnam is 331,210 square kilometers and therefore a bit smaller than Germany. If you look at the map, the land is extremely long and covers two major climatic zones: tropical climate prevails in the north and subtropical climate in the south.
The shoreline is 3400 kilometers long. Mostly, Vietnam is located in the South China Sea. Only in the southwest, the country borders the Gulf of Thailand.
Three countries border Vietnam. There are Laos and Cambodia on the west and China on the north. In the north, Vietnam extends just around 600 kilometers, in the south of 350 kilometers. At the narrowest point, it is only 50 kilometers wide.
The Adjacent Country
The country shares most of its borders with its western, Indo-Chinese neighbors Cambodia and Laos, whilst it borders China in the north. The border with Laos is known by the Annamite Highlands, which forms a natural border between the two countries. In the north, the Yunnan highlands is the border with China, where it until the 80s came to border situations, and Vietnam suspects its strong neighbors until today, wish to move its edge further south. The border with Cambodia ran through the Mekong Delta and was lastly determined in 1985.
The entire east coast of Vietnam is surrounded by water: in the north, the Gulf of Tonkin forms the natural boundary of the nation, which merges further south into the South China Sea. A little portion of the coast of Vietnam to the south west borders the Gulf of Thailand. The coastline of the country, excluding the islands, is as much as 3,260 kilometers long.
In the South China Sea, about 330km south of Hainan Island in the Paracel Islands. It is an archipelago basically owned by China but also claimed by Vietnam. In 1974, a naval battle happened around the the nun inhabited islands, from which China appeared victoriously. In the meantime, the islands are part of the prefecture “Sansha” and the Chinese have planted a government building on the Paracel Islands, against whose construction the Vietnamese government protested violently.
The Highest Mountain in Vietnam
The highest mountain in the country is the 3,142-meter Fan Si Pan (or Fansipan) in the extreme northwest of the nation in Lao Cai province. It is the highest peak of all Indochina. It is also known as “the Roof of Indochina.” The area is a famous destination for trekking adventures and eco-tourists. A camp is found at 2,800 meters altitude.
While the north of Vietnam is dominated by the mountains of the Yunnan Highlands and the Annamite Highlands, the 40,000 square kilometer Mekong Delta accounts for much of the south. The whole delta is only a few meters above sea level and is crossed by numerous rivers and canals. The fertile Mekong Delta is one of the world’s most important rice-growing regions and is also known as the rice bowl of Asia.
Where is the capital of Vietnam?
The capital is Hanoi. It is located in the north of Vietnam on the Red River (Song Hong), which comes from the highlands of Yunnan and flows out at Hanoi to the Delta. Formerly, it flows into the Gulf of Tonkin. Hanoi appears back on a 1,000-year history and has its roots in the Hang Long Citadel, which was constructed by Emperor Ly Thai To in 1010.
There is no longer the original citadel. Nonetheless, the old city of Hanoi is still in keeping with the design of the medieval castle, with its narrow, checkered roads. The old community is close to the colonial district of the French. Its impressive structures are the most famous tourist district of Hanoi.
