Vietnam

Vietnam

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam consists of the former Democratic

Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the former Republic of Vietnam (South

Vietnam). The division of the country resulted from the defeat of the French by

Communist-inspired nationalists in 1954. A prolonged civil war resulted in a

victory for the Communist north, and reunification occurred in mid-1976.

Physical Setting

Vietnam has an area of 127,207 square miles (329,465 square kilometers) and

is located in Southeast Asia. The country has a coastline of nearly 1,440 miles

(2,317 kilometers), much of which fronts on the South China Sea. Border

countries are China, Cambodia, and Laos. The latter two countries, along with

Vietnam, constituted the former French Indochina.

Northern Vietnam is quite mountainous, especially the extreme north and

northwest. The Red River (Song Hong), which originates in China's Yunnan

Province, is the principal river of the north and is about 725 miles (1,167

kilometers) in length. The major lowland area is a delta that has been created

by deposits from the Red River as it enters the Gulf of Tonkin. The river passes

through the capital city of Hanoi. For more than 2,000 years the Tonkin Lowland,

considered the cradle of Vietnamese civilization, has been the scene of

considerable water control efforts in the form of canals and dikes.

The southernmost portion of the country is dominated by another lowland

that is much more extensive than that in the north. This lowland has essentially

been created by the Mekong River (Song Cuu Long) and its various tributaries.

Just north of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) the landscape becomes more

varied and rolling with forested hills.

The central portion of Vietnam varies in width but is only 35 miles (56

kilometers) at its narrowest point. This region has only a narrow coastal strip

in contrast to the rest of the coastline, where wider lowlands exist.

The westernmost portion of the area is dominated by the Annamese, or

Annamite, Cordillera, a major mountain chain, which forms the spine of the

country from north to south. Along with the two major rivers, there are many

shorter rivers that drain the highlands and flow eastward to the South China Sea.

The country also has six island groups, 14 separate mountain ranges, and three

large lakes.

The climate of Vietnam is largely tropical, though the north may be

distinguished as subtropical. Differences in humidity, rainfall, and temperature

are caused largely by changes in elevation. The north has a hot and humid five-

month-long wet season lasting from May through September. The remainder of the

year is relatively warm and rainfree, but humid. A prolonged period of fog,