Vietnam is a long and narrow country, lying completely in the tropical
zone. Its landmass forms the
shape the letter S on the east side of the Indochinese
Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese
eastern border consists of more than 3,000 km of coastline, facing the
East Sea and the Pacific
Ocean. To the north, Vietnam shares its border with China, while to the
west, with Cambodia and
Laos.
Vietnam's S-shapes landmass widens in the north and in
the south. Northern Vietnam has large
plains lying in the river basins of the Red, Lo, and Chay Rivers, which
flow in a
northeast-to-southwest direction into Bac Bo Gulf. North and northwest of
these plains are large
hilly and mountainous areas. Northern Vietnam is influenced by a monsoon
climate, with four
distinct seasons and high humidity. In order to cultivate land and earn
their living, inhabitants of the
north built dikes over the centuries, resulting in today's system of dikes
that are thousands of
kilometers long along the river banks.
Southern Vietnam has the Mekong River, which originates in China, and
flows through Laos and
Cambodia before entering Vietnam. In Vietnam, the river splits into nine
tributaries before flowing
into the East Sea, which is the reason the Vietnamese call it the Cuu Long
(Nine Dragons) River.
The rich and fertile Mekong Delta region is the leading rice producer in
the country. The south has
only two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season.
Between these large delta regions in the north and south is the long
and narrow Central Vietnam. In
the west is the Truong Son mountain range. Short rivers running straight
to the East Sea cross the
region, creating small narrow plains along the coast. The climate of
Central Vietnam is often harsh,
and subject to natural calamities such as typhoons. In the southwestern
part of Central Vietnam,
there are large, high plateaus, 1,000 meters above sea level, with fertile
basalt layers, appropriate
for the cultivation of tropical and temperate cash crops, such as rubber,
tea, coffee, and cacao.
Vietnamese long coastline has many beautiful beaches, and includes the
famous Ha Long Bay,
which has more than 3,000 small mountains on the sea and which was
recognized by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a
world heritage.
Vietnam has many primitive areas of forest with precious timber, rare
fauna, and high mountains
with temperate climates which are very attractive for tourists. A large
number of lakes, rivers,
streams, waterfalls, and grottoes complete the beauty spots of
Vietnam.
Vietnamese natural resources include coal, iron, bauxite, and precious
stones, which are mined in
northern and central Vietnam, and large reserves of oil and gas in the
coastal areas and on the
continental shelf.
