Socialist Republic of Vietnam

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Vietnam, officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is located in the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Vietnam borders Laos, Cambodia, China, the East Sea, and the Gulf of Thailand.

National Flag and National Emblem
 

Motto: "Independence – Freedom – Happiness"
National Anthem: "Tien Quan Ca" (Army March)
Capital: Hanoi
Official language: Vietnamese
Population: ~100.3 million (15th in the World)
GDP (2024): $465.814 billion (33th in the World)
PPP (2024): $1.559 trillion (26th in the World)
Time zone: UTC+07:00
Calling code: +84

Vietnam covers an area of 331,212 km² (66th in the World), with a land border stretching 4,639 km and a coastline of 3,260 km. It has maritime borders with Thailand (via the Gulf of Thailand) and China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia (in the South China Sea). Vietnam has indisputable sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands (according to international law).

The distance between Vietnam’s northernmost and southernmost points is 1,650 km, with the narrowest width being under 50 km in Quang Binh. The total land border length exceeds 4,600 km, including nearly 2,100 km with Laos. The total area includes both land and maritime territories, comprising over 4,000 islands and reefs.

Vietnam’s terrain is primarily mountainous forests (40%) and hills (40%), with a forest cover of approximately 75%. Major mountain ranges include Hoang Lien Son, Bach Ma, and the Son La Plateau. The plains occupy about one-quarter of the area, including the Red River Delta, Mekong Delta, and the central coastal regions, which are densely populated. Agricultural land makes up 17% of the total area.

The soil is mainly ferrallitic in the hilly and mountainous regions and alluvial in the plains, with saline soils in the coastal plains. The forests are predominantly tropical rainforests in the hills, while the coastal lowlands have mangrove forests. Vietnam also has mineral resources such as phosphate, gold, and coal in Quang Ninh, iron in Thai Nguyen and Ha Tinh, and offshore oil and natural gas deposits.

Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate with distinct weather variations. The north experiences two main monsoons: the cold and dry Northeast monsoon in winter, and the hot, dry Southwest monsoon and the humid Southeast monsoon in summer. The south has the Northeast monsoon in the dry season and the Southwest monsoon in the rainy season. Vietnam frequently experiences floods and storms, with rainfall ranging from 1,200 to 3,000 mm, sunshine hours between 1,500 and 3,000 hours per year, and temperatures ranging from 5°C to 37°C. The average annual temperature has increased by approximately 0.5°C over the past 50 years.

Vietnam has 63 provinces and cities. The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi, often referred to as the "City for Peace."