Vietnam Geography: A Comprehensive Overview of Southeast Asia's Landscape

Geography of Vietnam Browse the article Geography of Vietnam

Introduction to Geography of Vietnam

Vietnam, officially Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a country of Southeast Asia occupying the eastern part of the Indochinese Penninsula. From 1954 to 1975 the country was divided into two separate countries of approximately equal size—North Vietnam and South Vietnam. After years of warfare, North Vietnam conquered the south in 1975 and formally reunified the country the following year.

Facts in brief about VietnamCapital: Hanoi.Official language: Vietnamese.Area: 128,066 mi2 (331,689 km2). Greatest distances—north-south, 1,030 mi (1,658 km); east-west, 380 mi (612 km). Coastline—2,140 mi (3,444 km).Elevation: Highest—Fan Si Pan, 10,312 ft (3,143 m) above sea level. Lowest—sea level along the coast.Population: Current estimate—87,009,000; density, 679 per mi2 (262 per km2); distribution, 74 percent rural, 26 percent urban. 1999 census—76,323,173.Chief products: Agriculture—rice. Manufacturing—cement, fertilizer, iron and steel, paper products, shoes, steel, textiles. Mining—coal.Money: Basic unit—dong.Flag and coat of arms: Vietnam's flag, adopted in 1945, features a star that stands for Communism. The coat of arms has the star along with branches of rice and a cogwheel that represent the importance of agriculture and industry to Vietnam. The shape of the star was modified slightly in 1955.

Physical Geography

Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia.Land

Several district regions make up Vietnam. They are Southern Lowland; the Annam Cordillera; the Coastal Plain; the Tonkin Lowland; and the Northern Highlands.

The Southern Lowland consists of the densely populated Mekong Delta and the adjacent area to the north. A low, fertile plain only slightly above sea level, it is one of Asia's great rice-producing regions.

The Annam Cordillera is a long mountain chain forming much of the Laos-Vietnam border. In the north the mountains are narrow and have rugged peaks reaching almost 9,000 feet (2,740 m) above sea level. The southern section spreads out to form the Central Highlands, a wide plateau ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 feet (610 to 1,220 m) in altitude, but with peaks up to 7,900 feet (2,410 m).

The Coastal Plain, lying between the Annam Cordillera and the sea, extends approximately from Nha Trang northward to Thanh Hoa. Narrow and in places disappearing altogether toward the south, the plain widens to 40 miles (60 km) in its northern portion.

The Tonkin Lowland is the heart of northern Vietnam. It includes the lower valley and delta of the Red River and the surrounding area. Like its counterpart, the Southern Lowland, it is a broad, flat region, thickly settled and intensively cultivated.

The Northern Highlands, bordering the Tonkin Lowland on its landward sides, occupy much of the wide portion of northern Vietnam. The highest peaks, exceeding 10,000 feet (3,050 m), are in the west and northwest. Most of the region's people live in the deep, narrow valleys of the Red River and its tributaries.

Water

Vietnam has two great river systems: the Mekong in the south and the Red River in the north. Both have large delta plains that are subject to heavy seasonal flooding, and both are crossed by complex canal networks. Of the other rivers, the largest are the Ca and Ma, in the north, and the Dong Nai, in the south.

Climate

A tropical monsoon climate prevails, with warm to hot weather all year and heavy, though seasonal, rainfall. The summer monsoon brings moisture-laden air from the south that drops much rain everywhere except on the Coastal Plain. From June through September Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) receives 50 inches (1,270 mm) of rain, Hanoi 45 inches (1,140 mm). The heaviest rains of the northeast winter monsoon, which begins in September, occur on the Coastal Plain. Hue, one of the cities on the plain, receives an annual average of 100 inches (2,540 mm) of rainfall, most of it during this monsoon.

Except in mountainous areas, high temperatures prevail all year. Ho Chi Minh City averages 79° F. (26° C.) in December, the coolest month, and 85° F. (29° C.) in April, the hottest. Hanoi has a January average of 62° F. (17° C.) and a June average of 85° F. (29° C.).

Vegetation

More than half the original forest that once covered Vietnam has long since vanished, largely because of cutting and burning to create new farmland. The remaining forest, chiefly in the mountains, consists of broadleaf evergreen and deciduous trees. Smaller patches of forest are scattered throughout the lowlands.

Economy

Vietnam is one of Asia's poorest nations. Several factors have hindered economic development, including long periods of war, a high unemployment rate, and a shortage of trained technical and administrative workers.

During the colonial period (the late 1850's to the late 1940's) the south of Vietnam was primarily agricultural, and industry developed mainly in the north. During 1954–75, when the country was divided, the north and the south were deprived of vital economic ties with each other. Also, each had a different economic system—the north's was communist, the south's was based on private enterprise. After reunification, the north tried to integrate the two economies into a unified socialist system. This effort was largely unsuccessful. During the late 1980's and early 1990's the government began to introduce principles of private enterprise into the national economy. Industrial exports, especially of textiles, ballooned following the reestablishment of trade agreements with other countries.

Agriculture

About 65 per cent of Vietnam's workers are engaged in farming. Individual farms are small, and subsistence farming—that is, farming chiefly for family consumption—is predominant. Commercial farming, however, is of growing importance. Generally, modern farming methods and equipment are not used.

Only about one-fifth of Vietnam's land is under cultivation. Of this, most is devoted to rice. The major rice areas correspond closely to the most densely settled parts of the country, namely the Mekong and Red River deltas and the Coastal Plain. Two and even three rice crops per year are grown in some parts of the country.

A number of other crops are grown, principally for consumption within Vietnam. Cassava and sweet potatoes are produced in large amounts and are staple foods throughout the country. Sugarcane and rubber are produced around Ho Chi Minh City and on the Coastal Plain. In the highlands, tea, coffee, tobacco, and fiber crops are grown. Almost every farm has a small garden where vegetables for the family are grown, and there are usually a few fruit trees around each house.

Livestock is raised throughout Vietnam. Pigs and poultry, mainly chickens and ducks, are most numerous. Water buffalo are kept mainly as work animals.

Mining

Most of the known mineral resources are in the north. Good-quality anthracite (hard coal), mined near Hanoi and Haiphong, is used locally to generate electric power. Petroleum, located mainly in fields off the southeastern coast has become the biggest export. Salt, phosphate rock, tin, and chromium are mined in economically significant amounts. Clay, used for making brick and tile, is widely produced.

Manufacturing

By the time of partition in 1954, manufacturing was fairly well established in the north around Hanoi and Haiphong. Development of heavy and medium industry became a prime concern of the North Vietnamese government, which took control of nearly all factories. A large iron and steel complex at Thai Nguyen, built with aid from other Communist countries, is of major importance. Numerous other factories and machine shops turn out needed items such as farm machinery, tools, and electrical equipment. Others produce textiles, glass, chemicals, and tires. Rice mills and other food-processing plants are located in most of the smaller cities.

The south has only a small amount of manufacturing, most of it in or near Ho Chi Minh City. Most plants are devoted either to food processing or to the production of consumer goods. Rice milling and sugar refining are the main food-processing activities; there are also dozens of small businesses engaged in the processing of fruit, vegetables, and fish. Textile mills produce cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics, and bagging for the rice and sugar industries. Several paper mills, chemical plants, and bicycle assembly plants serve local markets and help to lighten dependence on imports.

Forestry and Fishing

Although severely damaged by defoliants during the Vietnamese War, Vietnam's forests furnish material for the paper, construction, and furniture industries. Substantial amounts of firewood are also cut, and mangrove trees on the delta coasts are used for charcoal.

Fish—either fresh, dried, or made into the popular sauce called nuoc mam—is an important part of the Vietnamese diet. Fishing is carried on in coastal and inland waters, including canals and flooded fields.

Transportation

Many of the transport facilities were severely disrupted by the Vietnamese War. The rail lines were especially hard hit. Roads throughout the country are fairly good, although most are unpaved.

Much freight moves in Vietnam by water, both locally over inland waterways and along the coast. Both of the delta areas have extensive networks of navigable canals and rivers. Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh City are the chief ocean ports and handle nearly all foreign trade. Air Vietnam, the national airline, operates mainly domestic routes. The chief international airport is near Hanoi.

The People

About 75 per cent of Vietnam's people live in villages.

The vast majority of people in Vietnam are ethnic Vietnamese, a Mongoloid people closely related to the Chinese. The remainder of the population consists chiefly of mountain tribesmen referred to as the Moi, or Montagnards, and Chinese and Cambodians.

Language and Religion

The principal language is Vietnamese. It is a tonal, monosyllabic language, influenced by Chinese, Khmer, and Thai. English is also spoken. The various mountain tribes have their own languages. Chinese Vietnamese speak Chinese, mainly the Cantonese dialect.

Most Vietnamese are nominally Mahayana Buddhists, but their religion combines elements of Taoism, Confucianism, animism, and ancestor worship. The Montagnards are animists. A significant minority of Vietnamese are Roman Catholics, most of whom live in southern Vietnam. Also in the south are two local religious groups—the Cao Dai and the Hoa Hao.

Education

All elementary and secondary schools are under control of the government and the Communist party. Education begins at age six and lasts 12 years—5 years of primary school, 4 of middle school, and 3 of secondary school. Both academic and vocational training are provided in secondary school. All students, beginning in the primary grades, are required to do industrial and agricultural work as well as attend classes.

Major institutions of higher learning are the University of Hanoi, Hanoi National Institute of Technology, the University of Ho Chi Minh City, and Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University of Technology. There are also many colleges, conservatories, and institutes. About 85 per cent of the people are literate.

Culture

Cultural activities are largely regimented by the government. Poetry is the most highly developed literary form. Theater makes extensive use of Chinese-style instrumental music and song. Political themes are often used. There are two main styles of painting—one showing European, the other Chinese influence. Singing is highly popular with the Vietnamese.

Government

Under the constitution of 1992, the country is called the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The legislature is the National Assembly, whose members are popularly elected for five-year terms. The president (head of state) is elected from among the members of the Assembly and serves a five-year term. The president selects a prime minister (head of government) from among the members of the Assembly. The prime minister nominates Assembly members for cabinet positions, but the nominees must be approved by the president. Despite these democratic provisions, much of the decision making rests in the politburo (executive committee) of the Communist party.

The Supreme People's Court is the highest judicial body. It hears serious civil and criminal cases, as well as appeals of cases originating from lower people's courts and military courts.

Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces and 3 municipalities for local administration.