Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is a long, narrow S-shaped country covering a total of 331,210 square kilometres (127,880 sq. mi), making it equivalent in size to the state of New Mexico. Bordering countries include China to the north, and Cambodia and Laos to the West, whilst the South China Sea lies to the south and east.
The western side of Vietnam is covered by the Annam Cordillera mountains, whilst the eastern side is dominated by a beautiful 1000 mile (1600km) coastline. To give some perspective of scale, Vietnam is only 30 miles (48km) wide at its narrowest point.
Two of the largest Rivers in Vietnam, the Mekong and Red rivers, end in the South China Sea in huge swampy plains (deltas). Most Vietnamese citizens live in these regions, where fertile ground provides apt conditions to grow rice and a variety of other crops.
Capital city: Hanoi
Highest Point: Fan Si Pan (10,315ft / 3144m)
Lowest Point: South China Sea (0ft / 0m)
Land Area: 119,718 sq. mi (310,070 sq. km)
Water Area: 8162 sq. mi (21,140 sq. km)
Total Area: 127,880 sq. mi (331,210 sq. km)
Coastline: 2140 miles (3444 km)
Bordering countries (3) Cambodia, China, Laos
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Ha Long Bay is an area of extraordinary natural beauty, situated in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh Province, close to the Chinese border. Thousands of islands and islets are scattered in the region, surrounded by pristine, crystal-clear waters. Whilst comparisons are sometimes made with Guilin in China, or Krabi in Thailand, in reality, Ha Long Bay is…