Vietnam Culture

Area: 331,211.6 sq. km
Location: Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter “S”. China borders it to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, the East Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south.
Climate: Tropical and temperate zone, characterized by strong monsoon influences, but with a considerable amount of sun, a high rate of rainfall, and high humidity.
Population: 82.2 million inhabitants with an average density of 248 inhabitants/km², reaching 1,000 in the Red River delta in the North.
People: 88% of the population is Viet, 2% Chinese and 1.5% Khmer. Numerous ethnic minorities make up the rest of the population of Vietnam: Muong, Nung, Dao, Thai, Cham, Hmong and various mountain-dwellers.
Official language: Vietnamese
Currency: Vietnamese dong
Form of government: Socialist Republic

Geography

Vietnam occupies about 331,688 square kilometers and is located on the eastern margin of the Indochinese peninsula. It borders the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia.
The S-shaped country is S-shaped, has a north-to-south distance of 1,650 kilometers and is about 50 kilometers wide at the narrowest point. With a coastline of 3,260 kilometers, excluding islands, Vietnam claims 12 nautical miles (22 km) as the limit of its territorial waters, an additional 12 nautical miles (22 km) as a contiguous customs and security zone, and 200 nautical miles (370 km) as an exclusive economic zone.

Dalat is located on a verdant plateau containing pine forests and lakes 300 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. At 1,500 meters above sea level, Dalat’s cool climate provides a pleasant respite from the heat and humidity of the lowlands and it was for this reason that the French developed it in the early 1900’s as a summer retreat. Dalat’s colonial influences can still be seen in its cathedral in some of the 2,000 villas that dot the town. The town has a relaxed atmosphere and is very popular with Vietnamese holiday makers, primarily honeymooners.

In recent years, enormous amounts of money have been spent to restore the city to its former glory. Lakes have been dredged and cleaned, old buildings have been restored, and new hotels have been built.