Welcome to Vietnam. Located in south east Asia, Vietnam borders Cambodia, Laos and China and stretches over 1600 km along the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula. The country has two main cultivated areas; the Red River Delta (15,000 sq km) in the north and the Mekong Delta (60,000 sq km) in the south. Lush green vegetation covers the lands throughout the country. Vietnam is made up of equatorial lowlands, high, temperate plateaus and alpine peaks.

Less than 20% of the country remains forested, and what remains is under threat from slash and burn agriculture and excessive harvesting. Urban life is also prominent in Vietnam. Most of the larger urban centers are located in southern Vietnam. Of the major cities, only the capital city of Hanoi (population, 1989; 3,056,146) is not located on the coast. Other large cities are Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon (3,924,435); Haiphong (1,447,523), Hanoi's port; and Da Nang (369,734), near the ancient city of Hue (260,489).

The official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese spoken by the majority of the population. The use of French, a remnant of colonial times, is declining. Some Vietnamese people who live in urban areas speak other languages, such as English and Russian. Khmer, Montagnard, and Cham are spoken primarily in the interior. There is also a variety of religions throughout Vietnam reflecting the influences of many cultures.

 Traditional Vietnamese religion includes elements of Indian beliefs and three Chinese religious systems: Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. A majority of adherents today follow Buddhism, including a wide variety of sects. Other religions include relatively new sects such as Hoa Hao, associated with Buddhism, and Caodaism, a synthesis of Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Christianity, particularly the Roman Catholic church, claims as many as 6 million followers.

The currency of Vietnam is the Nu Dong. The four major ways to convert currency are at banks, exchange bureaus, hotels, and black markets. Visa and MasterCard are also accepted in major cities and some towns.

Full country name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Area: 329,566 sq km (128,527 sq mi)
Population: 79 million
Capital city: Hanoi (pop 3.5 million)
People: 84% ethnic Vietnamese, 2% ethnic Chinese, also Khmers, Chams (a remnant of the once-great Indianised Champa Kingdom) and members of over 50 ethnolinguistic groups (also known as Montagnards, 'highlanders' in French)
Language: Vietnamese, Russian, French, Chinese, English and a variety of Khmer and Laotian dialects
Religion: Buddhism is the principal religion but there are also sizeable Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaists, Muslim and Christian minorities
Government: Communist People's Republic
President: Nguyễn Minh Triết
Prime Minister: Nguyễn Tấn Dũngi
GDP: US$24 billion
GDP per head: US$300
Annual growth: 8%
Inflation: 8%
Major products/industries: Rice, rubber, food processing, sugar, textiles, chemicals
Major trading partners: China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan