Vietnam which country

Government agencies communicate via. Trusted website s. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This article provides an overview of Vietnam for those keen on exploring the possibility of living and working there.

The information presented is gathered from open sources and is not exhaustive or meant to supplement or substitute legal and professional advice. It is bordered by China in the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, the East Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south.

Three quarters of its territory comprise mountains and hills and it has over 3, km long coastline. The population of Vietnam reached almost The urban population accounted for 35 percent Around The labour force aged 15 and above nationwide was estimated at The Kinh Viet people make up nearly 90 percent of the whole population while the other 53 ethnic groups make up over 10 percent. In , the service sector accounted for The agriculture, forestry and fishery sector made up It is in Southeast Asia on the eastern edge of the peninsula known as Indochina.

Its neighbors include China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west. The South China Sea lies to the east and south.

The mountains of the Annam Cordillera rise over most of the western side of Vietnam, while a thousand-mile 1,kilometer coastline dominates the east. At its narrowest point, Vietnam is only 30 miles 48 kilometers wide. Two of Vietnam's largest rivers, the Mekong in the south and the Red in the north, end at the South China Sea in huge swampy plains called deltas. These regions are home to most of the country's people and provide fertile ground to grow rice and many other crops.

Most Vietnamese people live in the countryside, mainly in the river delta regions of the north and south. Recently though, people have begun to move to the main cities of Ho Chi Minh formerly Saigon and Hanoi. Vietnamese food is a blend of Chinese and Thai styles and features seafood and homegrown fruits and vegetables. As a communist country, Vietnam has no official religion. But people are free to worship if they want to, and many follow what's called the "Three Teachings" of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.

Vietnam's mountainous terrain, forests, wetlands, and long coastline contain many different habitats that support a great variety of wildlife. Some types of mammals , reptiles , 80 amphibians , and bird species reside in Vietnam. Many rare and unusual animals live in Vietnam, including giant catfish, Indochinese tigers, Saola antelopes, and Sumatran rhinos.

The government has set up 30 parks and reserves to protect its animals, but their survival is in doubt because much of their habitat has been cleared for lumber or to grow crops. Tropical forests once covered most of Vietnam, but over the past few hundred years, logging has reduced the forest cover to only about 19 percent. The government has launched a replanting program in an attempt to restore these woodlands. Conflict between the two rival states rages for the next two decades, in what is known as the Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War.

The US is heavily involved in support of the South. Hundreds of thousands flee abroad, including many "boat people". In pictures: Iconic images. Why is the South China Sea contentious? Vietnam's new breed of dissident. Microfinance in Vietnam. Cambodia closes refugee facility.

BBC: Vietnam Direct. Vietnam War- History. Vietnamese government. Travel Episodes - Lost in Vietnam.