Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country on the South China Sea known for its beaches, rivers, Buddhist pagodas and bustling cities. Hanoi, the capital, pays homage to the nation’s iconic Communist-era leader, Ho Chi Minh, via a huge marble mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) has French colonial landmarks, plus Vietnamese War history museums and the C? Chi tunnels, used by Viet Cong soldiers.
Languages: Vietnamise (Official), Tày, M??ng, Cham, Khmer, H'Mong, Chinese
Ethnic Groups: Kinh (Viet) 85.7%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.8%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer 1.5%, Mong 1.2%, Nung 1.1%, others 5.3%
Belief Systems: Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8%
Demographics:
Population: 91.6 million people (World Rank: 13th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 729 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 50th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 1.03 %/yr (World Rank: 127th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 75.9 years (World Rank: 83rd) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 28.5 years (World Rank: 86th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Vietnam
Worldatlas.com
Vietnam
World Factbook
Vietnam - Country Profile
U.S. Library of Congress
Vietnam - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Travel Info for Vietnam
Travelnotes.org
Vietnamese Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Vietnamese Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
