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Home >> About Vietnam :>> Vietnam's Geography :> A bamboo pole with a rice basket on each end Vietnam is located in the southeastern extremity of the Indochinese peninsula and occupies about 329,560 square kilometers with approximately 25% under cultivation. It borders the Guft of Thailan, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China sea to the East and South, China to the North, Lao's and Cambodia to the West. Vietnam forms an S-curve with 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. The Truong Son or Annamite mountains are considered as the backbone of Vietnam, connecting the Red River Delta in the North to the Mekong Delta in the South. It is described as a bamboo pole with a rice basket on each end. :> A land of hills, tropical forests, virgin beaches and fertile deltas Vietnam’s topography consists of hills and densely forested mountains, with level land covering no more than 20%. Mountains account for 40% of the area, with smaller hills accounting for 40% and tropical forests 42%. The northern part of the country consists mostly of highland and the red river delta. Fansipan, located in Lao Cai province, is the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m (10,312ft). The South is divided into coastal lowlands, Annamite chain peaks, extensive forests, and poor soil. Comprising five realively flat plateaus of basalt soil, the highlands account for 16% of the country's arable land and 22% of its total forested land. :> Abundant in fauna and flora Vietnam is considered as one of 10 centres of high or mega biodiversity in the world. Abundance of ecosystems has resulted in a rich diversity of species of fauna and flora in Vietnam. At present, the recorded species include 13,776 plants, about 1,600 terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, over 5,000 insects, 258 reptiles, 82 amphibians, 828 birds, and 275 mammals. About 2,000 species of marine and freshwater algae, 662 seaweed, 15 seagrass, over 7,000 marine invertebrates, 2,038 marine fishes, 50 marine reptiles, 4 marine tortoises, and 16 marine mammals are also recorded. Some groups have a high rate of endemic species such as 7 primates, 33 birds, 48 fresh water crustaceans and 43 molluscs. Especially, 6 new mammal species were discovered and described in Vietnam during the last few years. Because of the devastation caused by war, as well as the impact of former socio-economic development strategy that lacked adequate concern for environmental protection, the forest area has undergone serious degradation. The forest coverage has decreased from 43% in 1943 to 33% in 1976 and to only 27% by 1990. The over-exploitation of natural resources and environmental pollution caused by socio-economic development also put the biodiversity of Vietnam in danger. :> Changeable Tropical Climate Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate, with humidity averaging 84% throughout the year. However, because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate in Vietnam always changes in one year, between the years, or between the areas. There are 6-10 storms and tropical low atmosphere in years, floods and droughts are threaten the life and agriculture of Vietnam.
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