Vietnam By: Ery, Oti, Manvir

Location Here are some things you might want to know on Vietnam’s location.Vietnam is located in southeast Asia. Vietnam is southeast of North America and northeast South America. Also northeast of Africa. Also Vietnam is northwest of Oceana and southeast of Europe. That is some ways that aren’t very accurate to locate Vietnam. Vietnam has 3 neighboring countries that are on it’s borders. Laos is located on the northwest side of Vietnam’s border. China is on the north part of Vietnam’s border. Cambodia is on the southwest side. Also the eastern coast of Vietnam is on the South China Sea. Those were the bordering countries that are neighbors of Vietnam.

Size (Area/Geography) Here are some facts on Vietnams area. Vietnam’s area is about 329,560 km squared. About 1,698 km north-south and 612 km across. The perimeter of Vietnam (international boundaries) is about 4639 km. Vietnam is only 50 km apart at it’s narrowest point. Vietnam is larger than Italy but almost the size of Germany. Also it is scarcely larger than New Mexico.That is how large Vietnam is. Vietnam is covered by forest, jungles, and mountains. 80 percent of Vietnam is covered by mountains, hills, plateaus. Northern Vietnam is and western Vietnam are dominated by mountains. Vietnam’s highest point of land is on their highest mountain, Fan Si Pan. But some of southern Vietnam is flat and low.Only 20 percent of Vietnam is level land. Vietnam Is mostly meters above the sea’s level of height. That was some of the geography facts of Vietnam.

Population The population of Vietnam has changed throughout the years. In 1998 there was a population of about 79,470,000 people in Vietnam.In 2002 there was even less people, about 79,387,000 people. In 2007 there was about 87,262,000 people living in Vietnam. In 1995 there was about 74,000,000 people there, there was more females than males. There was about 37,876,000 females and about 360,092,000 males. The 1999 census of Hanoi (city) was about 1, 73, 000 people, and in Ho Chi Minh City there was about 3,015,000 people. Those were some dates of different populations. Also there were different amounts of people from different cultures. There is mostly Vietnamese people but some Chinese, some Thai, and some Khmer. 88 percent is Vietnamese, 3 percent Chinese, 9 percent Khmer and others. 75 percent of them lived in rural regions. Those were some amounts of people that are in different cultures in Vietnam.

Vietnam’s Cities Some of the cities in Vietnam are Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat, Nha Trang, Da nang, Hue. Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam, also the cultural center of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city. Ho Chi Minh was named after north Vietnam’s leader of the Vietnam war. Saigon is what Ho Chi Minh City is also known as. The major cities are Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat Nha Trang, Danang, and Hue.Tiny shops near the river and narrow streets are the the things the Old Quarter has. Those were the important cities in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh mausoleum in Hanoi.

Immigration Vietnamese people might have come to Canada for these reasons. Vietnamese people were living in an uncertain situation for many years. Meaning there were things like the Vietnam war going on. They also may have come to rebuild their lives after living 30 years in a strange land, in other words, to start life afresh. Also it could’ve been due to democracy, jobs, religious reasons, and the right to vote.Those could be some reasons why Vietnamese people might come to Canada. There was a fair amount of Vietnamese people who came to Canada. In 1991 there was about 94,000 Vietnamese people in Canada. By the end of 1995 there was about 123,000 Vietnamese people living in Canada. In 2001 there was an estimate of 144,000 Vietnamese people in Canada (about 67,000 in Ontario, 28,000 in Quebec, 27,000 in B.C, and 22,000 in Alberta). In 2006 there was about 180,000 Vietnamese people in Canada. Half of the Vietnamese people in Canada are first generation (first person in your family in your family to be there) and the other half is second generation. Also in 2005 about two thirds of them were working in Canada. That is how many Vietnamese people came to Canada.

Languages Vietnam has 9 languages being spoken there. The languages are Vietnamese, Tay, Murang, Khmer, Chinese, Nung, and H’mang. Those are the most common languages in Vietnam. More than 50 million people in Vietnam that speak Vietamese. Vietnamese is spoken by 90 percent of the people in Vietnam. Vietnam has a monosyllabic tonal language. That means you change your tone and it changes the meaning of the word, because there are 6 tones for each word, so each word has 6 meanings. The French language is also spoken as a second language. But English is the most popular language from another country to be studied, as it is increasing it’s use. By minority groups other languages are spoken. Those are the languages being spoken in in Vietnam.

Currency The Vietnamese currency is called dong. Dong literally means copper in Vietnamese. The different coins are: 200, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 dong. The paper bills are: 10000, 20000, 50000, , and dong. The Vietnamese currency is issued by the State Bank of Vietnam. One Canadian is equal to dong and one US dollar is equal to dong. One euro is dong. Also one British Pound is dong. People in Vietnam make money by farming. US (American) dollar are accepted in hotels, as well as Master card and Visa. Other types of currency can be exchanged at banks in Vietnam. That is the information you need to know about Vietnamese currency.

Food Vietnam has different foods and eating habits. People in Vietnam eat 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). White rice is eaten with every meal. Main meals include rice, salty dish (veggies and pork) and soup. Nuoc mam (fermented fish sauce) can be used as a dip or seasoning for meals. Fish and vegetable soup is the most popular soup in Vietnam. National dish is pho, which is a type of noodle soup. Many people eat: boiled rice with vegetables, tofu (soybean curd), seafood, chicken, pork or duck. Most people in central Vietnam eat: beans, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes or other starchy food instead of rice. Local fruits eaten include: watermelon, papayas, bananas and citrus fruits (apple, orange, lemon...). Fruit and sugar cane juices, coconut milk and soft drinks (pepsi, coke...) are wildly available. The most popular beverage is green tea. People in Vietnam use chopsticks for most meals and a spoon for soups. People put a food dish in the center of the table to eat from. When people eat, they hold their rice bowl in their hands because it is considered to be lazy to put it on the table. Vietnam has interesting food.

Climate There are 2 types of climate in Vietnam. The northern climate is subtropical. It has hot summers with heavy rain and the winters are cool and damp. In January, Hanoi’s temperature is usually around 19 degrees celsius. The southern climate is tropical. It is closer to the equator which means, the weather is warmer. The wet season is from around the month of May to October in the south. The south is hot and humid, most of the year. Around May to September, the weather is hot and rainy. The cities of Da Nang and Hue may experience typhoon type weather around October to December. The winters in both parts of Vietnam are chilly but can’t reach freezing temperature. The weather is mostly affected by monsoons (strong seasonal winds). Vietnam has pretty interesting weather.

Culture There are tons of things to know on Vietnamese culture. Vietnamese culture is one of the oldest cultures in Southeast Asia region. The most traditional clothing is the Ao Dai. People usually wear it/use it on occasions such as weddings or festivals. It was once worn by all genders, but now mainly woman. Men only wear it for culture realated traditions. There are different types of Vietnamese music (Northern, Central and Southern). Northern music is most traditional type of music in Vietnam. Traditional Vietnamese weddings are most important traditions. The most important holiday traditions. The most important holiday in Vietnam is the Lunar New Year, which is in late January or early February. In Lunar New Year, everyone celebrates his or her birthday, and considers themselves one year older. As long as one week people feast and visit other people. Other holidays include: New Years (Jan. 1),Labor Day (May 1), National Day (Sept. 2) and also Liberation Day (April 30). National Day is when Ho Chi Minh declared independence. Liberation Day is the 1975 defeat of South Vietnam. Those were the fantastic facts about Vietnamese culture.

Religion Vietnam has various religions, here are some of them. Buddhism is practiced 55 percent of the time. 12 percent of the people are Taoist, and 8 percent are roman catholic (Christian). There is a small amount of Christians and Muslims in Vietnam.Confucianism (kun-foo-she-an-is- um) is one of the large religions among Vietnam. Mahayana, Cao Dai, and Hoa Hao are other religions in Vietnam. Roman Catholics entered Vietnam by Catholic missionaries. Cao Pai and Hoa Hao are minor religions in Vietnam. Cao Dai and Hoa Hao have a little amount of followers. They were found in the 19th century. People in Vietnamese villages usually worship the spirits of plants, animals and, other parts of nature. Temples in Vietnam are busy with people praying to thei gods and goddesses Almost every Vietnamese family has an altar for ancestor for worship. Family members fruits, flowers on altars head in first and in the middle day of Lunar month. They burn incense and offer prayers to ancestors for support in overcoming misfortune and gaining good luck.Those were the religions in Vietnam.

Agriculture Agriculture is a subject that people do for others and themselves to live. Agriculture is the most popular subject people do. The chief crop is rice but the main crops are: coffee, rubber, sugar canes, tea, and tobacco( they are grown on big farms). Most of the farmers do wet rice agriculture, which is when rice is grown on very wet land. This requires much labor but grows high yields. In the summer when the greatest amount of rain falls, is when the crops grow. Vietnam is now one of the worlds top rice exporting nations because rice cultivation has improved so much. 80 percent of the cultivated land has rice growing on it. In some places in Vietnam three crops can be grown in one year. Also Vietnamese farmers raise many animals but mostly chickens, ducks, and hogs. Those are the important facts on Vietnam’s agriculture. Vietnamese people in a rice crop.

Education Here are some things you might want to learn on Vietnam’s education. In Vietnam most of the people that are 15 years or older can read and write. All the kids who are 6-10 should attend school. You start school at the age of 5, and for the first 6 years school is free. Children 4-5 learn abc( the alphabet) and easy math. Primary education normally starts at the age of 6. For primary education all the kids that are 5 years or older have to go to school. Universities, agriculture, college, technical institutes, and private business academies are things that higher levels of education have. The largest universities in Vietnam are Hanoi University of technology, Vietnam National University, and Can Tho University. At schools there are always races to register because of the limited space. For qualified students the university education is free. The strategy is half day when the teachers can’t control all the kids. Some kids might think learning is poisonous but it’s something you have to do.

Transportation Transportation is a very important thing in many countries, including Vietnam. I n Vietnam the most popular way to be transported somewhere are by bike and by motorcycle. Buses are also rode in. Very few couples have cars, and family’s usually have at least one motorbike, but very few can even afford cars. There is over 100,000 km of road, but out of that much only one quarter is paved. To transport goods and people, rivers are used a lot. Everyday people and goods are transported and shipped from one place to another. Puny flat on the bottom boats are called “sampans”, they go through rivers and streams. There are so many rivers and canals, that on water is the easiest way to travel the international are in Hanoi but the flights are very expensive. Those are some facts on Vietnam’s transportation. Vietnamese people riding bikes.