VietnamGeography

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 106 00 E Map references: Southeast Asia Area: total: 329,560 sq km
land: 325,360 sq km
water: 4,200 sq km Area - comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico Land boundaries: total: 4,639 km
border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km Coastline: 3,444 km (excludes islands) Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March) Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower Land use: arable land: 19.97%
permanent crops: 5.95%
other: 74.08% (2001) Irrigated land: 30,000 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta Environment - current issues: logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Geography - note: extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point More about Vietnam: Introduction People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues