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 200-400 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, 100000, 200000 and 500000 dong. The Vietnamese currency is issued by the State
Bank of Vietnam. One Canadian is equal to 15862 dong and one US dollar is equal to 16192
dong. One euro is 25150 dong. Also one British Pound is 31762 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-isum) 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.