Vietnam is a beautiful, long and narrow country full of rivers, paddy fields and densely forested mountains. It is located on the eastern margin of the Indochinese peninsula. It is 1,650 km long and 50km wide with a land area of 331,041 square km. About three quarters of Vietnam's landscape is made up of mountains or plateaus (fairly high level of ground).
Biggest river- Mekong and Red River are the biggest rivers, and they are both very important for farming. The Mekong river is Vietnams chief rice- growing region that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and is a haven for wildlife. It is the world's 12th longest river and the 7th longest in Asia with an estimated length of 4,350 km.
Highest mountain- Fan Si Pan is the highest mountain in Vietnam which is about 3,143 meters tall however, the Troung Son mountains cover about two-thirds of the country.
The picture on the right is of the beautiful Halong Bay which is located on the coast of Vietnam at the top near Hanoi. The unusual mountains peaking out of the water is the limestone peaks in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Vietnam lies along the coastal line, as they have beautiful beaches. The coastal plain is a narrow, flat strip of land running down the country beside the coast, and it varies from long sandy beaches to steep cliffs.
For safety reasons, when travelling to Vietnam, you should remember the number one rule- not to drink tap water and to never drink river water. This is mainly because the water may look clean, however it is contaminated due to the presence of pathogenic organisms like bacteria, viruses and cysts. Drinking this contaminated water can increase your chance of diseases such as: diarrhea, gastroenteritis, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, poliomyelitis, hepatitis A and giardia. It would be a good idea to purchase bottled water as a much safer option, and stay away from tap water.
Biggest river- Mekong and Red River are the biggest rivers, and they are both very important for farming. The Mekong river is Vietnams chief rice- growing region that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and is a haven for wildlife. It is the world's 12th longest river and the 7th longest in Asia with an estimated length of 4,350 km.
Highest mountain- Fan Si Pan is the highest mountain in Vietnam which is about 3,143 meters tall however, the Troung Son mountains cover about two-thirds of the country.
The picture on the right is of the beautiful Halong Bay which is located on the coast of Vietnam at the top near Hanoi. The unusual mountains peaking out of the water is the limestone peaks in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Vietnam lies along the coastal line, as they have beautiful beaches. The coastal plain is a narrow, flat strip of land running down the country beside the coast, and it varies from long sandy beaches to steep cliffs.
For safety reasons, when travelling to Vietnam, you should remember the number one rule- not to drink tap water and to never drink river water. This is mainly because the water may look clean, however it is contaminated due to the presence of pathogenic organisms like bacteria, viruses and cysts. Drinking this contaminated water can increase your chance of diseases such as: diarrhea, gastroenteritis, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, poliomyelitis, hepatitis A and giardia. It would be a good idea to purchase bottled water as a much safer option, and stay away from tap water.