Vietnam Overview

Overview

Official name: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Flag: The flag of Vietman is red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center.

Capital city: Hanoi 

Government: Socialist Republic

Population: 86,116,559 (Mid 2008) 

Local time: GMT + 7

Area: 331,690 km2/ 128,527 sq miles 

Drives on the: Right

Religions: Buddhism: 85%; Christianity: 8%, Caodaism: 3%; Other: 4%

Ethnics: Viet: 86%; Other: 54 minority tribes, including H'mong, Dao, Tay, Thai, and Nung 

Official Languages: Vietnamese

Other Languages: Tay, Muong, Khmer, Chinese, Nung, and H'Mong, and others. 

Calling code: 84

Voltage: 220V AC 50 HZ

Independence day: September 2nd 1945 from France

Internet Code: .vn

Business hour: 8 AM - 5 PM with 1-2 hour lunch break

Currency: Dong (VND)

Notes: 500, 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, 10.000, 20.000, 50.000, 100.000, 200.000, 500.000

Coins: 200, 500, 1.000, 2.000, 5.000

Geography: Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east.

Shop Hours: Shops run from 7 or 8am to 11 or 11:30pm. Some are open from 1 or 2pm to 4 or 5pm.

Bank Hours: Most banks are opened from 7am or 8am to 11am or 11:30am Some are open from 1pm or 2pm to 4pm or 5pm.

Exchange: Travellers cheques are accepted at most banks. Hotels sometimes charge a commission. Cash dollars in good condition are accepted in many places, so small denominations are useful to carry. The exchange rate can fluctuate considerably. Remaining Vietnamese currency can be exchanged for US dollars at the exchange bureau at the airport.

Creditcard: Most major hotels and big restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi accept Visa and MasterCard.

Holidays and important days

January 1st Solar Calendar New Year's Day

Tet Nguyen Dan (Tet holidays) according to Lunar Calendar of Vietnam and China. The most important Vietnamese annual festival. This marks the new lunar year and the advent of spring. This is a three-day holiday, usually at the end of January or the beginning of February (according to the solar calendar).

March 10 (Lunar calendar) normaly on April is the Death anniversary of Vietnam’s ancestor Hùng Vương.

April 30 Liberation Day, the day on which Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) fell to Hanoi in 1975. This holiday is commemorated nationwide.

May 1 Labour Day

May 19 Birthday of President Ho Chi Minh

September 2 National Day of Vietnam

Weather

Vietnam is essentially tropical country with a humid monsoon climate. The annual mean temperature is over 20 degrees Celsius throughout the country ( Hanoi 23.4 C,. Hue 25.1 C,. Ho Chi Minh City 26.9 C).

 

In July, the average temperature in Hanoi is 28.6 C. in Hue it is 28.9 C and in Ho Chi Minh City, 27.6 C. Lowland areas receive around 1,500mm of rain per year, while mountainous areas receive 2,000mm to 3,000mm. Humidity can reach 90 percent in the rainy season.

 

Vietnam has also two seasons: cool and dry from November to April and hot and rainy from may to October. The difference between summer and winter temperatures is dramatic in the north ( varying up to 20 degrees Celsius), the south is warm all year round, with seasonal variations in temperature averaging just three degrees Celsius.

 

 

Vietnam weather chart
Month	Hanoi (North)		Danang (Central)		Saigon (South)
	Av.Temp (C)	Av.rainfall (mm)	Av.Temp (C)	Av.rainfall (mm)	Av.Temp (C)	Av.rainfall (mm)
January	17	18	22	101	27	15
Febuary	18	28	22	31	28	4
March	20	38	24	12	29	13
April	24	81	27	18	30	42
May	28	197	29	47	29	221
June	30	238	30	42	29	331
July	30	322	30	99	28	314
August	29	343	28	117	28	268
September	28	252	26	447	27	334
October	26	98	24	530	27	268
November	22	42	22	221	27	114
December	19	21	21	208	27	56

Transportation

The modern transport network of Vietnam was originally developed under French rule for the purpose of raw materials harvesting, and reconstructed and extensively modernized following the Vietnam War. The road system is the most popular form of transportation in the country. Vietnam’s road system includes national roads administered by the central level; provincial roads managed by the provincial level; district roads managed by the district level; urban roads managed by cities and towns; and commune roads managed by the commune level.

 

Bicycles, motor scooters and motorcycles remain the most popular forms of road transport in Vietnam's cities, towns, and villages although the number of privately-owned automobiles is also on the rise, especially in the larger cities. Public bus operated by private companies is the main long distance travel means for many people. Traffic congestion is a serious problem in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the cities' roads struggle to cope with the booming numbers of automobiles. There are also more than 17,000 kilometers of navigable waterways, which play a significant role in rural life owing to the extensive network of rivers in Vietnam.

The nation has seven developed ports and harbors at Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Gai (Halong City), Qui Nhon, and Nha Trang.