Vietnam
An S-shaped coast from the Red River to the Mekong Delta
Vietnam stretches in a long S-curve down the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, a country of rice deltas, limestone seascapes, and a coastline more than three thousand kilometers long. Bookended by the Red River Delta in the north and the Mekong Delta in the south, it has surged from the devastation of war into one of Asia's fastest-growing economies and most dynamic manufacturing hubs. A resilient, densely settled people and a cuisine of pungent freshness define its character.
Mountains and highlands run down Vietnam's western flank along the Annamite Range, with Fansipan, the roof of Indochina, its highest peak. Two great river deltas anchor the population and rice production, while the dramatic karst towers of Ha Long Bay rise from the northern sea. The climate ranges from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. Electronics, textiles, footwear, agriculture, and a booming export sector power the economy.
A thousand years of Chinese rule and later dynasties shaped Vietnamese civilization before French colonization in the nineteenth century. Independence struggles culminated in division and the long war that ended with reunification under communist rule in 1975. Market reforms known as Doi Moi from 1986 unleashed rapid growth. Hanoi, the historic capital in the north, balances Ho Chi Minh City, the commercial powerhouse of the south, as the country deepens its global trade ties.