Geography of Vietnam
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
Geographical Area
Land
325,360 Sq Km.
Water
4,200 Sq Km.
Land Boundary
4,639 Km.
Border Countries
Cambodia
1,228 Km.
Laos
2,130 Km.
China
1,281 Km.
Length of Coastline
3,444 Km.
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
20%
Permanent Crops
7%
Other
73%
Irrigated Land
30,000 Sq Km.
Natural Hazards
Occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta.
Environmental 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.