Vietnam+General+Information

General Information


 * General Information || Geography || History || Culture || Political System || Economics || Activities || Teacher's Page ||

Area: 128,052 square miles Population: 62,000,000 Population Distribution: 81% rural and 19% urban Capital: Hanoi (population 2,500,000) Other Major Cities: Ho Chi Minh (population 4,000,000), Haiphong (population 1,500,000) National Language: Vietnamese Religions: Buddhist 55%, Taoist, Confucian, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Hoa Hao and others. Most Vietnamese practice more than one religion Ethnic Groups: Vietnamese 85%, the remainder of the population is divided between Chinese, Tai, Khmer, Muong, Thai, Nung, Meo and Cham. Literacy Rate: 94% Average Life Expectancy: 60 Years Infant Mortality Rate: 59 deaths per 1,000 births (Willis, 2002)

Vietnam is the thirteenth most populous nation in the world with 76.3 million inhabitants. The average life expectancy is 66 years. With more than 525 people for every square mile, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Each year, the population increases by nearly 2%. (Willis, 2002)

The country’s official language is Vietnamese, also known as kinh. Though each ethnic minority has its own language, most also speak Vietnamese. It is this common language that bonds the people together as a nation. Boys names usually represent some virtue or character trait the parents wish for their son, while girls names are often those of beautiful things, such as flower or birds. (Cole, 1989)