Vietnam occupies a land area of 331,114 sq. km. It shares boundaries in the west with Cambodia and Laos and in the north with China. The South China Sea is to the east and south. Situated in the heart of Southeast Asia. with 3,260 km of spectacular coastline, Vietnam offers ideal advantages for both trade and tourism.

Mountains and tropical forest cover three quarters of Vietnam, but the flatlands make up the most heavily populated portion of the country. The country's two "rice bowls" lie in the Red River delta in the north and the Mekong River delta in the south.

Hanoi is in the north and is the country's capital, while Ho Chi Minh City, in the south is the largest commercial city. Danang is the third largest city and an important shipping port located in the central part of the country.

Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate. The north is cool and damp in winter, hot and rainy in the summer. The southern climate is more even. Rains are highly unpredictable; the centre of the country is most subject to typhoons.

Vietnam's population was estimated at 82 million in 2004 but in fact was probably somewhat higher because of under recording. The average population density is 248 people per sq. km., with the densest areas concentrated in the south. The annual growth rate is 1.44%.

Vietnam is a young country with an estimated 65% of the people under the age of 30. Of the 54 ethnic groups. those of Kinh (Vietnamese) decent account for 84% of the total population. The literacy rate is about 91%. Approximately 74% of the population is employed in agriculture.

Vietnam’s largest city is Ho Chi Minh city in the South with an actual population over 8 million. The capital, Hanoi is in the North and has a registered population of 4 million.

Vietnamese history dates back more than 4,000 years to when the ancient Vietnamese people founded their fist nation under the name "Van Lang " in 287 B.C.

The history of Vietnam is best characterized as one long, continuous struggle for freedom and independence. The country was ruled by the Chinese for nearly a thousand years from 111 B.C. to 939 A.D. It was also colonized by France for almost 100 years from 1859 to 1945.

During the Second World War, Vietnam was occupied by Japanese troops, but the French administration continued. Vietnam was declared independent on September 2, 1945, but immediately plunged into a war against the French attempts to re-colonize, which lasted for another nine years. The war ended in 1954, leaving the country divided at the 17th parallel. The north became the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, led by the communists, while the south fell under the influence of the West, namely the United States.

The U.S. involvement in Vietnam grew steadily in the 1950s and escalated into a full-fledged war in March 1965 when the first U.S. troops landed in Vietnam. Although U.S. troops were completely withdrawn by the end of March 1973 as a result of the Paris Peace Accords, the war continued until April 30, 1975, when the south was liberated. The nation was reunified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in January 1976.

However, the legacy of war did not end until 1979. The country is currently at peace.