Vietnam

Hanoi serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Vietnam, positioned in South-Eastern Asia. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Hanoi, Vietnam's capital since reunification in 1976, preserves the French colonial urban fabric of its Old Quarter — 36 streets each historically named for the guild that traded there — alongside the Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence in 1945, a city where 1,000 years of Chinese administration, 80 years of French colonialism and 30 years of warfare all left visible archaeology.

With a population of approximately 98.2M, Vietnam is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is Vietnamese, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Vietnam is reached via the dialling code +84. Vietnamese coffee culture evolved from French colonial introduction of arabica cultivation in the late 19th century into something entirely distinct: cà phê trứng — egg coffee, beaten with condensed milk into a custard-like foam — was invented in Hanoi in the 1940s as a substitute for scarce fresh milk and remains the city's most specific culinary identity.

Vietnam spans 331,212 km², in the South-Eastern Asia subregion of Asia. Geographically centred around 16.2°N, 107.8°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Asia convention.

The official currency is the Vietnamese đồng (₫), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Vietnam's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+07:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

The emblematic dish of Vietnam is Phở. Phở originated in the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam in the early 20th century, likely shaped by Chinese and French culinary contact — the long-simmered bone broth, rice noodles and herbs were sold from street carts and became the breakfast of Hanoi workers before the dish migrated south with the 1954 partition and transformed into the sweeter, garnish-heavy Ho Chi Minh City version.

Football holds a special place in the heart of Vietnam's national identity. Vietnam's 2008 AFF Championship victory — the national football team's first major regional title — produced street celebrations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City that shut traffic for hours, and the 2019 AFC U23 Championship runner-up finish under South Korean coach Park Hang-seo sparked a generational renewal of football passion not seen since the war generation.

The highest point in Vietnam is Fansipan, rising to 3,143 metres above sea level. Ha Long Bay contains over 1,600 limestone karst islands rising from the Gulf of Tonkin, a seascape so dramatic that it appears on the Vietnamese 200,000-dong banknote — the islands' caves, including Hang Đầu Gỗ, which concealed a Vietnamese fleet's iron-tipped stakes before the 1288 defeat of Kublai Khan's armada, layer military history over geological spectacle.