Vietnam Geography
New independent state of Indochina, established in 1949, following the political and military events of the last fifteen years, with the union of Tonkin, Annam and Cochinchina. It extends for over 1600 km from north to south to occupy the entire eastern edge of the Indochinese peninsula, from the border with China to Punta di Ca mau with an area of 334,000 km 2. The Geneva Conference for the cessation of hostilities in Indochina (see in this App.) Established with the agreement of 20 July 1954 that the 17th parallel line provisionally marked the limit between the contenders; under the agreement, general elections should have been held in 1956 to allow for the reunification of the country under a government freely chosen by the people; failure to implement the agreement, Vietnam was divided into two territories (V. Northern and Vietnam Southern), which later became autonomous states: the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, which includes the 29 provinces of Tonkin and the 4 northern provinces of Annam for a total of 164,103 km 2; the Republic of Vietnam, made up of the 13 central-southern provinces of Annam and the 22 provinces of Cochinchina, with an area of 170,231 km 2 ; the total population (1960) is estimated at around 30 million.
Natural conditions. – The country as a whole is mountainous, with predominantly folded reliefs in the north and tabular structures, often covered by volcanic eruptive rocks, in the south. While the Hercinian lands of the north have mineral deposits of a certain importance, the plateaus of the center-south have basalt layers whose surface decay gives rise to fertile red earth particularly suitable for crops. The alluvial plains are found along the coasts; together they cover just one fifth of the territory. They are not of great amplitude with the exception of the two extremes: the northern one formed by the delta of f. Rosso and the southern one in correspondence with the delta of f. Mekong, truly remarkable for extension and in continuous expansion for the solid contribution of the rivers: the delià of f. Rosso advances in the sea about a hundred meters a year; that of the Mekong of about eighty, at the Punta di Ca mau. The Red River and the Mekong are the main waterways whose large basins are only partially included in the Vietnamese territory, and are important for inland navigation. The waterways of the central Vietnam are shorter, with a steeply sloping bed and since the waters flow more directly to the sea, they have a torrential regime in relation to rainfall. These are seasonal throughout the country, which has a monsoon climate with temperatures that vary significantly in the different locations due to the influence of the relief. main waters whose large basins are only partially included in the Vietnamese territory, and are important for inland navigation. The waterways of the central Vietnam are shorter, with a steeply sloping bed and since the waters flow more directly to the sea, they have a torrential regime in relation to rainfall. These are seasonal throughout the country, which has a monsoon climate with temperatures that vary significantly in the different locations due to the influence of the relief. main waters whose large basins are only partially included in the Vietnamese territory, and are important for inland navigation. The waterways of the central Vietnam are shorter, with a steeply sloping bed and since the waters flow more directly to the sea, they have a torrential regime in relation to rainfall. These are seasonal throughout the country, which has a monsoon climate with temperatures that vary significantly in the different locations due to the influence of the relief.
Human conditions. – 85% of the population is Vietnamese; an abundant 10% is given by minor local ethnic groups, 4% is made up of Chinese and the remainder of Europeans. The increase in the population is considerable (about 22% compared to 1946) and is due to the high birth rate and the decrease in mortality, especially infants, due to improved sanitation conditions. The Vietnamese are traditionally residents of the plains and therefore most of the population lives in these, densifying more in the two delta regions (the northern one exceeds 500 residents / km 2and the southern one i 200) and in the other coastal plains. Local minorities generally live further inland, in the mountainous part, with the exception of some southern groups (Khmers) and where the average density is very low: less than 10 residents / km 2. Along the irrigated valley bottoms are the Thais, sedentary farmers whose kind of life contrasts with the agricultural nomadism of the groups that live on the slopes and on the summits: the Man in the range up to 800 m of altitude, the Meo higher up, up to 1800 m, without ever mixing. To these are added the Muong of the first reliefs around the northern delta, and the Mois of the southern mountains and plateaus. The immigration of the Chinese in the 5th dates back to many centuries. Today they live preferably in centers where they can carry out traditional activities with greater profit: trade, crafts, transport.
In the years 1954-55 there was a significant displacement of the population from the north to the south (about 850,000 individuals) and vice versa, but with less intensity; the accommodation of these refugees posed delicate problems, as they were farmers who, as a rule, sought to urbanize. The residents of the cities have more than doubled in less than 15 years and the different urban centers now have over 10% of the total population, while the remainder lives, always in a centralized form, in the villages. Four cities stand out in importance: Saigon-Cholon, capital, commercial center and main port of Southern Vietnam, is a large urban agglomeration of over 1,600,000 residents (1959), rapidly growing; Hanoi, former capital of the Indochinese Union and now capital of Northern Vietnam, also rapidly expanded as an industrial center, it counts 638,600 residents (1959); Haiphong, main port of the Northern Vietnam (1960); Hué (101,600 residents In 1959) in Annam. The other cities are, in general, commercial and administrative centers of local importance which have acquired an urban character only in this century.
