Socialist Republic of Vietnam Cong Hoa Chu Nghia Viet Nam

CAPITAL: Hanoi

FLAG: The flag is red with a five-pointed gold star in the center.

ANTHEM: Tien Quan Ça (Forward, Soldiers!).

MONETARY UNIT: The dong (D) is a paper currency of 10 hao and 100 xu. There are coins of 1, 2, and 5 xu, and notes of 5 xu, 1, 2, and 5 hao, and 1, 2, 5, and 10 dong. D1 = $0.00007 (or $1 653= D 15,303) as of May 2003.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard, but some traditional measures are still used.

HOLIDAYS: Liberation of Saigon, 30 April; May Day, 1 May; Independence Day, 2 September. Movable holidays include the Vietnamese New Year (Tet).

TIME: 7 PM = noon GMT.

Location, Size, and Extent

Situated on the eastern coast of mainland Southeast Asia, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) has an area of 329,560 sq km (127,244 sq mi), extending 1,650 km (1,025 mi) N–S and 600 km (373 mi) E–W. Comparatively, the area occupied by Vietnam...