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Vietnam

Asia · 98 million

About Vietnam

Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is a sovereign country located in Asia, specifically within the South-Eastern Asia subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Hanoi, and the country is home to approximately 101 million people. In its native language, the country is known as “Việt Nam”. Vietnamese serves as the primary official language, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Vietnam. The official currency in circulation is the Vietnamese đồng (₫), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Vietnam is widely recognised for pho noodle soup, Ha Long Bay and its millions of motorbikes. People from Vietnam are referred to as Vietnamese.

Geography & climate

Vietnam covers approximately 331,212 km² of territory, making it a mid-sized country by land area. It shares land borders with 3 neighbouring countries — a position that has historically influenced migration patterns, regional politics, and cross-border commerce. Geographically, Vietnam sits in the Northern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 16.2° N, 107.8° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+07:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Vietnam can be summarised as: coastline & mountains with tropical to subtropical. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 101 million inhabitants, Vietnam is one of the more populous nations on Earth. The principal spoken language is Vietnamese, which dominates public life, schooling, signage, and the workplace. Locals refer to their homeland as “Việt Nam”, a name with linguistic and historical roots that long predate modern borders. Citizens are formally known in English as Vietnamese, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Vietnamese đồng (₫) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Vietnam should familiarise themselves with the capital, Hanoi, the local time zone (UTC+07:00), the local currency (Vietnamese đồng). The international dialling prefix is +84, which is required when phoning a Vietnam number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .vn, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Vietnam is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Vietnam is generally classified within the Asia region and more specifically the South-Eastern Asia subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties. GlobeIQ groups it under "Southeast Asia" for the purposes of the game's regional hint.

Bordering countries

Vietnam shares land borders with 3 countries. Click any neighbour to read about it:

Did you know?

Vietnam is the world's second-largest exporter of coffee after Brazil, and the largest exporter of cashew nuts — both crops introduced during French colonial rule.

Vietnam in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Vietnam appears as a moderately challenging puzzle, suited to players who already know the major continents. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Vietnam carries the personality tags “🍜 Pho Nation” and “🛵 Two-Wheel City”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Vietnam to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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