Vietnam Information
VIETNAM
Vietnam is not only this country once torn and bombed in several successive wars that made him infamous: there is also a unique and rich civilization and , many spectacular landscapes and natural sites, and a particularly cultured and hospitable people. The isolation in which he found himself after reunification in 1975 gave way to the opening, and now vietnamese people live in peace.
Still relatively little used despite its wealth, this country with his both deltas, his beautiful coast, his shimmering rice paddies, his charm and legendary beauty, exudes a scent of authenticity: your chance to go to his discovery.
- Region: South-East Asia
- Official country name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
- Population: 87 million inhabitants.
- Area: 331,690 km ².
- Capital: Hanoi.
- Major cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Danang, Haiphong
- Languages: Vietnamese (national language) and multiple dialects of ethnic minorities.
- Distribution ethnographic : Viet 86%, and the rest for another 53 ethno-linguistic groups
- Religion: 80% Buddhist, 7.5% Catholic, 1.5% of Hoa Hao, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5% and 0.1% Muslim. Confucianism has a broad practice associated with other religions.
- Type of Government: Communist
- Currency: dong (VND).
- Revenue Average: 120USD/mois
- Sites classified as Unesco World heritage: Ha Long Bay, the imperial city of Hue and his tombs, the old town of Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary and National Park Phong Nha-Ke Bang
Economy
GDP: U.S. $ 241.8 billion
GDP / capita: U.S. $ 2 800
Annual growth: 6.2%
Inflation: 20%
Principal activities: agriculture (rice, fish), oil, coal industry (electricity, steel), tourism.
Main partners: Japan, Singapore, South Korea, China, European Union, including France and Germany, United States
History :
111 BC, the Chinese conquered the Red River Delta (where the oldest settlement dates back more than 500,000 years). Their domination lasted over a thousand years, interspersed with acts of resistance such as theTrung sisters, in the year 40 of our era.
938: Ngo Quyen has spilled the armed fleet Chinese on Bach Dang River and make an independent Vietnamese state.
1010-1225: Ly Dynasty: the independence of the kingdom of Vietnam (Dai Viet) consolidates. It repels many attacks Chinese, Khmer and Cham, he conquers the territory.
1225-1400: Under the Tran Dynasty, General Tran Hung Dao repels the armies of Mongol warrior Kublai Khan. The Chinese, however, resumed control of Vietnam. 1516: The first Portuguese sailors landed at Danang, followed by missionaries
1859: A French intervention force seized Saigon.
1867, while the south is in the hands of the French and became Cochinchina.
1954: After decades of confrontation and nationalist ferment led by Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese fought the French army at Dien Bien Phu. The Geneva accords provide for the temporary division of Vietnam into two zones on both sides of the 17th parallel. The political and ideological opposition between the two parties quickly turn to armed confrontation.
1965: Landing of the first American troops. 580000 Americans will fight in Vietnam.
1973: The Paris Agreements are signed in, will focus on a cease-fire and the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces.
1975: The North Vietnamese release the South of Vietnam. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. The country is officially reunited in July.
Geography
It is said that Vietnam has the shape of a dragon ... It also suggests an "S" with two large plains in the north and south connected by a narrow coastal corridor in the center.
-The Red River Delta (15,000 km ²) in the north
-Mekong Delta (60,000 sq km) in the south. Between the north end to the south end, there are about 1600 km as the crow flies.
Vietnam is covered for three quarters of mountains and hills.
-The coast: the ribs are long 3,260 km
-Borders: there are no less than 1650 km border with Laos,1150 km with China and 950 km with Cambodia .
-The islands:
In the North: Cat Ba, QuanLan and Coto islands
In the Center: the archipelagos of Hoangsa (Paracelles), Phuquy Island
In the South: the archipelagos of Truongsa, Condao island (poulo condor), the Phuquoc Island in Siam gulf
Health
Malaria Malaria Vietnamese is present only in restricted areas, there is no malaria in cities or in coastal ttowns, or in the plains of rice fields or in the Highlands. It is only exceptionally that the traveler is faced with the problem of malaria.
However, if you leave the beaten track (average altitude plateau, forested areas and border areas of the country, zone "delta"), you shall observe to the letter the following recommendations:
- clothing covering the maximum body surface area.
- Coat the exposed parts of a mosquito repellent against mosquitoes ---
- Always sleep under a mosquito net
Food and water
Take bottles reliable brand: Life or Aquafina
In case of serious health problem
- Some foreign health facilities and private are located and offer good quality care, for example, the Franco-Vietnamese Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. There is also the International SOS Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and the ultra-modern.
Gastronomy
\Vietnamese cooking is simple, light and varied (nearly 500 dishes). Although sometimes it is inspired subtleties. It is clearly distinguishable from the Chinese cuisine by the fact that it is less fat and less coated sauces, it has many more natural herbs and vegetables.
The Vietnamese dessert is rather composed of fresh fruit pastries - Che: sweet dessert, made from ingredients varied: white beans or corn.
Internet
Access to the internet is easy and everywhere in the country, with an iPhone or an iPad equipped with wifi and 3G, you can have internet acces, even in a remote corner.
Know - live and customs
- Abroad, the stranger is you. So, if a clash of cultures, better to us to be discreet.
- Dress code: no nudity on beaches. City, avoid shorts and bare chests. Dress in temples and pagodas
- Ask the owner to visit his house, and the door opens
- Do not take offense if (the) Vietnamese (do) not open on the gift you gave him. Is that, from his point of view, it would be rude to do so.
When to go
There is no good or bad time to visit Vietnam when an area is wet or suffocating, another has a temperate climate sunny and pleasantly. Remember, during Tet, a week before and two weeks after, chaos reigns throughout the Far East and the planes and hotels are booked well in advance.
Fashion advice
To the north in winter, bring warm clothes and waterproof (like sweater or fleece) because it can be cold (wind + drizzle). If, during the same trip, we go to the south, also take light clothes: T-shirts, shirts, slacks.
Entry Requirements
A visa is required and paid.
Please note that your passport must be valid in principle six months after the expiry date of your visa.
Possibility of visa on arrival: You must have a passport photcopie and sendto the travel agency. You receive an invitation letter which is certified by the Immigration Service of Viet Nam. Armed with this invitation letter and 2 3x4 photos, you can get your visa on arrival at the international airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Money, banks, exchange
The national currency is the dong (VND).
1USD = 20800 VND 1 EURO = 26000
Banks
- Banks are generally open from 7 h 30 to 11 h 30 and 13 h 30 to 16 h30), every day during the week and Saturday morning. They are closed on Sunday.
- Distributors accessible to all credit card
Time difference
There are 6 am shift - more - between Vietnam and the Greenwich meridian. More concretely, it is 12 pm in Paris, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi is 18 hours in winter and 17 hours in summer.
Electricity
The electric current is 220 volts and plugs are identical to French firms before the European standardization, except in the South where there is room in both American made and European companies.
Post :
Opening : 7:30 AM- Closing: 21:00 PM
Courrier - Stamp for Postcard: 15 000 VND - a letter to: 20000 VND
MOSAIQUE TOUR
Add: 30/66 Hoabinh7 Minhkhai street, HaiBaTrung district- HaNoi- VIETNAM
Tel: +84-4-3622 8551 Fax: +84-4-3622 85 48
Email: uytran9@mosaiquetour.vn - Hot line: +84-98 56 11 070
Website: www.mosaiquetour.vn
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