 Where In The World?
Where in the World is Vietnam?
It's time to get out your globe! You need to know about the imaginary lines on globes and maps. These lines are called lines of latitude and longitude, and they tell a pilot or ship's captain exactly where in the world a certain place is located. Basically, latitude lines (also called parallels) are the horizontal lines on your map. Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are the vertical lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. This mapping system is written in degrees and uses the symbol . Get ready to travel the world!
Find longitude 106 E and latitude 16 N, and you will find Vietnam. This country is located south of China and borders Cambodia and Laos. Vietnam used to be a part of China, but France took the land as part of French Indochina in 1887. When Vietnam declared its independence on September 2, 1954, the country split into the communist north and the capitalist south. After a lot of fighting with foreign countries assisting the opposing sides, Vietnam reunited. The people declared the land to be the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with the capital of Hanoi.
Vietnam has many Chinese traditions as part of its culture. Education is important, and at least 9 years of school is required for children. If you want to continue after grade 9, your parents have to pay for it. Elementary students go to school from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Then students go home for lunch, rest, play or work. They return to school to finish the day from 1:30-4:30 p.m. The literacy rate, or the number of people over 15 who can read and write, is 90%. Schools are run by the government. The government of Vietnam is a communist state, which means economic and social decisions are made by the government and property is state-owned. The law-making group is called the National Assembly. This group elects the president of the country.
Vietnam is mostly an agricultural, or farming, country. Rice is the largest crop. Other crops grown include soybeans, peanuts, rubber and tea. The country also produces seafood, such as shrimp, crab and squid.
The land of Vietnam is different in each part. Land in the south and parts of the north is flat, the central area has many hills and the far north has many mountains. There are two seasons in Vietnam. One is the rainy season, which lasts from May to September. The dry season lasts from October to March.
Sources: The World Factbook prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency; Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.
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