| Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia |
| Geographic coordinates | 16 10 N, 107 50 E |
| Map references | Southeast Asia |
| Area | total: 331,210 sq km land: 310,070 sq km water: 21,140 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about three times the size of Tennessee; slightly larger than New Mexico |
| Land boundaries | total: 4,616 km border countries (3): Cambodia 1158 km, China 1297 km, Laos 2161 km |
| Coastline | 3,444 km (excludes islands) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March) |
| Terrain | low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m lowest point: South China Sea 0 m mean elevation: 398 m |
| Natural resources | antimony, phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 34.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 20.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 12.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 2.1% (2018 est.) forest: 45% (2018 est.) other: 20.2% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 46,000 sq km (2012) |
| Total renewable water resources | 884.12 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Natural hazards | occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta |
| Geography - note | note 1: extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point note 2: Son Doong in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is the world's largest cave (greatest cross sectional area) and is the largest known cave passage in the world by volume; it currently measures a total of 38.5 million cu m (about 1.35 billion cu ft); it connects to Thung cave (but not yet officially); when recognized, it will add an additional 1.6 million cu m in volume; Son Doong is so massive that it contains its own jungle, underground river, and localized weather system; clouds form inside the cave and spew out from its exits and two dolines (openings (sinkhole skylights) created by collapsed ceilings that allow sunlight to stream in) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
