The Vietnam National Gene Bank preserves 12,300 varieties of 115 species. The Vietnamese government spent US$497 million to maintain biodiversity in 2004 and has established 126 protected areas including 28 national parks. Vietnam has 2 world natural heritage sites: Ha Long Bay and Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and 6 biosphere reserves including Can Gio, Cat Tien, Cat Ba, Kien Giang, and River Delta mangrove forests. Hong and Tay Nghe An.
With a history of fighting against invaders to protect the land, win freedom, independence and build the country dating back thousands of years by the Vietnamese people and the convergence of 54 other ethnic groups. each other has contributed to the diversity, richness and uniqueness of Vietnam's culture.
Vietnam has an area of 331,690 km², located in the east of the Indochina peninsula, in Southeast Asia. Sharing a border with three countries, Vietnam borders China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the East Sea to the east. In 2019, Vietnam's population was more than 96 million people, ranking 13th in the world. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the second largest city with 6.2 million people, after Ho Chi Minh City, 8.8 million people.
Vietnam's history began from 1 to 2 thousand years BC. Over many centuries with the Ly, Tran, Le, and Nguyen dynasties, from the mid-19th century, Vietnam became a French colony. After the August Revolution, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 marked the end of the French in the territory, but Vietnam was divided into two countries: the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the North and the Republic of Vietnam in the South. After the events of April 30, 1975, Vietnam was unified and from July 2, 1976, officially named the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.