The specialties of each region of Vietnam carry within themselves the local lifestyle and the quintessence of nature there. The North cherishes delicate recipes, like a delicious bowl of bun thang that must be prepared for many hours. In the Central region, royal culinary traditions and typical spices blend in unique dishes such as lotus rice or spring rolls. Southern braised fish and sour soup come from abundant seafood resources, the pride of the Mekong Delta.
Vietnam has an area of 331,212 km², a land border of 4,639 km, a coastline of 3,260 km, and shares a maritime border with Thailand through the Gulf of Thailand and with China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia through the East Sea. Vietnam claims sovereignty over two disputed geographical entities in the East Sea, the Hoang Sa archipelagos (which has lost control in reality) and Truong Sa
Vietnam's terrain has about 40% mountains and forests, 40% hills and coverage of about 75% of the country's area. There are mountain ranges and plateaus such as Hoang Lien Son range, Son La plateau in the north, Bach Ma range and plateaus following the Truong Son range in the south. Network of rivers and lakes in the delta or mountainous areas of the North and Central Highlands. The delta accounts for about 1/4 of the area, including deltas such as the Red River Delta, Mekong River Delta and the Central Coastal Plains, which are densely populated areas. Cultivated land accounts for 17% of Vietnam's total land area.
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.