he Rice fields often fill the valleys of northern Vietnam Wider at the top and bottom and skinny in the mid dle Vietnam has three regions Bac Bo northern Trung Bo central and Nam Bo southern The landscape of the north contains mountains hills and plains Fan Si Pan the country's highest peak stands in the north The Red River and other waterways cross this area Crops such as rice grow in the fertile plains along these rivers This region is also home to Hanoi the country's
VIETNAM The Truong Son Mountains run down the western edge of central Vietnam But on the eastern side you'll find the beaches and harbors of the coast The central region gets some of the worst weather Swirling storms with high winds called typhoons often crash into the shore Pietnam DIS LECOEPHALs cdo Vietnam is one of the world's narrowest countries Central Vietnam is only 30 miles 48 km across at its narrowest point If a freeway crossed the country at this point a car could drive from one side to the other in less NL than a half hour To the other side
to Boats are a common site along the Mekong River The Mekong River is an important waterway running through southern Vietnam Sometimes it is called the River of Nine Dragons because it splits into nine smaller rivers before it empties into the South China Sea The land around this wide delta is rich for farming The country's largest city Ho Chi Minh City formerly called Saigon lies in the south From the rugged mountains to the sunny beaches Vietnam has breathtaking views of nature In Ha Long
VIETNAM Bay more than 3 000 islands rise up from the water Legend says that the islands formed when a dragon dropped jewels and jade into the clear bay Vietnam has a tropical climate meaning it is typi cally warm and wet The northern part of the country has four seasons Summers are hot and humid with Pietnam as LSUCCEPHALs cdao Vietnam's land provides homes for many animals Creatures live in the rugged mountains the thick forests the rushing rivers and on the salty coast Vietnam's aquificent wildlife includes the Sarus Crane the clouded leopard the water buffalo and the endangered Java
