Vietnam is bounded by the Gulf of Tonkin and the Eastern Sea (South China Sea) on the east; on the west by the Gulf of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos; on the north by China; and in the south by the confluence of the South China Sea and the Gulf of Siam.

The flat Red River Delta dominates the northern part of the country which is surrounded by mountainous areas along the borders China and Laos. Rivers:

The Day, the Hong (or Red River) and the Da Rivers, all with headwaters in China, and all of which distribute into the Red River Valley.

The Ma River with headwaters in Laos which distributes south of the Red River Delta through Thanh Hoa.

The Ca with headwaters in Laos distributes to the South China Sea through Vinh.

A coastal littoral runs the length of the central part of the country, bounded by the Central Highlands (Troung Son Mountain Range) to the immediate west which proceed into Laos; smaller river valleys proceed inland at points along the coast.

Minor rivers with headwaters in Laos flow from the west to the east creating small fertile river valleys along the coast of central Vietnam.

Rolling areas from Saigon north with some hills, gradually inclining into the Troung Son Mountain Range. From Saigon South the land becomes a vast flat plain, interlaced with vast distributary rivers of the Mekong.

The Saigon River, with headwaters to the north and northwest of Saigon reaching into Cambodia, flows into the South China Sea at Vung Tau.

Vam Co Dong River (East River) with headwaters in Cambodia flows southeast to the south of Saigon.

Vam Co Tay River (West River) with headwaters in Cambodia flows to the southeast south of the Vam Co Dong River, before joining it and emptying into the South China Sea.

Tien River (the Mekong River) with headwaters in the Himalayas and in China the river laces its way though Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, where it splits into the Mekong and Bassac; the Mekong proceeds into Vietnam and has five-major distributary rivers which empty into the South China Sea across the Mekong River Delta.

Hau (or Bassac) River parallels the Mekong to its south on its southeastern journey to the sea.

Elevation Extremes

Lowest Point

Eastern Sea (South China Sea)

Mount Fan Si Pan, 3,144-meters, in the Hoang Lien Mountain Range in northwest northern Vietnam.

• Total: 329,560-square kilometers
• Land: 325,360-square kilometers
• Water: 4,200-square kilometers

• Total: 4,639-kilometers

• Cambodia: 1,228-kilometers
• Laos: 2,130-kilometers
• China: 1,281-kilometers

• 3,444-kilometers

• Contiguous Zone: 24-nautical miles
• Continental Shelf: 200-nautical miles / edge of continental margin
• Exclusive Economic Zone: 200-nautical miles
• Territorial Sea: 12-nautical miles

Before you go: