Fun Facts about Vietnam

The capital of Vietnam is Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam.

Vietnam has one of the highest rural population densities in Southeast Asia.

• False

• True

Answer explanation

Vietnam has a population of 97 million (2019), of which around two-thirds live in the countryside. Despite this, the country has a literacy rate of around 95 percent.

Tourist numbers in Vietnam rose from just two million in 2000 to almost ten million before the Covid-19 crisis hit.

• True

• False

The Vietnamese language is the only language in Indochina to use a Romanized script.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The script of Vietnamese is derived from the Latin alphabet and includes additional diacritics to mark tones.

Like people worldwide, Vietnamese people call the war with America as the Vietnam War.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The Vietnam War is known to the Vietnamese as the American War to distinguish it from other unwelcome incursions by the French, the Chinese, and the Japanese.

In Vietnam, about forty million motorbikes are on the road, including 7.5 million in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) alone.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The motorbike is the preferred form of transport for around ninety percent of Vietnamese.

Vietnam is one of the world's leading exporters of coffee and rice.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Vietnam ranks number two globally for coffee production and four for rice exports.

*Bonus fact:

In 2013 Vietnam became the world's largest exporter of cashew nuts, though it has since lost its crown to India.

In the early 20th century (from 1900 to the mid-1920s), the 'ao dai,' Vietnam's national dress, became very popular.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Though the 'ao dai' is universally recognized as Vietnam's national dress, it did not become popular until the 1930s.

Vietnamese is a monosyllabic language with a tonal system. The meaning of a word can change depending on the tone used to pronounce it.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Vietnamese is a tonal language, which means the diacritics, or accent marks you put on a word changes its meaning.

Vietnam has one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Vietnam’s economy grew at the fastest pace in Asia. According to Standard Chartered, the country’s GDP grew 7.2% in 2023, signaling strong growth and surpassing expectations.