Global - Technology - Review

After decades of warfare Vietnam has made considerable economic progress, however it is still a one-party state, and questions have been raised about its record on human rights. The country is a long narrow strip of land along the coast of Indo-China. Most is mountainous and forested, but there are two large delta areas, that of the Red River in the north and the Mekong River in the south. These plains of alluvial silt have in the past encouraged an economy based on rice growing. However the country now exports cashew nuts, black pepper, coffee, tea and rubber. Vietnamese cuisine features rice, noodles, fish and soy sauces, and limes. The capital, Hanoi, will soon be connected to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, by a Japanese-built High Speed Train line. Ha Long Bay, with its famous limestone islands, is a World Heritage site. There are over three thousand sheer rock islands, many with huge caves and topped with jungle. The area is famed for its seafood. The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has the world’s largest limestone cave system and helps protect the region’s biodiversity. The Marble Mountains, near Da Nang also have caves as well as Buddhist shrines.