Aquaculture Series Events

Introduction

Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country on the South China Sea known for its beaches, rivers, Buddhist pagodas and bustling cities. Hanoi, the capital, pays homage to the nation's iconic Communist-era leader, Ho Chi Minh, via a huge marble mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh Cith (formerly Saigon) has French colonial landmarks, plus Vietnamese War history museums and the Cu Chi tunnels, used by Viet Cong soldiers.

Religions

The dominant religious belief was Buddhism; however believers practice a mixture of Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Though 50% of the population is nominally Buddhist, the government Office of Religious Affairs estimates that only 11% of the population are practicing Buddhist.

Christianity was first brought to Vietnam in the 17th century by Roman Catholic missionaries. Under French rule, Christianity prospered, and when Vietnam restored its independence in 1954, there were more than two million Catholics in the country, a population that increased to between six and seven million in 1998. Estimates indicate that 8 - 10% of the population are Roman Catholics. There are anywhere between 421,000 to 1.6 million Protestants in the country. About 65,000 people are Muslim, primarily Sunni. About 54,000 people are Hindu, most of whom are ethnic Cham. (Source: Encyclopedia.com | 2007)

Languages

The official language is Vietnamese (Quoc ngu). A tonal language, it bears similarities to Khmer, Thai and Chinese, and at least one-third of the vocabulary is derived from Chinese. Most of minority groups have their own spoken languages, and some have their own writing systems, but all children receive instruction in the national language. Other languages include Chinese, English, French, Khmer, and the tribal languages of Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian. (Source: Encyclopedia.com | 2007).

Time Difference

Local time in the Vietnam is GMT+7 hours, even if you travel to other provinces.

Climate

Temperatures in Ho Chi Minh City vary only from 18 - 33ºC (64 - 91ºF) throughout the year. Temperatures in the Central Highlands are somewhat cooler, ranging from a mean of about 17ºC (63ºF) in winter to 20ºC (68ºF) in summer. The rainy season extends from early May to November, with annual rainfall averaging about 200cm (79inch) in lowland regions. The typhoon season lasts from July through November, with the most severe storms occuring along the central coast.