core geography journal

8/6/2019 Core Geography Journal

1/23

Yusof Ishak Secondary SchoolHumanities Study Tour

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam10th Jun to 14th Jun 2011

Journal

Name _______________________________

Group _______________________________

For Core Geography and Elective History Students

Knowledge is the Light of Life


2/23

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

To create a deeper understanding of the various themes and concepts in their core history / coreGeography curriculum through an experiential learning experience as they explore and appreciate thevarious learning sites at Ho Chi Minh city and Mekong Delta.

A Study Tour which is map out of the Core Hist and Core Geo syllabuses which cover the

reasons and impact of colonialism in Vietnam and the coastal and river features situated atthe Mekong River.

MY COMMITMENT

1. I choose to participate in this study tour because:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. My expectations (s) of this programme:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How I can contribute to make this trip a wonderful experience for everyone:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2


3/23

ABOUT VIETNAM

The Viet Nam flag : The five points of the star stand for the farmers, workers, intellectuals, youth and soldiers.Adopted 1955

Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost country on theIndochinaPeninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the

northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. On the country's east coast lies the South China

Sea. With apopulation of over 85 million, Vietnam is the 13thmost populous country in the

world. The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies; according to government

figures, GDP growth was 8.17% in 2006, the second fastest growth rate among countries in

East Asia and the fastest in Southeast Asia. Late 2007, the ministry of finance said the GDP

growth was estimated to hit a ten-year high record at 8.44% in 2007.

Etymology

Through the centuries, Vietnam has been called by many different names: Vn Lang during the

Hng Vng Dynasty, u Lc during the An Dng Vng dynasty, Van Xuan during the

Anterior L Dynasty,i C Vit during theinh dynasty and Anterior L Dynasty. Starting in

1054, Vietnam was called i Vit (Great Viet). During the H Dynasty, Vietnam was calledi

Ngu. Then, in 1804, King Gia Long planned to use the name of Nam Vit for Vietnam but the

Qing dynasty ofChina disagreed and changed it to Vit Nam. In English, the two syllables were

written into one: Vietnam. From 1839 to 1945, EmperorMinh Mng renamed Vit Nam to i

Nam.

The name Vit Nam had been used for this country before it became the official name in "D

a ch" ofNguyn Tri written in 1435 and perhaps even before. "Vit" is the name of the

largest ethnic group in Vietnam: the Kinh (ngi Kinh) and "Nam" means "the South", affirming

Vietnam's sovereignty from China (usually called "North country" to Vietnamese people).

3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Republic_of_Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Elevenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(real)_growth_ratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Langhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B9ng_V%C6%B0%C6%A1nghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_D%C6%B0%C6%A1ng_V%C6%B0%C6%A1nghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i_C%E1%BB%93_Vi%E1%BB%87thttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinh_Dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_L%C3%AA_Dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BB%93_Dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i_Nguhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i_Nguhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i_Nguhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gia_Longhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minh_M%E1%BA%A1nghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_Tr%C3%A3ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peninsulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Republic_of_Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_Elevenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(real)_growth_ratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Langhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B9ng_V%C6%B0%C6%A1nghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_D%C6%B0%C6%A1ng_V%C6%B0%C6%A1nghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i_C%E1%BB%93_Vi%E1%BB%87thttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinh_Dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_L%C3%AA_Dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BB%93_Dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i_Nguhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BA%A1i_Nguhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gia_Longhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minh_M%E1%BA%A1nghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_Tr%C3%A3i


4/23


5/23

VIETNAM WAR

The Communist-held Democratic Republic of Vietnam was opposed by the US-supported

Republic of Vietnam. Disagreements soon emerged over the organizing of elections and

reunification, and the U.S. began increasing its contribution of military advisers. U.S. forces

were soon embroiled in a guerrilla war with the National Front for the Liberation of SouthVietnam (NLF), the insurgents who were indigenous to South Vietnam. North Vietnamese

forces unsuccessfully attempted to overrun the South during the 1968 Tet Offensive and the

war soon spread into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, in both of which the United States

bombed Communist forces supplying the North Vietnamese Army.

With its own casualties mounting, the U.S. began transferring combat roles to the South

Vietnamese military in a process the U.S. called Vietnamization. The effort had mixed results.

The Paris Peace Accords of January 27, 1973, formally recognized the sovereignty of both

sides. Under the terms of the accords all American combat troops were withdrawn by March

29, 1973. Limited fighting continued, but all major fighting ended until the North once againsent troops to the South during the Spring of 1975, culminating in the Fall of Saigon on April

30, 1975. South Vietnam briefly became the Republic of South Vietnam, under military

occupation by North Vietnam, before being officially integrated with the North under communist

rule as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, 1976.

5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Front_for_the_Liberation_of_South_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Front_for_the_Liberation_of_South_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tet_Offensivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Accordshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_27http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Saigonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_South_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Front_for_the_Liberation_of_South_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Front_for_the_Liberation_of_South_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tet_Offensivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Peace_Accordshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_27http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Saigonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_South_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976


6/23

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

Vietnam is approximately 331,688 km (128,066 sq mi) in area (not including Hoang Sa andTruong Sa islands), larger than Italy almost the size of Germany. The perimeter of the country

running along its international boundaries is 4,639 km (2,883 mi). The topography consists of

hills and densely forested mountains, with level land covering no more than 20%. Mountains

account for 40% of the area, with smaller hills accounting for 40% and tropical forests 42%.

The northern part of the country consists mostly of highlands and the Red River Delta.Phan Xi

Png, located in Lo Cai province, is the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143 m (10,312 ft).

The south is divided into coastal lowlands, Annamite Chainpeaks, extensive forests, and poor

soil. Comprising five relatively flat plateaus of basalt soil, the highlands account for 16% of the

country's arable land and 22% of its total forested land.

The delta of the Red River (also known as the Sng Hng), a flat, triangular region of 15,000

square kilometers, is smaller but more intensely developed and more densely populated than

the Mekong River Delta. Once an inlet of the Gulf of Tonkin, it has been filled in by the

enormous alluvial deposits of the rivers over a period of millennia, and it advances one

hundred meters into the Gulf annually. The Mekong delta, covering about

40,000 square kilometers, is a low-level plain not more than three meters above sea level at

any point and criss-crossed by a maze of canals and rivers. So much sediment is carried by

the Mekong's various branches and tributaries that the delta advances sixty to eighty metersinto the sea every year.

Because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate

tends to vary considerably from place to place. During the winter or dry season, extending

roughly from November to April, the monsoon winds usually blow from the northeast along the

China coast and across the Gulf of Tonkin, picking up considerable moisture; consequently the

winter season in most parts of the country is dry only by comparison with the rainy or summer

season. The average annual temperature is generally higher in the plains than in the

mountains and plateaus and in the south than in the north. Temperatures in the southern plains(Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta) varies less, going between 21 and 28 degree Celsius

over the course of a year.

The seasons in the mountains and plateaus and in the north are much more dramatic, and

temperatures may vary from 5 degree Celsius in December and January to 37 degree Celsius

in July and August.

6
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_Deltahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_Si_Panhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_Si_Panhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_Si_Panhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_Cai_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_(unit_of_length)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annamite_Chainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annamite_Chainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_Deltahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_Si_Panhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_Si_Panhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_Cai_provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_(unit_of_length)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annamite_Chain


7/23

THE MEKONG

The Mekong is one of the worlds majorrivers. It is the 11th-longest river in the world, and the

12th-largest by volume (discharging 475 km/114 cu mi of water annually). Its estimated length

is 4,880 km (3,032 mi), and it drains an area of 810,000 km (313,000 sq mi). From the Tibetan

Plateau it runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia andVietnam. All except China and Burma belong to the Mekong River Commission. A south Asian

regional association, Mekong-Ganga Cooperation is named after this river. The extreme

seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls have made navigation

extremely difficult.

The river was originally named by the local Tai peoples as Mae Nam Khong, Mae Khong for

short, meaning Kong River or "Mother of all rivers". This was picked up and phoneticized in the

Chinese as Migng H () for the external part, without realizing it became the "River

Kong River", the same redundancy as in English. In China for most of its length it is known as

the "Lancang River" (, Lncng Jing). In Burmese, it is called the Mae Khaung, while inThai it is Mae Nam Khong ( ), in Laotian () Mnam Khong, in CambodianMkngk or Tonle Thom and in Vietnamese Sng Cu Long. In Thai, Kong (Thai: ) is aspecies of crocodile; some believe this is tone-shifted from (Thai: ) Kod, or (Thai:) kong,both adjectives to describe curves or meanders of a river or road.

The river's source, and therefore its exact length, is uncertain, due to the existence of several

tributaries in an inaccessible environment. According to the China Science Exploration

Association survey, the source is the Lasagongma spring, at an altitude of 5,224 metres

(17,139 ft). This spring is located on Mount Guozongmucha, and forms the Zayaqu, which has

been identified by the Chinese Academy of Sciences as the headwaters of the Mekong, withinnorthwestern China's Qinghai Province. An earlier expedition by Michel Piessel had identified

the Zanaqu as the headwaters, at the Rupsa-La pass (further west, at an altitude of

4,975 m/16,322 ft).As a consequence of the difficulty in determining the location of the

headwaters, figures for the Mekong's total length vary from 4,350 km (2,703 mi) to 4,909 km

(3,050 mi).

Approximately half the river's length is in China, where it is called the Dza Chu in Tibetan in its

upper course in Tibet (Chinese: ; pinyin: Z Q), and more generally the Lancang in

Chinese (simplified Chinese:; traditional Chinese:; pinyin:

Lncng Jing), meaning the "turbulent river". Much of this stretch consists of deep gorges,

and the river leaves China at an altitude of only 500 metres (1,640 ft). The entire river is known

as the Meigong in Chinese (Chinese:; pinyin: Migng H).

The river next forms the border between Burma and Laos for 200 kilometres (120 mi), at the

end of which it meets the tributaryRuak Riverat the Golden Triangle. This point also marks the

division between the Upper and Lower Mekong.

7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_kilometrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_River_Commissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong-Ganga_Cooperationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laotian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tributaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mount_Guozongmucha&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinghaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tributaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruak_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Triangle_(Southeast_Asia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_kilometrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_milehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Plateauhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laoshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_River_Commissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong-Ganga_Cooperationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laotian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tributaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mount_Guozongmucha&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinghaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tributaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruak_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Triangle_(Southeast_Asia)


8/23

THE MEKONG NEAR THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

The river then divides Laos and Thailand, before a stretch passing through Laos alone. It is

known as Ma Nam Khong (Mother of all rivers) in both Lao and Thai ( ). The Laostretch is characterised by gorges, rapids and depths of as little as half a meter in the dry

season. It widens south ofLuang Prabang, where it has been known to flood to 4 km (2 mi) inwidth and reach 100 metres (300 ft) in depth, although its course remains extremely

inconsistent. The endangered Giant Mekong Catfish was traditionally caught in this region once

yearly, following auspicious rites officiated by the quondam royal family.

The river again marks the Lao-Thai border in the stretch which passes Vientiane, followed by a

short stretch through Laos alone. This includes the Si Phan Don (four thousand islands) region

above the Khone Falls near the Cambodian border, where endangered dolphins can be

viewed. The falls are all but impassable to river traffic.

In Cambodia, the river is called the Mkngk or Tonle Thom (great river). The Sambor rapids

above Kratie are the last to impede navigation. Just above Phnom Penh is the confluence withthe Tonle Sap, the main Cambodian tributary. Below Phnom Penh, it divides into the Bassac

and the Mekong proper, which both flow into the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

In Vietnamese, the river as a whole is known as M Kng. The part flowing through Vietnam,

known as Sng Cu Long (river of nine dragons), divides into two major branches, the Tin

Giang (Front River) and Hu Giang (Back River). These in turn enter the sea through nine

estuaries, thus the Vietnamese name.

About 90 million people rely on the river. The area they live in, known as the Greater Mekong

Subregion (GMS), comprises Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces in China, Burma, Lao PDR,

Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The main livelihood of the people of the GMS is riceproduction. Approximately 140,000 km (54,000 sq mi) of rice are grown in the GMS. A huge

number of rice varieties are grown along the Mekong. Of approximately 100,000 rice

accessions in the Rice Gene Bank of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), about

40,000 come from the GMS.

8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Prabanghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Mekong_Catfishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vientianehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_Phan_Donhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khone_Fallshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sambor_rapids&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kratiehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonle_Saphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassac_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Deltahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRRIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Prabanghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Mekong_Catfishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vientianehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_Phan_Donhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khone_Fallshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sambor_rapids&action=edithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kratiehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phnom_Penhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonle_Saphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassac_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Deltahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRRI


9/23

PROVINCES

Vietnam is divided into 59 provinces (known in Vietnamese as tnh, from the Chinese ,

shng). There are also 5 centrally-controlled municipalities existing at the same level as

provinces (thnh ph trc thuc trung ng). The provinces are further subdivided into

provincial municipalities (thnh ph trc thuc tnh), townships (th x) and counties (huyn),and then, subdivided into towns (th trn) orcommunes (x).

The centrally-controlled municipalities are subdivided into districts (qun) and counties, and

then, subdivided into wards (phng).

9
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_languagehttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincial_cityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townshiphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_(country_subdivision)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_languagehttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincial_cityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townshiphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_(country_subdivision)


10/23

ECONOMY

The Vietnam War destroyed much of the economy of Vietnam. Upon taking power, theGovernment created a planned economy for the nation. Collectivization of farms, factories andeconomic capital was implemented, and millions of people were put to work in governmentprograms. For many decades, Vietnam's economy was plagued with inefficiency and corruptionin state programs, poor quality and underproduction and restrictions on economic activities and

trade. It also suffered from the trade embargo from the United States and most of Europe afterthe Vietnam War. Subsequently, the trade partners of the Communist blocs began to erode. In1986, the Sixth Party Congress introduced significant economic reforms with market economyelements as part of a broad economic reform package called "i mi" (Renovation). Privateownership was encouraged in industries, commerce and agriculture. Vietnam achieved around8% annual GDP growth from 1990 to 1997 and continued at around 7% from 2000 to 2005,making it the world's second-fastest growing economy. Simultaneously, foreign investmentgrew threefold and domestic savings quintupled.

Manufacturing, information technology and high-tech industries form a large and fast-growing

part of the national economy. Vietnam is a relative new-comer to the oil business, but today it isthe third-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia with output of 400,000 barrels per day. Vietnamis one of Asia's most open economies: two-way trade is around 160% of GDP, more than twicethe ratio for China and over four times India's.

Vietnam is still a relatively poor country with an annual GDP of US$280.2 billion at purchasingpower parity (2006 estimate). This translates to a purchasing power of about US$3,300 percapita (or US$726 per capita at the market exchange rate). Inflation rate was estimated at7.5% per year in 2006. Deep poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 perday, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of China, India, and the Philippines.As a result of several land reform measures, Vietnam is now the largest producer of cashewnuts with a one-third global share and second largest rice exporter in the world afterThailand.Vietnam has the highest percent of land use for permanent crops, 6.93%, of any nation in theGreater Mekong Subregion. Besides rice, key exports are coffee, tea, rubber, and fisheryproducts.

However, agriculture's share of economic output has declined, falling as a share of GDP from42% in 1989 to 20% in 2006, as production in other sectors of the economy has risen.According to the CIA World Fact Book, the unemployment rate in Vietnam is one of the lowestin the world at 2%, trailing behind only Azerbaijan,Cuba, Iceland, Andorra and Liechtenstein.Among other steps taken in the process of transitioning to a market economy, Vietnam in July

2006 updated its intellectual property legislation to comply with TRIPS. Vietnam was acceptedinto the WTO on November 7, 2006. Vietnam's chief trading partners include Japan, Australia,ASEAN countries, the U.S. and Western European countries.

10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_moihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_investmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_reformhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashewhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liechtensteinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIPShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_economyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_moihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_investmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savingshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_reformhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashewhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liechtensteinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIPShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Organizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia


11/23

VIETNAM SINGAPORE INDUSTRIAL PARK (VSIP)

Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) is a project which is supported by both theVietnamese and Singaporean governments and co-shared by local and foreign partners. It isowned by Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park JV Co., Ltd. and managed by Vietnam-Singapore

Industrial Park Management Board.

VSIP is located in Binh Duong Province, 17km north of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnams maincommercial centre. The close proximity to Ho Chi Minh City provides easy access to the citysdeveloped infrastructure, professional services and social amenities. At the same time, as VSIPis located outside the city centre, investors profit from the competitive operating environment ofBinh Duong. Furthermore, VSIP is situated within easy reach of Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan SonNhat International Airport and major sea ports.

The Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) is an integrated industrial park spanning aland area of 500 hectares with full infrastructure facilities and conducive operating

environment. VSIP is an excellent investment location for companies that target Viet Namsdomestic market as well as export market.

VSIP I is located in Southern Binh Duong Province, 17 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 40minutes by road. It is within easy reach of the Citys International Airport and major Seaports.

VSIP is designed as an Industrial Park with full infrastructure facilities including power, water,sewage treatment and telecommunications

11


12/23


13/23

3. Explain how industrialisation will help a developing country like Vietnam to become moredeveloped.

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

13


14/23

CAN GIO MANGROVE FOREST

A. Physical Conditions for the growth of Mangrove

14


15/23

CHARACTERISTICS OF A MANGROVE FOREST

A mangrove forest has three distinct horizontal zones. Unlike a tropical rainforest or atropical monsoon forest, there are no vertical layers in a mangrove forest.

Mangrove trees may vary in height from 2 metres to 40 metres as the muddy soil in the coastalenvironment cannot provide firm support for very tall trees to grow. With an average height of

15 metres, mangrove trees are generally shorter than the trees in tropical rainforests.There are 4 main species of mangrove trees, namely the Avicennia, Sonneratia,Rhizophora and Bruguiera.

Coastal Zone - Avicennia and Sonneratia trees grow nearest to the coast and are mostadapted to growing in salt water. These two species of trees both have breathing, aerial rootsbut can be differentiated by the shape of their roots. Avicennia roots are thin and pencil-likewhile Sonneratia roots are more cone-shaped.

Middle Zone - Rhizophora trees grow between the coast and the inland zones. These treeshave prop or stilt roots that make the trees look elevated from the ground.

Inland Zone - Bruguiera trees grow further inland as they are least tolerant of salt water. Theycan be easily recognized by their knee-like roots.

Mangrove trees have adapted to growing in salt water. Such salt-tolerant plants are knownas halophytes.

15


16/23

B. Explain how the Mangrove Plant Adaptations to the Physical EnvironmentI. Coping with soil that lacks Oxygen Breathing rootsMangrove soils are waterlogged and lack of oxygen. Hence mangrove trees have strangelooking roots that grow above the ground to help the roots take in oxygen. It is possible toidentify certain types of mangrove trees just by looking at their roots.Match each plant to its breathing roots. Spots the roots and check the box

16


17/23

IMPORTANCE OF THE MANGROVESC. Mangroves in our Daily livesMangroves are very important to us because theses forests have provided us with food,products and even protectors from natural disasters.

Below are a few uses of the mangroves:

tsunamis together soil erosion natural buffers growpredators prop

1. Natural coastal protection

Mangroves forests prevent ___________________ along the coast. The ________ roots andkneed roots hold the soil together thus helping to prevent soil loss. The mangrove trees act asa ____________________________ against strong wind and waves, providing us withprotection from natural forces like storms and _______________________.

2. Nursery for young fish, crabs and prawns

The tangled mass of aboveground roots and branches provide hiding places for the youngorganisms, sheltering them from ____________________ and natural forces. The soil andwater in the mangroves provide abundant food for them to feed and ___________.

3. Useful products from the mangrovesName 2 useful products that can be found in the mangroves.

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Delicious food from the mangrovesName 2 types of food that can be found in the mangroves.

_____________________________________________________________________

17


18/23

D. Mangrove Conservation

Today, many human activities are destroying mangrove forests all around the world.

1. Describe some human activities that will destroy the mangrove forest.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. How can we help to reduce the negative impacts on the reserve?

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

18


19/23


20/23

RICE PRODUCTION

Rice production in Vietnam in the Mekong and Red River deltas is important to the foodsupply in the country and national economy.

Vietnam is one of worlds richest agricultural regions and is the second-largest (after Thailand)exporter worldwide and the world's seventh-largest consumer of rice.[1] The Mekong Delta isthe heart of the rice producing region of the country where water, boats, houses and marketscoexist to produce a generous harvest of rice.[2] Vietnam's land area of 33 million ha has threeecosystems that dictate rice culture. These are the southern delta (with its Mekong Deltadominating rice coverage), the northern delta (the tropical monsoon area with cold winters) andthe highlands of the north (with upland rice varieties).[3] The most prominent irrigated ricesystem is the Mekong Delta.[3] Rice is a staple of the national diet and is seen as a "gift fromGod".[4]

The Mekong River and its tributaries are crucial to rice production in Vietnam. A total of 12provinces constitute the Mekong Delta, popularly known as the "Rice Bowl" of Vietnam, whichcontain some 17 million people and 80% of them are engaged in rice cultivation. The deltaproduced bountiful harvest of about 20 million tons in 2008, about a half of the country's totalproduction. The rice bowl has assured food security to its population whose 75% of dailycalories are met by rice, which is also the staple diet of nearly 50% of world's population of 6.7-billion people.[1][5]

Within the delta system dominated by rice, now the farming system also includes activitiesrelated to aquaculture, rearing of animals, cash crops and fruit trees. Under aquaculture freshand saline water shrimp are raised within the paddy rice fields. As a further environmentalzoning of the delta, mangrove forests are also developed.[6][7]

20
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_(Asia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Drought_cri-0%23cite_note-Drought_cri-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Ray-1%23cite_note-Ray-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Deltahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-fao-2%23cite_note-fao-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-fao-2%23cite_note-fao-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-3%23cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Drought_cri-0%23cite_note-Drought_cri-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Drought_cri-0%23cite_note-Drought_cri-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Susan-4%23cite_note-Susan-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_ricehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Devendra-5%23cite_note-Devendra-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Wetland-6%23cite_note-Wetland-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_(Asia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Drought_cri-0%23cite_note-Drought_cri-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Ray-1%23cite_note-Ray-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Deltahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-fao-2%23cite_note-fao-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-fao-2%23cite_note-fao-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-3%23cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Drought_cri-0%23cite_note-Drought_cri-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Susan-4%23cite_note-Susan-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_ricehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Devendra-5%23cite_note-Devendra-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_Vietnam#cite_note-Wetland-6%23cite_note-Wetland-6


21/23

A. Physical Conditions for the growth of paddy1. Climate : Sunlight and Rain

Tropical Region

Climate : Hot and wet (above 27C andhigh rainfall above 1500mm)

All year round sunshine and rain2. Soil

Fertile soil Clayey, alluvial soil3. Relief

Rice grow well on flat land as rain can beretain

Rice are normally found in places like low-lying floodplains, deltas or volcanic areas

Worksheet1. Describe the processes in each stage in rice cultivation in Vietnam

Stages Describe the process in each stagePloughing andfertilizing

Sowing

Transplanting

Growing

Harvesting

Threshing

Winnowing

21


22/23

2. Elaborate on the measures that the farmers use to increase rice production in Vietnam?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3. Assess the effectiveness of the measures use in increasing food production in Vietnam.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

22


23/23

REFLECTIONS ON TODAYS FIELD TRIP

Now that you have completed the Paddy plantation in My Tho, use 15 mins to think about your

trip.

1. How does visiting the Paddy Plantation make you feel (excited/bored/tensed/relaxed /refreshed)? Explain

__________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. What do you like most and least about the field trip?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3. Did you learn new things about the Paddy plantation? What have you learnt?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

core geography journal

Documents