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Introduction

Overview

Saigon - once praised as the “Pearl of the Orient”, was known as a trade center and the place gathered many ethnic groups whose has their own typical culture, believes and faiths contributing in forming a diversified culture. The specific culture of this region is harmoniously mixed between national tradition and Western – Northern cultures, having a part in shaping the style, character of Saigonees who are straight, frank, liberal, dynamic and go – ahead people.

With Dynamic and creative elements, Hochiminh City is always leading in social activities, is also the first city to popularize high school education in Vietnam. With the role of motive force on strategy of social economic develoment, Hochiminh City has become a hub of economic, culture, tourism, education, technical science and medical of nation. The city will strongly develop in all fields, restructure of Agricultural – Industrial propotion, achive advanced science culture and be a modern city of South East Asia.

Natural Conditions

- Area

Area: about 2,094 km²

- Geography

Hochiminh city is center of the Southern key economic zone, It is located from 10 10’-10 38’ North and 106^o22’-106^o54’ East. The city is next to Binh Duong Province in the north, Tay Ninh Province in the northwest, Dong Nai Province in the east and northeast, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in the southeast, and Long An and Tien Giang provinces in the west and southwest.

It is a transport hub of the southern region and a gateway to the world with the largest water port and airport system in Vietnam

- Climate

Hochiminh city located in Subequatorial monsoon tropic region.

Two seasons in Hochiminh City: Rainy season and Dry season.

· Rainy Season: from May to November

· Dry Season: from December to April

- Topography

HCM City belongs to a transitional region between the South East region and Mekong Delta.

The general topography gets lower from north to south and from east to west.

In general, the topography of Hochiminh City is not complicated but fairly diverse it, therefore, owns good conditions for developing.

Social conditions

- Population & Labor Force

	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Average Population (1000 người)	5.285	5.449	5.630	6.117	6.240
Male	2.546	2.625	2.713	2.920	2.996
Female	2.739	2.824	2.917	3.142	3.243
Urban	4.410	4.542	4.661	5.170	5.315
Rural	875	907	969	893	925
Natural population growth rate (%)	1,30	1,27	1,15	1,20	1,15
Mechanical population growth rate (%)	0,77	0,90	1,2	2,1	2,0
Population at working ages (1000)	2.267	2.336	2.503	2.586	2.676
Unemployment rate of Urban area(%)	6,04	6,54	6,13	6,0
Number of hospitals	38	38	38	55	56
local clinic	43	43	43	29	29

- Infrastructure / Traffic

Hochiminh City is 1,730km far from Hanoi by land and locates at the crossroads of international maritime routes, a center of Southeast Asia. Hochiminh City center is 50km away from the East Sea as the crow flies.. It is a transport hub of the southern regions and a gateway to the world.

Hochiminh City owns a transportation system which more and more develops on roadways, river ways, railways as well as airways. Therefore, the volume of local commodity is increasingly transported day by day in Hochiminh City.

With the biggest airports and water ports system of Vietnam, Sai Gon port has capacity of 10 million tons per year. Tan Son Nhat International Airport with tens of airport – lines is away 7km from Hochiminh City Center. Tan Son Nhat airport undertakes from 60 to 70% of international transportation of passengers and commodities every year.

Hochiminh City is located at International center owning to roadways to Cambodia, Sai Gon Port and the associate system of inter - Asia railways – roadways across the Hochiminh City, which facilitates HCMC in improving its competence as well as diversifying its International forwarding vehicles in the near future.

The city also has a well - developing storage system meeting inter-area forwarding demands.

At present, the city is forming important traffic networks such as across-Asian lines, Eastern – Western boulevard, accompanying with extending essential lines in Hochiminh City area…which contributes in improving the city’s face, meets economic development demands in the new age.

Map of Transportation (Map)

- Economy

Hochiminh City, an economic motive force of the nation, is a region leading on investment capital from either FDI or domestic direct investment and others. The city also is a place of receiving about 60% of total overseas national currency exchange of Vietnam every year. In 2007, GDP has grown 12.6%, GDP per capita has got USD 2100 and estimated to attain USD 3000 in 2010. The rate of poor household having less than 6 million VND income occupies 1.9% every year.

+ GDP ( Chart)

+ FDI (Chart)

+ Import and Export (Chart)

Tourism

Endowed with favorable geographical location, mild climate, two season, with history of over 300 years which was againt foreign invaders. It’s well - known over the world and considered as a nation of charming character and culture.

Hochiminh City attracts tourists not only for a great deal of famous landscapes, cultural and historical relics, antique architectural works but also for bold South Vietnam cuisine culture. From Bach Dang wharf, tourists can row the boat across Sai Gon River to harmonize with enormous nature of waterway regions, visit traditional trade villages, luxuriant fruit orchards, bonsai gardens, floating markets on rivers or Can Gio ecological Tourism recognized “The first biosphere reserving region and mangrove forest“ of Vietnam by UNESCO…Being a gateway of Southern Land at the city center, Hochiminh City is still a gateway taking tourists to illustrious sights of Southern areas such as Binh Chau hot stream, Nam Cat Tien primeval forest, Mui Ne, Ha Tien, Da Lat, The Mekong River Delta famous for granaries, fruit gardens, mangrove forests, Indigo forests, fields and valuable and rare specialities.

Hochiminh City, a city full of sunshine all over streets, abounding of friendly smiles and looks of Saigonese who make glorious traditions with Southern beauties. They are patriot, solidary, united, steadfast people in fighting to build and protect the country in order to become the destination of new millennium and attract tourists both in nation and outside of the country.

* Welcome to website: www.tourism.hochiminhcity.gov.vn

(Source"HCM CityWeb")

Transport infrastructures

Airway:

Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport

The city is served by Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, the largest airport in Vietnam in terms of passengers handled (with an estimated number of over 15.5 million passengers per year in 2010, accounting for more than half of Vietnam's air passenger traffic). Long Thành International Airport is scheduled to begin operating in 2025. Based in Long Thành, Đồng Nai Province, about 40 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thành Airport will serve international flights, with a maximum traffic capacity of 100 million passengers per year when fully completed; Tân Sơn Nhất Airport will serve domestic flights.

Railway:

Ho Chi Minh City is also a terminal for many Vietnam Railways train routes in the country. The Reunification Express (tàu Thống Nhất) runs from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi from Saigon Railway Station in District 3, with stops at cities and provinces along the line. Inner the city, the two main station are Sóng Thần and Sài Gòn. Besides, there are several small station such as Dĩ An, Thủ Đức, Bình Triệu, Gò Vấp. However, the rail transportation is not developed because it got about 0.6 percent of the number passenger and 6 percent of transporting merchandise.

Waterway:

The city's location on the Saigon River makes it a bustling commercial and passenger port; besides a constant stream of cargo ships, passenger boats operate regularly between Ho Chi Minh City and various destinations in Southern Vietnam and Cambodia, including Vũng Tàu, Cần Thơ and the Mekong Delta, and Phnom Penh. Traffic between Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam's southern provinces has steadily increased over the years; the Doi and Te Canals, the main routes to the Mekong Delta, receive 100,000 waterway vehicles every year, representing around 13 million tons of cargo. A project to dredge these routes has been approved to facilitate transport, to be implemented in 2011–14.

Coach bus:

Ho Chi Minh City has a number of coach houses, which house coach busses to and from other areas in Vietnam. The largest coach station – in terms of passengers handled – is the Mien Dong Coach Station in the Binh Thanh District.