Vietnam is firmly established as one of the world's great destinations. Saigon and Hanoi dazzle; the incredible limestone karsts of Halong Bay astound; its highlands enchant; and its beaches whisk world-weariness away.

• TOTAL AREA: 329,560 sq km

• LAND AREA: 325,360 sq km

• WATER AREA: 4,200 sq km

• POPULATION: 84,402,966 (July 2006 est.)

• RELIGIONS: Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)

• LANGUAGES: Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: Communist state

• CAPITAL CITY: Hanoi

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: dong (VND)

• TIME ZONE: GMT/UTC +7