Hanoi is the capital of
Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in
2009 was estimated at 2.6 mill. From 1010 until 1802, it was the
most important political centre of Vietnam. It was eclipsed by
Hu? during the Nguyen dynasty as the capital of Vietnam, but
Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to
1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam. The
city is located on the right bank of the Red River. October 2010
officially marked 1000 years since the establishment of the city.
Ha Long Bay
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel
destination, located in Quang Ninh province. The bay features
thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and
shapes. Ha Long Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes
Bái Tu Long bay to the northeast, and Cát Ba islands to the
southwest. Ha Long Bay include 1,960–2,000 islets, most of
which are limestone. The limestone in this bay has gone through
500 million years of formation in different conditions and
environments. The evolution of the karst in this bay has taken 20
million years under the impact of the tropical wet climate. The
geo-diversity of the environment in the area has created
biodiversity, including a tropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic
and sea shore biosystem. Ha Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floral
species and 60 endemic faunal species.
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