Amphibian and Reptilian Diversity Research, Consevation and Breeding Projects in Vietnam (p. 117)

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochinese peninsula of South‑East Asia, bordered by China, Laos, Cambodia and the South China Sea. Vietnam has a mainland area of 330,591 km² and its curved hourglass shape widens to flat deltas in the north and south, which are connected via a narrow central region. One‑fourth of the country lies at moderate elevations below 20 m, primarily the two delta regions (Red River and Mekong deltas) and the coastal plains in Vietnam’s central region. The topography of the remaining three‑
quarters is of hilly and mountainous nature, with Fan Si Pan in the north being the highest mountain (3,143 m). Vietnam also shows a substantial cultural diversity with more than 50 ethnic groups. With a population of over 86 million it belongs to the most populous countries in the world.