Vietnam - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 343

Unsustainable logging and farming practices, as well as the extensive spraying of defo-
liants by the US during the American War, have contributed to deforestation. This has res-
ulted not only in significant loss of biological diversity, but also in a harder existence for
many minority people.
The country's rapid economic and population growth over the last decade - demon-
strated by the dramatic increase in industrial production, motorbike numbers and helter-
skelter construction - has put additional pressure on the already-stressed environment.
The Land
Vietnam stretches more than 1600km along the east coast of the Indochinese peninsula.
The country's land area is 329,566 sq km, making it slightly larger than Italy and a bit
smaller than Japan.
As the Vietnamese are quick to point out, it resembles a don ganh - the ubiquitous
bamboo pole with a basket of rice slung from each end. The baskets represent the main
rice-growing regions of the Red River Delta in the north and the Mekong Delta in the
south.
Of several interesting geological features found in Vietnam, the most striking are its
spectacular karst formations (limestone peaks with caves and underground streams). The
northern half of Vietnam has a spectacular array of karst areas, particularly around Halong
Bay, Tam Coc and Phong Nha.
Wildlife
We'll start with the good news. Despite some disastrous bouts of deforestation, Vietnam's
flora and fauna is still incredibly exotic and varied. The nation has an estimated 12,000
plant species, only 7000 of which have been identified, and more than 275 species of
mammal, 800 species of bird, 180 species of reptile and 80 species of amphibian.
The other side of the story is that despite this outstanding diversity, the threat to Viet-
nam's remaining wildlife has never been greater due to poaching, hunting and habitat loss.
Three of the nation's iconic animals - the elephant, saola and tiger - are on the brink. It's
virtually certain that the last wild Vietnamese rhino was killed inside Cat Tien National
Park in 2010. And for every trophy animal there are hundreds of other less 'headline' spe-
cies that are being cleared from forests and reserves for the sake of profit (or hunger).