Vietnam: Flag and Facts
Vietnam's flag is red with one large yellow five-pointed star in the center.
- Official name
- Socialist Republic of Vietnam
- Capital
- Hanoi
- Region
- South-Eastern Asia
- Population
- 107 million (2025)
- Languages
- Vietnamese
- Currency
- Vietnamese đồng
- Area
- 331,212 km² (127,882 sq mi)
- People
- Vietnamese
- Calling code
- +84
- Highest point
- Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
- Independence
- 2 September 1945 (from France)
- National symbols
- five-pointed yellow star on a red field, lotus blossom
About Vietnam
Han Chinese emperors ruled the Red River Valley until about the 10th century. The Ly Dynasty then founded Dai Viet, the first independent Vietnamese state, with its capital at Thang Long, now Hanoi. Under the Tran Dynasty, the hero Tran Hung Dao drove off Mongol invaders in 1279. Dai Viet kept expanding south and reached roughly today's borders by the 1750s. It was reunited and renamed Vietnam in 1802.
France began its conquest in 1858 and folded Vietnam into French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared on 2 September 1945. Low, flat deltas sit in the north and south, with highlands in the center and mountains in the far north. About 106.7 million people live here. Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest city at around 9.3 million, ahead of Hanoi.
Did you know?
- Fan Si Pan is the highest peak in Vietnam at 3,144 meters.
- The lotus blossom is one of Vietnam's national symbols.
- The anthem's name means The Song of the Marching Troops.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Vietnam
What does the star on Vietnam's flag mean?
Its five points stand for peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders and soldiers. Red represents revolution.
What currency does Vietnam use?
The Vietnamese đồng, written with the ₫ sign.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.