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Hanoi, capital city of Vietnam, in the northern part of the country, about 140 km (about 85 mi) from the Gulf of Tonkin. The city is located on the west bank of the Red River, in the middle of the fertile river delta of the same name. Second only to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly called Saigon) in population and economic importance in Vietnam, Hanoi dominates the north and is the country's political center.
Metropolitan Hanoi had a population of 3,056,146 in 1989. Most residents are ethnic Vietnamese, and Vietnamese is the common language (see Austro-Asiatic Languages). Since 1875, foreigners living in northern Vietnam have been concentrated in Hanoi; there are now several thousand Asian and European diplomats and businesspeople living in the city. Since the 1980s, rapid and uncontrolled migration into Hanoi from other areas of Vietnam and the arrival of numerous foreigners has created severe housing problems. Economic and social problems have also developed as Hanoi has tried to absorb poor migrants who seek employment in the city.
Hanoi is an important agricultural and manufacturing center. Rice has been cultivated in the area for more than 2000 years; vegetables are also grown nearby. Manufactures include machinery, processed food, chemicals, and textiles. Hanoi is the major transportation center for the north, with roads and railway lines providing links to all other major Vietnamese cities. The city's Noi Bai Airport is the country's northern hub for international air connections. Unlike most capital cities in Southeast Asia, Hanoi is not a significant international port.
Metropolitan Hanoi covers an area of 2146 sq km (829 sq mi). The city proper is divided into four administrative sectors: Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, and Hai Ba Trung. Hoan Kiem, the oldest and most densely populated sector, is located on the bank of the Red River. This area is characterized by French colonial-style buildings and wide boulevards. Picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake is located here, and Turtle Pagoda stands on one of the lake's two islands. Northwest of Hoan Kiem is the Ba Dinh sector, where the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the tomb of the 20th-century Vietnamese Communist leader Ho Chi Minh, is located. The National Assembly and Party Headquarters buildings and Tran Quoc Pagoda, are also located in Ba Dinh. South of Ba Dinh is Dong Da, the largest sector of metropolitan Hanoi, noted for its hospitals and schools. The Hai Ba Trung sector lies east of Dong Da and south of Hoan Kiem along the Red River bank.
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