Vegetation of Southeast Asia Studies of Forest Types 1963-1965

management based on a sustained yield; recognition of principle that
all forest products should be used primarily to meet the needs of
the local inhabitants and only.secondarily to serve agricultural,
industrial and commercial purposes; surveying marginal forest lands
and waste lands as a basis for the formulation of an appropriate
land-use policy; promotion of basic and higher education in forestry;
study of the utilization possibilities of various timber species and
other forest products; stimulating forest-mindedness in general;' and
encouragement of private tree planting.
VIETNAM
Vietnam, .embracing both North and itouth, was formerly the territory
of the three eastern provinces of the French Union of Indochina,
namely: Tonkin, in the north; Annam, in the center; Cochin-China, in
the south; and with a total area of approximately 126,000 square miles.
Under the terms of the Geneva Truce Conference, .held in June 195'*>
Vietnam was divided at the 17th Parallel, north Vietnam, wi^h an
area of --'4,000 square miles (Tonkin) and an additional 1",000 square
milec of Arinam, nort', ol lYth Parallel, v;-as ceded to the Viet Minn.
The balance, with an are-", of-about 60,000 square miles, including
south Annan and Cochin-China, now forms tne region referred to,
politically as South Vietnam. The latter extends northward from
Pointe cte Cair.au at 10'*° -WK. longitude and 6° iJ. latitude,' on a
curved sucis up to IOC miles (ioO kms.) v, r ide, and about :;CO miles
( r )60 kins.) Ion to the 17th Parallel, /'crests of varying density
and. composition occupy more than 30 percent of this land, extending
from the seacoast alom,' the Jouth China .-Jea inland to the Annan
.Mountains.
The northern and western parts of what was formerly called. Tonkin
are mountainous and rugged, especially along the Chinese frontier,
yith r,or.e peaky rising to more than 7,000 .t. (2,100 n»). Prior to the,
dissolution of the b'rench Union, Tonkin was regarded as the center
of the mining industry of the entire Indochina, i\irnishing coal, zinc,
lead, tin, tungsten, copper, bauxite and other mineral deposits for •
domestic use and for export.
In the Red Kiver delta rice is cultivated almost exclusively for
local r.eeci, in addition to corn, sugarcane, tea and coffee. 'Jpper
Tonkin is the area of large-scale aninal husbandry and forest industry.
The bulk of the population is concentrated in the Tonkin
delta. The Ked Hiver and its tributaries constantly deposit alluvial
material, which makes this region one of the most fertile and most
densely populated land areas of the entire Vietnam. Soutn of the
Tonkin delta there are numerous small fertile areas which are also
thickly populated.
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