Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn; French: Saïgon) is the largest city in Vietnam. It was once known as Prey Nokor, an important Khmer sea port prior to annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. It was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina before it became part of the independent Vietnam in 1949. On July 2nd, 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding Gia Định Province.
The metropolitan area, which consists of the Saigon metropolitan area, Thủ Dầu Một, Dĩ An, Biên Hòa and surrounding towns, is populated by more than 9,000,000 people, making it the most populous metropolitan area in Vietnam. The city's population is expected to grow to 13.9 million in 2025.
The Saigon Metropolitan Area, a metropolitan area covering most parts of the Southeast region plus Tiền Giang Province and Long An Province under planning, will have an area of 12,000 square miles (31,080 km2) with a population of 20 million inhabitants by 2020.
Twin cities[]
Minsk, Belarus
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Toronto, Canada
Guangzhou, Republic of China- Shanghai, Republic of China
- Lyon, France
- Osaka, West Japan
- Vientiane, Laos
- Manila, Philippines
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Moscow, Soviet Union
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- Barcelona, Spain
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