Ho Chi Minh City, known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam, with a population of around 9 million in 2019.
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11 Facts About Saigon
2.
Saigon was the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1902, and again from 1945 until its cessation in 1954.
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3.
Nowadays, "Saigon" is commonly used to refer to the city's central business districts, whereas "Ho Chi Minh City" is used to refer to the whole city.
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4.
Saigon is often credited with the expansion of Saigon into a significant settlement.
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5.
On 27 April 1931, a new region called Saigon–Cholon consisting of Saigon and Cholon was formed; the name Cholon was dropped after South Vietnam gained independence from France in 1955.
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6.
Saigon served as the financial, industrial and transport centre of the Republic of Vietnam.
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7.
However, beginning in the 1960s, Saigon experienced economic downturn and high inflation, as it was completely dependent on U S aid and imports from other countries.
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8.
On 30 April 1975, Saigon was captured, ending the Vietnam War with a victory for North Vietnam, and the city came under the control of the Vietnamese People's Army.
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9.
City's location on the Saigon River makes it a bustling commercial and passenger port; besides a constant stream of cargo ships, passenger boats operate regularly between Ho Chi Minh City and various destinations in Southern Vietnam and Cambodia, including Vung Tau, Can Tho and the Mekong Delta, and Phnom Penh.
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10.
In 2017, the Saigon Waterbus launched, connecting District 1 to Thu Duc City.
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11.
SSA Saigon Heat is the first ever international professional basketball team to represent Vietnam.
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