Hanoi | |
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Population | 7587800 |
Hanoi (UK: ha-, hə-NOY or US: hah-NOY; Vietnamese: Hà Nội [hàː nôjˀ] (listen)) is the capital city of Vietnam. It covers an area of 3,358.6 km2 (1,296.8 sq mi). It is the second largest city in Vietnam, with over eight million residents within the city proper and an estimated population of 20 million within the metropolitan area. Located in part of the Red River Delta, Hanoi is the commercial, cultural, and educational centre of Northern Vietnam. Having an estimated nominal GDP of US$32.8 billion as of 2018, it is the second most productive economic area of Vietnam, after Ho Chi Minh City.
The city is a settlement along the banks of the Red River. In 257 B.C, under the rule of king An Dương Vương, the citadel of Cổ Loa, nowaday Đông Anh district of Hanoi, was constructed and served as the capital of Âu Lạc. After the fall of Âu Lạc, the city was renamed to Tống Bình and ultimately Đại La. In 1010, emperor Lý Thái Tổ moved the capital to Đại La, renaming it Thăng Long (literally "Ascending Dragon"). Thăng Long would remain the political and cultural centre of the state of Đại Việt until 1802, when the Nguyễn dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of Vietnam, moved the capital to Huế.
Rajbiraj | |
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Population | 37738 |
Rajbiraj (Nepali: राजविराज) is a mid-sized municipality located in the south-eastern part of Province No. 2 of Nepal. Rajbiraj is the district headquarters of Saptari and is the eighth largest city in the province. The township of Rajbiraj was designed in 1938 based on an influence from the Indian city of Jaipur - thus making it the first township in Nepal to receive urban planning. It was declared a municipality in 1959. According to 2011 census, the city had a population of 69,803 and was the 33rd largest municipality in Nepal. The city area is spread over 55.64 km2 (21.48 sq mi) and comprises 16 wards.
The city is named after the ancient temple of Rajdevi, built by the Sena kings in the early 14th century. Rajbiraj has prominently served as a politically active town in the modern history of Nepal and has been the hometown to a number of icons of the nation.