Ho Chi Minh City | |
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Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh), commonly known by its previous name, Saigon, (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn), is the most populous and largest city of Vietnam. According to the 2019 census, Ho Chi Minh City has a population of over 8.9 million within city proper and over 21 million within the metropolitan area. Located in southeastern Vietnam, the city surrounds the Saigon River and covers about 2,061 square kilometres (796 square miles). Ho Chi Minh City is the economic and financial centre of Vietnam, and plays an important role in the country's culture and scientific developments.
Prior to Vietnamese settlement in the 17th century, the city was a scarcely populated area that had been part of historic kingdoms of Funan, Champa, and Khmer successively. With the arrival of the Vietnamese, the area became more prosperous and officials began establishing the city from 1623 to 1698. After it was ceded by the last Vietnamese dynasty to the French in 1862, the name Saigon was adopted and the city underwent urbanisation to become an important economic centre in the region.
Laghouat | |
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Laghouat (English: Laghwat French: Laghouat Arabic: الأغواط) is the capital of the Laghouat Province, Algeria, 400 km (250 mi) south of the Algerian capital Algiers. Located in the Amour Range of the Saharan Atlas, the town is an oasis on the north edge of the Sahara Desert. It is an important administrative and military center and marketplace, and is known for rug and tapestry weaving.
Laghouat traces its history to at least the 11th century. It paid tribute to Morocco in the 17th century and was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1786.