Earth from Area: Halong Bay, Vietnam

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 picture showcases putting rocky formations amid the blue waters of Halong Bay in northeast Vietnam.

Zoom in to discover this picture at its full 10 m decision or click on on the circles to study extra.

Halong Bay spans about 1500 sq km alongside the northwest coast of the Gulf of Tonkin, the northwest extension of the South China Sea. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage website in 1994, the bay is residence to a dense cluster of islands and islets, various in form and measurement, jutting from the ocean as jagged limestone pinnacles. Every island is topped with thick, evergreen vegetation, whereas a number of conceal huge caves and grottoes inside.

A good portion of the inhabitants relies on the bay for tourism, pearl farming, marine aquaculture and fishing. Round 1700 individuals reside in conventional floating fishing villages and keep a lifestyle linked to the water. Brown rectangular options seen within the picture throughout the bay present constructions related to these actions.

There are two greater islands inside the bay which have everlasting inhabitants: Tuần Châu and Cát Bà.

Cát Bà island, seen in inexperienced within the decrease left of the picture, incorporates a panorama of rugged hills and slim valleys. Famend for its wealthy biodiversity, the island is residence to a nationwide park, established in 1986 to guard its various terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. 

North of Cát Bà lies Tuần Châu island, one among Halong Bay’s hottest vacationer locations. The island options two purpose-built seashores of superb, white sand, seen to the east and south. A 2-km highway to the north hyperlinks the island to the mainland and the port metropolis of Halong.

Halong, the capital of the province, has an financial system primarily pushed by tourism and coal mining. The distinctive concentric patterns of open-pit coal mines are clear to identify to the east showing in shades of violet owing to the uncovered leftover soil.

About 40 km southwest, going through Cát Bà island, lies Haiphong, Vietnam’s third-largest metropolis and a key industrial hub. Strategically positioned on the northeastern fringe of the Pink River Delta, Haiphong serves as the primary port for the capital Hanoi (not pictured), and is the most important coastal metropolis in northern Vietnam.