Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh pronunciation ) is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta. Under the name Prey Nokor (Khmer: ), it was the main port of Cambodia, before being annexed by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. Under the name Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn; pronunciation ), it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina, and later of the independent state of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975. In 1975, Saigon was merged with the surrounding province of Gia Định and renamed Ho Chi Minh City (although the name Saigon is still frequently used).
The city center is situated on the banks of the Saigon River, 60 kilometers (37 mi) from the South China Sea and 1,760 kilometers (1,094 mi) south of Hanoi capital.
The metropolitan area which consists of Ho Chi Minh city metro area, Thu Dau Mot and surrounding towns has more than 9 million people,citation needed] making it the largest metropolitan area in Vietnam and Indochina.