Traditional Vietnamese Girls on their Bikes, circa 1992. Near Can Tho, the hub of the Mekong Delta (Vietnamese: Đồng bằng S&ocirc;ng Cửu Long &quot;Nine Dragon river delta&quot;), also known as the Western Region (Vietnamese: Miền T&acirc;y or the South-western region (Vietnamese: T&acirc;y Nam Bộ) is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of 39,000 square kilometres (15,000&nbsp;sq&nbsp;mi). The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.<br />
The Mekong Delta has been dubbed as a &quot;biological treasure trove&quot;. Over 1,000 animal species were recorded between 1997 and 2007 and new species of plants, fish, lizards, and mammals has been discovered in previously unexplored areas, including the Laotian rock rat, thought to be extinct.