Hanoi, population about 3.4 million in 2007, is the capital of Vietnam. From 1010 until 1802, with a few brief interruptions, it was the political center of an independent Vietnam. In 2010, Hanoi will celebrate its one thousand-year-old history. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. Hanoi has many lakes, the most well-known is Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the returned sword), and the biggest lake is Ho Tay (West Lake).