Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh pronunciation(help·info) ) 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(help·info)), 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 ?ịnh and renamed Hồ Chí Minh City (although the name Sài Gòn is still commonly used.)   Wikipedia