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VIETNAM OVERVIEW & HISTORY
VIETNAM OVERVIEW
Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country’s natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats. There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.
Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Geographically, Vietnam is a long, narrow country that extends over 1,600 km (1,000 miles) from north to south, has a coastline excluding islands of over 3,300 km (2,000 miles) and is only 50 km (30 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
The country is roughly divided into three main areas: North, Center and South. The main feature of the North of Vietnam is mountains and forests along with the vast Mekong River Delta. The North is also home to the Gulf of Tonkin and a maze of islands in the bay. Central Vietnam is made up of agricultural plains wedged between the Truong Son Mountains and the East Sea (South China Sea) making some dramatic mountain passes overlooking ocean vistas. The Mekong Delta dominates the south of the country.
Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Geographically, Vietnam is a long, narrow country that extends over 1,600 km (1,000 miles) from north to south, has a coastline excluding islands of over 3,300 km (2,000 miles) and is only 50 km (30 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
The country is roughly divided into three main areas: North, Center and South. The main feature of the North of Vietnam is mountains and forests along with the vast Mekong River Delta. The North is also home to the Gulf of Tonkin and a maze of islands in the bay. Central Vietnam is made up of agricultural plains wedged between the Truong Son Mountains and the East Sea (South China Sea) making some dramatic mountain passes overlooking ocean vistas. The Mekong Delta dominates the south of the country.
VIETNAMESE ETHNIC MINORITIES
The majority of the population is comprised of the Viet or Kinh (87%); people who speak the tonal Vietnamese. The minority population is made up of 53 ethnic hill tribe people who mainly live in the central and northern mountainous areas of the country. The best-known hill tribes are the Tay, Nung, Hmong, Zao, White and Black Thai (both mainly from the north), and the Hoa… Each hill tribe has its own unique customs and dialect and some are able to speak Vietnamese.
VIETNAM POPULATION
The population of Vietnam is more than 95 million people with 54 ethnic groups. The biggest group is the Viet or Kinh people, which is 87% of the population. The rest belong to 53 minority ethnic groups
VIETNAM HISTORY
Vietnam has undergone 4,000 years of history since ancient Vietnamese people founded our first country under the name “Van Lang” in 2879 B.C. Vietnam’s history is always depicted as a long and continuous struggle for independence and freedom. Vietnam was part of Imperial China for over a millennium, from 111 BC to 938 AD. In that year, the Vietnamese gained independence, following victory in the Battle of Bạch Đằng River. Successive Vietnamese royal dynasties flourished as the nation expanded geographically and politically into Southeast Asia, until the Indochina Peninsula was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century. Following Japanese occupation in the 1940s, the Vietnamese fought French rule in the First Indochina War, eventually expelling the French in 1954. Thereafter, Vietnam was divided politically into two rival states in the north and south, then was unified in 1976 as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Following reunification, Vietnam was relatively isolated for the next decade, most noticeably from the United States. Then in 1986, the government set out on a program of broad external engagement. By 1995, it had restored full diplomatic relations with the U.S. and become a permanent member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Today Vietnam is a peaceful and prosperous country, has diplomatic relations with nearly 200 countries.
Following reunification, Vietnam was relatively isolated for the next decade, most noticeably from the United States. Then in 1986, the government set out on a program of broad external engagement. By 1995, it had restored full diplomatic relations with the U.S. and become a permanent member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Today Vietnam is a peaceful and prosperous country, has diplomatic relations with nearly 200 countries.