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The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia. It borders China, Laos, Cambodia, and the Gulf of Tonkin.
History
Main article: History of Vietnam
France occupied all of Vietnam by 1884, ruling
it as a colony as a part of Indochina, until expelled by Japan in World War II, After
the war, France, with the collaboration of the USA, attempted to regain control of the country, but Nationalist forces, that had originally fought against the Japanese invasion, declared independence. The
French were defeated in 1954 by Vietnamese Alliance Parties (Việt Nam Đồng Minh Hội), notably in the
Battle of Dien Bien Phu. With the French defeat in
the battle and its surrender the First Indochina War
(1946-1954) came to an end. On July 20, 1954,
the Geneva Treaty was signed by
French and Vietnamese representatives. Vietnam was partitioned, ostensibly temporarily, into a Northern and Southern zones, with
a General election to be held in June 1956 (Art. 3), and the prohibition of introducing foreign troops (Art. 4). The partition
forced about two million North Vietnamese to migrate to the South as the communist north began to impose severe rules to
implement radical land reforms and applied socialist communism.
Backed by the United States, the southern government headed by
Ngo Dinh Diem refused to open consultation with the North Vietnamese
concerning general elections when the date for these fell due in July 1955. (verbatim from the Pentagon Papers) on grounds that Ho Chi Minh will have a significant support in the north, basically
because they tried to implement a massive agrarian reform that result in over one million people left North Vietnam to re-settle
in the South to avoid persecution and blood shed. The Communist Party encouraged poor peasants gaining ownerships of the land by
putting all the landlords on public trials and executions. The South refused to abide to the Geneva Conference was declared a Republic, because, under Ho Chi Minh and his government, North
Vietnamese people did not have freedom to choose and decide their votes. This move was followed by the declaration on North Vietnam as a country by Ho Chi Minh, backed by USSR and China.
Economic and military aid from the United States to South Vietnam grew
through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were
withdrawn following a Cease-fire Agreement which was signed in Paris in January 1973 (see Vietnam War). Two years later, ignoring the Paris Cease-fire Agreement of the involved parties, North
Vietnamese army invaded and took control of South Vietnam by force. In all, the war ended at a loss of about 3.8 million lives,
and more than two million people fled Vietnam to seek political asylum in many countries.
Economic reconstruction of the reunited country has proven very difficult under the new Communist socialist government of
Vietnam.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Vietnam
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is governed through a highly centralized system dominated by the Vietnamese Communist Party (Đảng Cộng
Sản Việt Nam) that was formerly known as Vietnamese Labor Party. As the force controlling the system, the party
exercises leadership in all matters. The government manages state affairs through a structure that parallels the party's
apparatus, but it is incapable of acting without party direction. All key government positions are filled by party members only
and under strict control of the Central Political Committee.
Society is ruled by the party's ubiquitous presence, which is manifested in a network of party cadres at almost every level of
social activity. All citizens are expected to be members of one or another of the mass organizations led by party cadres, and all
managers and military officials are ultimately answerable to party representatives.
Vietnam is a member of the United Nations, La Francophonie, ASEAN, and APEC.
Provinces
Main article: Provinces of Vietnam
Vietnam is divided into fifty-nine provinces (tỉnh, singular and plural):
An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau,
Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh, Hau Giang, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue,
Tien Giang,
Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai.
There are also five municipalities (thủ đô, singular and plural) existing at provincial level:
Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha
Noi, Ho Chi Minh.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Vietnam
The country is approximately 331,688 square kilometers. The topography consists of hills and densely forested mountains, with
level land covering no more than 20 percent. Mountains account for 40 percent, hills 40 percent, and forests 75 percent. The
northern part of the country consists of highlands and the Red River Delta; the south is divided into coastal lowlands, Giai Truong Son (central mountains)
with high plateaus, and the Mekong River Delta.
The climate is tropical and monsoonal; humidity averages 84 percent throughout year. Annual
rainfall ranges from 120 to 300 centimeters, and annual temperatures vary between 5°C and 37°C.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Vietnam
Vietnam is a poor, densely populated country that has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of
financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally planned economy. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1996 in moving forward from an extremely low starting point - growth
averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The
1997 Asian financial crisis highlighted the problems
existing in the Vietnamese economy but, rather than prompting reform, reaffirmed the government's belief that shifting to a
market oriented economy leads to disaster. GDP growth
of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 4% in 1998 and rose slightly to an estimated 4.8% in 1999. These numbers masked some major difficulties
that are emerging in economic performance. Many domestic industries, including coal, cement, steel, and paper, have reported
large stockpiles of inventory and tough competition from more efficient foreign producers. Foreign direct investment has fallen
dramatically, from $8.3 billion in 1996 to about $1.6 billion in 1999. Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities have slowed
implementation of the structural reforms needed to revitalize the economy and produce more competitive, export-driven industries.
Privatization of state enterprises remains bogged down in political controversy, while the country's dynamic private sector is
denied both financing and access to markets. Reform of the banking sector - considered one of the riskiest in the world - is
proceeding slowly, raising concerns that the country will be unable to tap sufficient domestic savings to finance growth.
Administrative and legal barriers are also causing costly delays for foreign investors and are raising similar doubts about
Vietnam's ability to attract additional foreign capital.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Vietnam
The ethnic Vietnamese are concentrated largely in the alluvial deltas and in the coastal plains, having little in common with
the minority peoples of the highlands, whom they historically have regarded as hostile and barbaric. A homogenous social group,
the Vietnamese exert influence on national life through their control of political and economic affairs and their role as
purveyors of the dominant culture. By contrast, the ethnic minorities, except for the Hoa, are found mostly in the highlands that cover
two-thirds of the national territory. The Hoa, the largest minority, are mainly lowlanders. Officially, the ethnic minorities are
referred to as national minorities.
See also: List of ethnic groups in
Vietnam
Culture
Main article: Culture of Vietnam
Miscellaneous topics
- List of Vietnam-related topics
- Communications in Vietnam
- Transportation in Vietnam
- Military of Vietnam
- Foreign relations of Vietnam
- Holidays in Vietnam
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