Beginner's Guide to Vietnam

History

2006-05-31T20:51:24Z

Vietnam was originally established in 208 BC by Zhao Tuo, a Qin military official. It was originally called Nam Viet, and it consisted of Southern China and the Red River Delta. For roughly the next 1,200 years, Vietnam was ruled by a number of Chinese dynasties. Vietnam gained complete independence from the Chinese government around 1100, and continued its southward expansion, winning many military victories, for the next 700 years. France colonized Vietnam in the mid 1800s, ending its independence.

France remained in control until Japan invaded and occupied Vietnam during World War II. At the conclusion of the war, France tried to regain control of Vietnam, but a Communist insurgency had arisen, and they engaged France in a long, bloody war, which ultimately ended in France’s defeat and retreat. The country was then split into North and South Vietnam.

A theoretical civil war ensued, with both territories desiring the other’s land. Both formed allies, with North Vietnam aligning with the Soviet Union and China, while South Vietnam aligned with the United States. In 1965, the United States sent troops to try to squelch a faction of Communists in South Vietnam, which proved to be a mistake. With support from the Soviet Union and China, the North Vietnam army engaged the United States in the Vietnam War, a war the United States eventually lost. After the war, the North eventually defeated the South and established the country under its own rule, as it is today, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Vietnam underwent difficult economic days for the next twenty years before establishing economic changes which created solid economic growth and helped Vietnam return to power in an international sense. Since the days of the Vietnam War, the United States and Vietnam have renewed their friendly relationship.

Culture

2006-05-31T20:51:53Z

Vietnamese culture has changed profoundly over the centuries. Because of their influence by the Chinese, Vietnam has a large Confucian contingency, with the appropriate morals and values dominating the mindset. Family and education are very highly valued. While the country was under French rule, Portuguese missionaries helped alphabetize the Vietnamese language (which was only spoken, not written, up until then) and brought literacy to the entire country. The traditional clothing, which was once worn by both genders but now is primarily worn by women, is called “Ao Dai.” It is worn to weddings, festivals, and other celebrations.

Like many other Asian countries, Vietnamese names are the inverse of most western names, with the last name (surname or family name) coming first, followed by the middle name and then the first name. We see this primarily today when Asian athletes wear their first name on their jerseys, instead of their last names like most western athletes (for example, Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets wear “Ichiro” and “Yao” on their jerseys, respectively, instead of “Suzuki” and “Ming,” which is how western born players would wear it).

Vietnamese cuisine is popular in many other parts of the world. It is characterized by soy sauce, rice and fish sauces. Different spices, mints, and coffee beans are used to flavor Vietnamese food, which is sweet and spicy by nature. The food, like other portions of their culture, are divided into three sections, based on the geography of the country: Northern Vietnamese, Central Vietnamese, and Southern Vietnamese. A typical meal would consist of rice, meat, soup, two vegetables, sauces, and a green salad. Atypical meats, like snake or turtle, are sometimes consumed as delicacies.

Geography

2006-05-31T20:52:26Z

Vietnam is on the east coast of Asia, bordered on the west by Laos and Cambodia and on the north by China. The South China Sea is the country’s border to the south and the east.

Vietnam is extremely hilly, consisting of large number of mountains and hills. Flat land makes up no more than one fifth of the country. The mountains are forested densely; over three quarters of the country is made up of forests.

The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi, located in the central part of the northern section. The largest city is Ho Chi Minh, located in the south, as a port city on the Mekong River, not far from the South China Sea. Ho Chi Minh is best known by its former name, Saigon. The city’s name was changed to Ho Chi Minh to honor one of the most popular and successful Vietnamese leaders. Other major provinces include Can Tho, Da Nang, and Hai Phong. There are 59 minor provinces in addition to these.

Climate

2006-05-31T20:52:56Z

The temperatures in Vietnam range from 41 degrees Fahrenheit to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Annual rainfall averages about 80 inches in this tropical climate. Vietnam experiences frequent monsoons, extreme times of high winds accompanied by heavy rainfall.

Politics and Religion

2006-05-31T20:53:23Z

Vietnam, a member of the United Nations among other organizations, is a single party Communist state, with the dominant party being the Communist Party of Vietnam. While there is no legal opposition party to Communism, there are a number of insurgent groups which participate in civil disobedience and demonstrations against the government. Most of these groups are located overseas, some in France. The most well known of these groups is the Government of Free Vietnam, which has launched several guerilla raids into the country. The Vietnamese government considers these attacks terrorism and opposes them. Vietnam has applied for membership to the World Trade Organization.

A number of religions are present in Vietnam, but a vast majority of the country claim no interest or affiliation with any religion. Of the approximately 20% who do claim a religion, Buddhism is the most popular. Roman Catholicism has a presence in Vietnam and is the second most popular religion, after Buddhism. The Protestant church has a small following, as does Islam. Confucianism is enormously popular in Vietnam as well.

Economy

2006-05-31T20:53:52Z

After the aforementioned economic struggles which followed the Vietnam War, a time of economic reform called “Renovation” was initiated. From 2000 to 2002, Vietnam’s economy claimed the second fastest growth in the world. During that time, investments in the country grew by three times, and the nation’s savings increased by five times.

Unemployment, though, is a serious problem in Vietnam. It has risen recently because of heavy migration to the cities from the rural areas. At non-harvest times, rural unemployment is already at extremely high levels, approaching 40%. Many large corporations in Vietnam, including their own government, have recently undergone layoffs, and military demobilization contributes to the problem.

The country is relatively poor, with its gross domestic product working out to $2,700 per person annually. Property values are surprisingly high, though, especially in the larger cities. In the capital, Hanoi, property value rivals New York City and Tokyo, surprising considering the difference in GDP between those places. It is believed that corruption in the government has increased property value even more, as real estate investment is used as a form of money laundering.

Statistics

2006-05-31T20:54:21Z

Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of about 84 million people. Its land area is about 127,000 square miles, only about 1% of which is water. The population is made up of 86% Viet and 1% to 2% of a number of other ethnicities, including Thai, Hoa, Nung, and Hmong.

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org

Vietnam: The People and Culture Overview

2006-05-31T20:54:55Z

It has been said that it takes all kinds of people to make the world go ‘round, and it has been proven true. No matter where you go, you’re sure to encounter interesting, unique people. It’s no different in the lovely Asian country of Vietnam.

The country of Vietnam is a single party Communist state located in Southeast Asia, bordered by China, Laos, Cambodia, and the South China Sea. Vietnam was originally established in 208 BC by Zhao Tuo, a Qin military official. It was originally called Nam Viet, and it consisted of Southern China and the Red River Delta. For roughly the next 1,200 years, Vietnam was ruled by a number of Chinese dynasties. Vietnam gained complete independence from the Chinese government around 1100, and continued its southward expansion, winning many military victories, for the next 700 years. France colonized Vietnam in the mid 1800s, ending its independence. Vietnam gained its independence from France following World War II. The country was split into two regions, North and South Vietnam, which battled each other (including the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s) until the North eventually overpowered the South and established control, which it maintains today. The country is no longer split into two regions, and a diplomatic relationship has been reestablished with the United States since the Vietnam War.

Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of about 84 million people. Its land area is about 127,000 square miles, only about 1% of which is water. The population is made up of 86% Viet and 1% to 2% of a number of other ethnicities, including Thai, Hoa, Nung, and Hmong. We will spend much of our time discussing these people groups, as well as the culture of this Southeastern Asian country.

People

2006-05-31T20:56:31Z

There are 54 ethnic groups officially recognized by the Vietnamese government living in the country. Eight of these groups make up 96% of the population, including the aforementioned 86% Viet people. The other major people groups include Tay, Thai, Muong, Khmer, Hoa, Nung, and Hmong.

Tay: The Tay people number about 1.5 million, or about 2% of the population. Most Tay live in the northern Vietnamese provinces. Tay villages consist of about 20 households and are usually situated at the foot of the country’s plentiful mountains. Tay are agriculturally sound, known for cultivating rice, maize, sweet potatoes, and other produce.

Thai: The Thai people number about 1.3 million in Vietnam, making up about 1.75% of the population. Thai people hail from Thailand and are almost exclusively Buddhist. Thai ancestry is strongly influenced by Chinese, Malay, and British.

Thai people speak Thai and utilize the Thai alphabet. Their culture is also influenced by India, especially their literature.

Muong: The Muong people make up about 1.5% of the population of Vietnam, numbering about 1.2 million people. The Muong, like the Tay, inhabit mostly the mountainous regions in Northern Vietnam. They speak their own Muong language, which is so closely related to Vietnamese that some people consider it a simple dialect.

Khmer: The Khmer people number just over 1 million in Vietnam, making up about 1.35% of the country’s population. The Khmer live primarily in the Southern Vietnam region, inhabiting the Mekong River Delta. There is also a group of Khmer who live in Cambodia. The area in which the Khmer live is a controversial area because it was given to South Vietnam after French occupation while Cambodia really believed it should belong to them.

The Khmer are the poorest segment of the population of South Vietnam. They suffer a number of injustices at the hands of the Vietnamese government and are attempting to battle for their human rights, though not to much avail.

Hoa: The Hoa people number around 900,000, or about 1.2% of the population of Vietnam. They are simply a Chinese minority in Vietnam and go by many other names, including Chinese Vietnamese, Vietnamese Chinese, and Sino-Vietnamese. They speak Cantonese Chinese with a Vietnamese accent. They generally inhabit the cities of Vietnam, although some live in the northern mountainous regions. The rural dwellers are rice farmers and fishermen primarily. There are large populations of Hoa in each of the five independent provinces of Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Can Tho, Da Nang, and Hai Phong.

Nung: The Nung people, also numbering about 900,000, make up another 1.2% of the population of Vietnam. There are urban dwellers but are located in many of the smaller provinces. Those who live rurally generally farm rice, maize, and tangerines.

Hmong: The Hmong make up 1% of the population of Vietnam, with a population of about 800,000. The Hmong people speak a language of the same name and live primarily in southern China, an area near northern Vietnam.

Culture

2006-05-31T20:57:10Z

Vietnamese culture has changed profoundly over the centuries. Because of their influence by the Chinese, Vietnam has a large Confucian contingency, with the appropriate morals and values dominating the mindset. Family and education are very highly valued. While the country was under French rule, Portuguese missionaries helped alphabetize the Vietnamese language (which was only spoken, not written, up until then) and brought literacy to the entire country.

Like many other Asian countries, Vietnamese names are the inverse of most western names, with the last name (surname or family name) coming first, followed by the middle name and then the first name. We see this primarily today when Asian athletes wear their first name on their jerseys, instead of their last names like most western athletes (for example, Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets wear “Ichiro” and “Yao” on their jerseys, respectively, instead of “Suzuki” and “Ming,” which is how western born players would wear them).

Vietnamese cuisine is popular in many other parts of the world. It is characterized by soy sauce, rice and fish sauces. Different spices, mints, and coffee beans are used to flavor Vietnamese food, which is sweet and spicy by nature. The food, like other portions of their culture, is divided into three sections, based on the geography of the country: Northern Vietnamese, Central Vietnamese, and Southern Vietnamese. A typical meal would consist of rice, meat, soup, two vegetables, sauces, and a green salad. Atypical meats, like snake or turtle, are sometimes consumed as delicacies.

Clothing in Vietnam differs drastically, with each ethnic group maintaining its own style of clothing. Festivals, weddings, and other celebrations are occasion for everyone’s best fare, while the traditional daily garb is a simple shirt and trousers for men. Many Vietnamese wear headpieces of some kind, and most wear sandals. Peasants wear very baggy clothing. The traditional dress for women, an elegant and comfortable piece, is called “Ao Dai.”

Politics and Religion

2006-05-31T20:57:35Z

Vietnam: Overview and History

2006-08-09T14:17:50Z

Vietnam: The People and Culture

2006-08-09T14:21:11Z

Vietnam: Major Cities and Regions

2006-08-09T14:24:29Z

Vietnam: Activities and Attractions

2006-08-09T14:26:50Z

Beginner's Guide to Vietnam

History

Culture

Geography

Climate

Politics and Religion

Economy

Statistics

Vietnam: The People and Culture Overview

People

Culture

Politics and Religion

Vietnam: Overview and History

Vietnam: Overview and History

History

Culture

Geography

Vietnam: The People and Culture

Vietnam: The People and Culture Overview

People

Culture

Politics and Religion

Vietnam: Major Cities and Regions

Vietnam: Major Cities and Regions Overview

Climate

Statistics

Geography

Vietnam: Activities and Attractions

Vietnam: Activities and Attractions Overview

History

Culture

Climate