Vietnam...
Stats...
Overview:
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884.
It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared after
World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were
defeated by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH, who took control of the
North. US economic and military aid 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withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North
Vietnamese forces overran the South. Despite the return of peace, for over two
decades the country experienced little economic growth because of
conservative leadership policies. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have
committed to economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed
to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven
industries. The country continues to experience protests from the Montagnard
ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands over loss of land to
Vietnamese settlers and religious persecution.
Population: 83,535,576
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South
China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
Total Area: 329,560 sq km
Land Area: 325,360 sq km
Comparative Area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Capital:
Hanoi
National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
More Vietnam Facts...
Overview:
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884.
It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared after
World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were
defeated by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH, who took control of the
North. US economic and military aid 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withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North
Vietnamese forces overran the South. Despite the return of peace, for over two
decades the country experienced little economic growth because of
conservative leadership policies. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have
committed to economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed
to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven
industries. The country continues to experience protests from the Montagnard
ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands over loss of land to
Vietnamese settlers and religious persecution.
Population: 83,535,576
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South
China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
Total Area: 329,560 sq km
Land Area: 325,360 sq km
Comparative Area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Capital:
Hanoi
National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
More Vietnam Facts...