Vietnam

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{{Infobox Country or territory|native_name = |conventional_long_name = Socialist Republic of Vietnam|common_name = Vietnam|image_flag = Flag of Vietnam.svg|image_coat = Coat of arms of Vietnam.png|symbol_type = Coat of arms|image_map = LocationVietnam.svg|national_motto = "Independence - Freedom - Happiness"|national_anthem = Tiến Quân Ca
"Army March" (first verse)]|demonym = Vietnamese|capital = Hanoi|government_type = [Socialist republic|leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = [Prime Minister of Vietnam|leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = Communist Party of Vietnam|leader_name3 = |sovereignty_type = History of Vietnam#Post World War II Period|sovereignty_note = from France [1945|area_rank = 65th|area_magnitude = 1 E9|area_km2 = 331,689|area_sq_mi = 128,065|percent_water = 1.3|population_estimate = 87,375,000|population_estimate_year = 2007 mid-year|population_estimate_rank = 13th|population_census = 76,323,173|population_census_year = 1999|population_density_km2 = 253|population_density_sq_mi = 655|population_density_rank = 46th|GDP_PPP_year = 2005|GDP_PPP = $251.8 billion |GDP_PPP_rank = 36th|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $3,025|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 123rd|HDI_year = 2004|HDI = 0.709|HDI_rank = 109th|HDI_category = medium|Gini = 37|Gini_year = 2002|Gini_rank = 59th|Gini_category = medium|currency = (₫)|currency_code = VND|time_zone =|utc_offset = +7|time_zone_DST =|utc_offset_DST = +7|cctld = [.vn on the [Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by People's Republic of China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. On the country's east coast lies the South China Sea. With a population of over ~87 million, Vietnam is the list of countries by population most populous country in the world. The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies; according to government figures, gross domestic product growth was 8.17% in 2006, the List of countries by GDP (real) growth rate growth rate among countries in East Asia and the fastest in Southeast Asia.

Etymology Through thousands of year, Vietnam has been called by many different names: Van Lang during the Hùng Vương Dynasty, Âu Lạc during the An Dương Vương dynasty, Van Xuan during the Anterior Lý Dynasty, Đại Cồ Việt during the Dinh Dynasty and Anterior Lê Dynasty. Starting in 1054, Vietnam was called Đại Việt (Great Viet). During the Hồ Dynasty, Vietnam was called Đại Ngu. Then, in 1804, King Gia Long planned to use the name of Nam Việt for Vietnam but the Qing dynasty of China disagreed and changed it to Việt Nam. In English, the two syllables were written into one: Vietnam. From 1839 to 1945, king Minh Mạng renamed Việt Nam to Đại Nam.

The name Việt Nam had been used for this country before it became the official name in "Dư địa chí" of Nguyễn Trãi written in 1435 and perhaps even before. "Việt" is the name of the largest ethnic group in Vietnam: the Kinh (người Kinh) and "Nam" means "the South", affirming Vietnam's sovereignty from China (usually called "North country" to Vietnamese people).

History

Pre-Dynastic era The area now known as Vietnam has been inhabited since Paleolithic times, and some archaeological sites in Thanh Hoa Province is reportedly date back several thousand years. Archaeologists link the beginnings of Vietnamese civilization to the late Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, Phung-nguyen culture, which was centered in Vinh Phu Province of contemporary Vietnam from about 2000 to 1400 Common Era. By about 1200 Common Era, the development of wet-rice cultivation and bronze casting in the Ma River and Red River (Vietnam) plains led to the development of the Dong Son culture, notable for its elaborate bronze drums. The bronze weapons, tools, and drums of Dongsonian sites show a Southeast Asian influence that indicates an indigenous origin for the bronze-casting technology. Many small, ancient copper Mining sites have been found in northern Vietnam. Some of the similarities between the Dong Sonian sites and other Southeast Asian sites include the presence of boat-shaped coffins and burial jars, stilt dwellings, and evidence of the customs of betel-nut-chewing and teeth-blackening.

The legendary Hồng Bàng Dynasty of the Hùng Vương is considered by many Vietnamese as the first Vietnamese state, known as Văn Lang. In 257 BCE, the last Hùng king gives up Thục Phán and he consolidated the Lạc Việt tribes with his Âu Việt tribes, forming Âu Lạc and proclaiming himself An Dương Vương. In 207 BCE, a Chinese general named Zhao Tuo defeated An Dương Vương and consolidated Âu Lạc into Nanyue. In 111 BCE, the Chinese Han Dynasty consolidated Nanyue into their empire.

For the next thousand years, Vietnam was mostly under Chinese rule. Early independence movements such as those of the Trung Sisters and of Trieu Thi Trinh were only briefly successful. It was independent as Vạn Xuân under the Anterior Ly Dynasty between 544 and 602. By the early 10th century, Vietnam had gained autonomy, but not independence, under the Khúc family.

Dynastic era In 938 Common Era, a Vietnamese lord named Ngo Quyen defeated Chinese forces at the Battle of Bach Dang River (938) and gained independence after 10 centuries under Chinese control. Renamed as Đại Việt, the nation went through a golden era during the Lý Dynasty and Trần Dynasty Dynasties. During the rule of the Trần Dynasty, Đại Việt repelled three Mongol invasions of Vietnam. Following the brief Hồ Dynasty, Vietnamese independence was momentarily interrupted by the Chinese Ming Dynasty, but was restored by Le Loi, the founder of the Lê Dynasty. Feudalism in Vietnam reached its zenith in the Lê Dynasty of the 15th century, especially during the reign of Emperor Le Thanh Tong. Between the 11th century and 18th century centuries, the Vietnamese expanded southward in a process known as (southward expansion). They eventually conquered the kingdom of Champa and part of the Khmer Empire.

Towards the end of the Lê Dynasty, civil strife engulfed much of Vietnam. First, the Chinese-supported Mạc Dynasty challenged the Lê Dynasty's power. After the Mạc Dynasty was defeated, the Lê Dynasty was reinstalled, but with no actual power. Power was divided between the Trịnh Lords in the North and the Nguyễn Lords in the South, who engaged in a Trịnh-Nguyễn War for more than a hundred years. During this time, the Nguyễn expanded southern Vietnam into the Mekong Delta, annexing the Champa in the central highlands and the Khmer land in the Mekong. The civil war ended when the Tay Son brothers defeated both and established their new dynasty. However, their rule did not last long and they were defeated by the remnants of the Nguyễn Lords led by Gia Long with the help of the French. Nguyen Anh unified Vietnam, and established the Nguyễn Dynasty, ruling under the name Gia Long.

Western Colonial era Vietnam's independence ended in the mid-1800s, when the country was colonized by the French colonial empires. The French administration imposed significant political and cultural changes on Vietnamese society. A Western-style system of modern education was developed, and Christianity was introduced into Vietnamese society. Developing a plantation economy to promote the exports of tobacco, indigo dye, tea and coffee, the French largely ignored increasing calls for self-government and civil rights. A nationalist political movement soon emerged, with leaders such as Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chu Trinh, Emperor Ham Nghi and Ho Chi Minh calling for independence. However, the French maintained control of their colonies until World War II, when the Pacific war triggered the invasion of French Indochina in 1941. This event was preceded by the establishment of the Vichy France administration, a puppet state of Nazi Germany then ally of the Japanese Empire. The natural resources of Vietnam were exploited for the purposes of the Japanese Empire's military campaigns into the British colonial empire of Burma, the Malay Peninsula and India.

First Indochina War In 1941, Viet Minh - a communist and nationalist liberation movement emerged under Ho Chi Minh, to seek independence for Vietnam from France as well as to oppose the Japanese occupation. Following the military defeat of Japan and the fall of its Empire of Vietnam in August 1945, Viet Minh occupied Hanoi and proclaimed a provisional government, which asserted independence on September 2.http://coombs.anu.edu.au/%7Evern/van_kien/declar.html Declaration of Independence, Democratic Republic of Vietnam] - Vietnam Documents In the same year the Provisional French Republic sent the French Far East Expeditionary Corps, which was originally created to fight the Japanese occupation forces, in order to pacify the liberation movement and to restore French rule. On November 20 1946, triggered by the Haiphong Incident the First Indochina War between Viet Minh and the French forces ensued, lasting until July 20 1954.

Despite fewer losses—Expeditionary Corps suffered 1/3 the casualties of the China and Soviet-backed Viet Minh—during the course of the war, the U.S.-backed French and Vietnamese National Armys eventually suffered a major strategic setback at the Siege of Dien Bien Phu, which allowed Ho Chi Minh to negotiate a ceasefire with a favorable position at the ongoing Geneva Conference (1954) of 1954. Colonial administration ended as French Indochina was dissolved, and the contested State of Vietnam ceased to exist. According to the Geneva Conference (1954) the country was divided at the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone into Ho Chi Minh's North Vietnam and Ngo Dinh Diem's South Vietnam after the example of Korea. This was intended to be temporary, pending an election in 1956, which never took place.

Vietnam War The Communist-held North Vietnam was opposed by the United States-supported South Vietnam. Disagreements soon emerged over the organizing of elections and reunification, and the U.S. began increasing its contribution of military advisers. U.S. forces were soon embroiled in a guerrilla war with the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF), the insurgents who were indigenous to South Vietnam. North Vietnamese forces unsuccessfully attempted to overrun the South during the 1968 Tet Offensive and the war soon spread into neighboring Laos and Cambodia, in both of which the United States bombed Communist forces supplying the North Vietnamese Army.

With its own casualties mounting, the U.S. began transferring combat roles to the South Vietnamese military in a process the U.S. called . The effort had mixed results. The Paris Peace Accords of January 27, 1973, formally recognized the sovereignty of both sides. Under the terms of the accords all American combat troops were withdrawn by March 29, 1973. Limited fighting continued, but all major fighting ended until the North once again sent troops to the South on April 30, 1975, following the collapse of the South Vietnamese government. South Vietnam briefly became the Republic of South Vietnam, under military occupation by North Vietnam, before being officially integrated with the North under communist rule as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2 1976.

Postwar Upon taking control, the Vietnamese communists banned all other political parties, arrested public servants and military personnel of the Republic of Vietnam and sent them to reeducation camps. The government also embarked on a mass campaign of collectivization of farms and factories. Reconstruction of the war-ravaged country was slow, and serious humanitarian and economic problems confronted the communist regime. Millions of people boat people in crudely-built boats, creating an international humanitarian crisis.: Three million fled Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos combined; close to a million Vietnamese were helped by the UNHCR. In 1978, the Vietnamese Army invaded Cambodia (sparking the Cambodian-Vietnamese War) to remove the Khmer Rouge from power. This action worsened relations with China, which launched a brief incursion into northern Vietnam (the Sino-Vietnamese War) in 1979. This conflict caused Vietnam to rely even more heavily on Soviet economic and military aid.

Đổi Mới (New Age) In a historic shift in 1986, the Communist Party of Vietnam implemented free-market reforms known as (New Age). With the authority of the state remaining unchallenged, private ownership of farms and companies, deregulation and foreign investment were encouraged. The economy of Vietnam has achieved rapid growth in agricultural and industrial production, construction and housing, exports, and foreign investment. It is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world. See Economy section for more detail.

Government and politics The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a single-party state. A new Constitution of Vietnam was approved in April 1992, replacing the 1975 version. The central role of the Communist Party was reasserted in all organs of government, politics and society. Only political organizations affiliated with or endorsed by the Communist Party are permitted to contest elections. These include the Vietnamese Fatherland Front, workers and trade unionist parties. Although the state remains officially committed to socialism as its defining creed, the ideology's importance has substantially diminished since the 1990s. The President of Vietnam is the titular head of state and the nominal commander in chief of the military of Vietnam, chairing the Council on National Defense and Security. The Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung is the head of government, presiding over a council of ministers composed of 3 deputy prime ministers and the heads of 26 ministries and commissions.

The National Assembly of Vietnam is the unicameral legislature of the government, composed of 498 members. It is superior to both the executive and judicial branches. All members of the council of ministers are derived from the National Assembly. The Supreme People's Court of Vietnam, which is the highest court of appeal in the nation, is also answerable to the National Assembly. Beneath the Supreme People's Court stand the Provincial Municipal Courts of Vietnam and the Local Courts of Vietnam. Military Courts of Vietnam are also a powerful branch of the judiciary with special jurisdiction in matters of national security. All organs of Vietnam's government are controlled by the Communist Party. Most government appointees are members of the party. The General Secretary of the Communist Party is perhaps one of the most important political leaders in the nation, controlling the party's national organization and state appointments, as well as setting policy.

The Vietnam People's Army is the official name for the three military services of Vietnam, which is organized along the lines of China's People's Liberation Army. The VPA is further subdivided into the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces (including Strategic Rear Forces and Border Defense Forces), the Vietnam People's Navy, the Vietnam People's Air Force and the coast guard. Through Vietnam's recent history, the VPA has actively been involved in Vietnam's workforce to develop the economy of Vietnam, in order to coordinate national defense and the economy. The VPA is involved in such areas as industry, agriculture, forestry, fishery and telecommunications. The total strength of the VPA is close to 500,000 soldiers. The government also organizes and maintains provincial militias and police forces. The role of the military in public life has steadily weakened since the 1980s.

Geography and climate Vietnam extends approximately 331,688 km² (128,066 square mile) in area(not included Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands). The area of the country running along its international boundaries is 4,639 km (2,883 mile). The topography consists of hills and densely forested mountains, with level land covering no more than 20%. Mountains account for 40% of the area, with smaller hills accounting for 40% and tropical forests 42%. The northern part of the country consists mostly of highlands and the Red River (Vietnam). Fan Si Pan, located in Lao Cai province, is the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143 m (10,312 foot (unit of length)). The south is divided into coastal lowlands, Annamite Chain peaks, extensive forests, and poor soil. Comprising five relatively flat plateaus of basalt soil, the highlands account for 16% of the country's arable land and 22% of its total forested land. , a World Heritage Site

The delta of the Red River (also known as the ), a flat, triangular region of 3,000 square kilometers, is smaller but more intensely developed and more densely populated than the Mekong River Delta. Once an inlet of the Gulf of Tonkin, it has been filled in by the enormous alluvial deposits of the rivers over a period of millennia, and it advances one hundred meters into the Gulf annually. The Mekong delta, covering about 40,000 square kilometers, is a low-level plain not more than three meters above sea level at any point and criss-crossed by a maze of canals and rivers. So much sediment is carried by the Mekong's various branches and tributaries that the delta advances sixty to eighty meters into the sea every year.

Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate, with humidity averaging 84% throughout the year. However, because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place. During the winter or dry season, extending roughly from November to April, the monsoon winds usually blow from the northeast along the China coast and across the Gulf of Tonkin, picking up considerable moisture; consequently the winter season in most parts of the country is dry only by comparison with the rainy or summer season. The average annual temperature is generally higher in the plains than in the mountains and plateaus.

Nature Vietnam has two World's Natural Heritage sites: Halong Bay and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and 6 World's biosphere reserves including: Can Gio Mangrove Forest, Cat Tien National Park, Cat Ba National Park, U Minh Thuong National Park, Red River Delta, Western Nghe An.

Biodiversity Vietnam is in Indomalaya ecozone.

According to chapter 1 in National Environmental Present Condition Report 2005- Biodiversity Subject of Vietnam Environment Protection Agency, Báo cáo Hiện trạng môi trường quốc gia 2005 - (Vietnamese) in species diversity, Vietnam is one of 25 countries having high level in biodiversity all over the world, is ranked 16th of biologically diverse level (having 16% world's species) (page 9). 15,986 flora was identified of which 10% was endemic (p9). Statistic says that there are 307 nematoda, 200 oligochaeta, 145 acarina, 113 collembola, 7750 insecta, 260 reptilia, 120 amphibia, 840 aves and 310 mammalia of which 100 aves and 78 mammalia are endemic (p9,10). Vietnam also have 1438 fresh water microalgae (9,6% species in the world) (Table 1.2, p9). It is defined that there are 794 aquatic invertebrate and 2458 sea fish (p10,11). In recent years, there have been 13 genus, 222 species, 30 taxon of flora newly described and 6 mammalia have been discovered such as pseudoryx nghetinhensis, muntiacus vuquangensis, lophura edwardsi, rhinopithecus avunculus, livistona halongensis, geothelphusa vietnamica, etc (frame 1.4, p11,12). In agricultural genetic diversity, Vietnam is one of 12 world's original cultivar centers (p13). Vietnam National Cultivar Gene Bank is preserving 12,300 cultivars of 115 species (p14).

In chapter 4 of that report, it is said that Vietnam government spent 49.07 million USD for biodiversity in 2004 (p71) and have established 126 conservation areas including 28 national parks (p73).

Economy

The Vietnam War destroyed much of the economy of Vietnam. Upon taking power, the Government created a planned economy for the nation. Collectivization of farms, factories and economic capital was implemented, and millions of people were put to work in government programs. For many decades, Vietnam's economy was plagued with inefficiency and corruption in state programs, poor quality and underproduction and restrictions on economic activities and trade. It also suffered from the trade embargo from the United States and most of Europe after the Vietnam War. Subsequently, the trade partners of the Communist blocs began to erode. In 1986, the Sixth Party Congress introduced significant economic reforms with market economy elements as part of a broad economic reform package called "doi moi" (Renovation). Private ownership was encouraged in industries, commerce and agriculture. Vietnam achieved around 8% annual Gross domestic product growth from 1990 to 1997 and continued at around 7% from 2000 to 2005, making it the world's second-fastest growing economy. Simultaneously, foreign investment grew threefold and savings quintupled. Manufacturing, information technology and high-tech industries form a large and fast-growing part of the national economy. Vietnam is a relative new-comer to the oil business, but today it is the third-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia with output of 400,000 barrels per day. Vietnam is one of Asia's most open economies: two-way trade is around 160% of GDP, more than twice the ratio for China and over four times India's. Vietnam Vrooooom: Asia's second-fastest-growing economy takes the global stage. - CNN Money

Vietnam is still a relatively poor country with GDP of US$280.2 billion at purchasing power parity (est., 2006, source: Economist Intelligence unit). This translates to ~US$3,300 per capita (US$726 at market exchange rate). Inflation rate was estimated at 7.5% per year in 2006. The spending power of the public has noticeably increased.Deep poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of China, India, and the Philippines.As a result of several land reform measures, Vietnam is now the largest producer of cashew nuts with a one-third global share and second largest rice exporter in the world after Thailand. Vietnam has the highest percent of land use for permanent crops, 6.93%, of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Besides rice, key exports are coffee, tea, rubber, and fishery products. However, agriculture's share of economic output has declined, falling as a share of GDP from 42% in 1989 to 20% in 2006, as production in other sectors of the economy has risen. According to the CIA World Fact Book, the unemployment rate in Vietnam is one of the lowest in the world at 2%, trailing behind only Azerbaijan, Cuba, Iceland, Andorra and Liechtenstein. Among other steps taken in the process of transitioning to a market economy, Vietnam in July 2006 updated its intellectual property legislation to comply with TRIPS. Vietnam was accepted into the World Trade Organization on November 7, 2006. Vietnam's chief trading partners include Japan, Australia, ASEAN countries, the U.S. and Western European countries.

Military Military of Vietnam consists of Vietnam People's Army and the Vietnam People's Air Force. It also has coast guard.

Transport The modern transport network of Vietnam was originally developed under French rule for the purpose of raw materials harvesting, and reconstructed and extensively modernized following the Vietnam War. The road system is the most popular form of transportation in the country. Vietnam’s road system includes national roads administered by the central level; provincial roads managed by the provincial level; district roads managed by the district level; urban roads managed by cities and towns; and commune roads managed by the commune level.

Bicycles, motor scooters and motorcycles remain the most popular forms of road transport in Vietnam's cities, towns, and villages. Public bus operated by private companies is the main long distance travel means by many people. Traffic congestion is a serious problem in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the cities' roads struggle to cope with the booming numbers of automobiles. There are also more than 17,000 kilometers of navigable waterways, which play a significant role in rural life owing to the extensive network of rivers in Vietnam.

The nation have seven developed ports and harbors at Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Gai, Qui Nhon, and Nha Trang.

Demography Population Recent census estimates the population of Vietnam at beyond 84 million. Vietnamese people, also called "Viet" or "Kinh", account for 86.2 percent of the population. Their population is concentrated in the alluvial fans and coastal plains of the country. A homogeneous social and ethnic majority group, the Kinh exert political and economic control. There are more than 54 ethnic minorities throughout the country, but the Kinh are purveyors of the dominant culture. Most ethnic minorities, such as the Muong, a closely related ethnic of the Kinh, are found mostly in the highlands covering two-thirds of the territory . The Hoa (ethnic Chinese) and Khmer Krom are mainly lowlanders. The largest ethnic minority groups include the Hmong, Dao, Tay, Thai, Nung.

Languages The people of Vietnam speak Vietnamese language as a native language. In its early history, Vietnamese writing used Chinese characters. In the 13th century, the Vietnamese developed their own set of characters called Chu Nom. The celebrated epic ( or ) by Nguyen Du was written in Chữ nôm. During the French colonial period, Quoc Ngu, the romanized Vietnamese alphabet used for spoken Vietnamese, which was developed in 17th century by Jesuit Alexandre De Rhodes and several other Roman Catholic missionary, became popular and brought literacy to the masses.

Various other languages are spoken by several minority groups in Vietnam. The most common of these are Tai languages, Muong language, Khmer language, Chinese language, Nung language, and Hmong language. The French language, a legacy of colonial rule, is still spoken by some older Vietnamese as a second language, but is losing its popularity. There are however some French-language newspapers in the country as Le courrier du Vietnam and several French-language immersion programmes and French schools as the école française Colette in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam is also a full member of the Francophonie. Russian language — and to a much lesser extent German language, Czech language, or Polish language — is sometimes known among those whose families had ties with the Soviet bloc. In recent years, English language is becoming more popular as a second language. English study is obligatory in most schools. Chinese language and Japanese language have also become more popular.

Religions capital.For much of Vietnamese history, Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism have strongly influenced the religious and cultural life of the people. About 85% of Vietnamese identify with Buddhism even though they do not practice on a regular basis. US Department of State: Background Note: Vietnam The Largest Buddhist Communities - adherents.com. This quotes a much lower figure than the 85% quoted by the US Department of State About 7% of the population are RomanCatholic. Christianity was introduced by French colonists, and to a lesser extent during the presence of American forces. There is a substantial following of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism among the Cao Dai, and Hoa Hao communities. The largest Protestant churches are the Evangelical Church of Vietnam and the Montagnard Evangelical Church.

Vietnam has great reservation towards Roman Catholicism. This mistrust originated during the French colonial time when some Catholics collaborated with the French colonists as espionage agents to suppress the Vietnamese independence movement. Furthermore, the Church's teaching regarding communism made it an unwelcome counterforce to communist rule. Membership of Sunni Islam and Bashi Islam is usually accredited to the ethnic Cham people minority, but there are also a few ethnic Vietnamese adherents of Islam in the southwest. The communist government has been criticized for its religious violations.The vast majority of Vietnamese people, regardless of their religious background (including Catholic or Buddhist), practice Ancestor Worship, although this may not be strictly considered a religion.

From the articles of Religion by country, Religion in Vietnam and Demographics of Vietnam; 85% is nominal/secular Buddhists including predominant 83% East Asian Buddhist or "Triple religion" (80% of people are worship the mixture of Mahayana Buddhism mainly, Taoism, Confucianism with Ancestor Worship;with 2% Hoa Hao and other Vietnamese-Buddhist sects as Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa,etc...1%) and 2% Theravada Buddhism of Khmer people but the census of Government showed that only 16% have taken Refuge (Buddhism) in the Three Jewels; 8% Christians (7% Catholics and 1% Protestants); 3% Cao Đài; 2.5% Tribal animism; less than 70 thousand Muslims; small Hindu communities (over 50 thousand people) and a small numbers of Baha'is.

Education Vietnam has an extensive state-controlled network of schools, colleges and universities. General education in Vietnam is imparted in 5 categories: Kindergarten, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and college / university. Courses are taught mainly in Vietnamese. A large number of public schools have been organized across cities, towns and villages with the purpose of raising the national literacy rate. There are a large number of specialist colleges, established to develop a diverse and skilled national workforce. A large number of Vietnam's most acclaimed universities are based in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Facing serious crises, Vietnam's education system is under a holistic reform launched by the government. In Vietnam, education from age 6 to 11 is free and mandatory. Education above these ages is costly, therefore many families can't afford to send their children to school.

Science In the past, Vietnam did not have "science" in its generally accepted meaning, but many fields were well developed, especially social science and humanities. It has at least ten centuries of commentary and analytic writings. Among the best known works are those of "Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư" of Ngô Sĩ Liên. Writings that deal with geography, nature, customs and people were written by "Dư địa chí" of Nguyễn Trãi. In mathematics, operations (including power and extract the root) of primary arithmetics and surveying, measurement (length, area, volume...) of primary geometry were taught in schools using the famous textbook: "Đại thành toán pháp" of Lương Thế Vinh. Lương Thế Vinh had notion of 0 (number) and Mạc Hiển Tích used the term "số ẩn" (unknown/secret/hidden number) to refer to negative numbers. Much knowledge was collected into encyclopedia: "Vân đài loại ngữ" of Lê Quý Đôn and "Lịch triều hiến chương loại chí" of Phan Huy Chú.

Presently, Vietnamese scientists have been devoting themselves to contribute to human's knowledge sush as Hoang Tuy based the foundation of global optimization by finding out "Tụy's cut".

Culture (Temple of Literature).The spoken and written language is Vietnamese.

The culture of Vietnam has been influenced by neighboring China. Due to Vietnam's long association with the south of China, one characteristic of Vietnamese culture is financial duty. Education and self-betterment are highly valued. Historically, passing the imperial Mandarin (bureaucrat) exams was the only means for Vietnamese people to socially advance themselves.

In the socialist era, the cultural life of Vietnam has been deeply influenced by government-controlled media and the cultural influences of socialist programs. For many decades, foreign cultural influences were shunned and emphasis placed on appreciating and sharing the culture of communist nations such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and others. Since the 1990s, Vietnam has seen a greater exposure to Southeast Asian, European and American culture and media. is an example of French Colonial architecture in Vietnam.

One of the most popular Vietnamese traditional garments is the "", worn often for special occasions such as weddings or festivals. White Áo dài is the required uniform for girls in many high schools across Vietnam. Áo Dài was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mainly by females, except for certain important traditional culture-related occasions where some men do wear it.

Cuisine of Vietnam uses very little oil and many vegetables. The main dishes are often based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Its characteristic flavors are sweet (sugar), spicy (serrano peppers), sour (lime), nuoc mam (fish sauce), and flavored by a variety of mint and basil.

Vietnamese music varies slightly in the three regions: or North, or Central, and or South. Northern classical music is Vietnam's oldest and is traditionally more formal. Vietnamese classical music can be traced to the Mongol invasions, when the Vietnamese captured a Chinese opera troupe. Central classical music shows the influences of Champa culture with its melancholic melodies. Southern music exudes a lively laissez-faire attitude.

See also Vietnamese art, Vietnamese theatre, Vietnamese dance, and Vietnamese literature

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Vietnam. Sports and games such as badminton, tennis, ping pong, and chess are also popular with large segments of the population. Volleyball, especially women's volleyball, is watched by a fairly large number of Vietnamese. The (expatriate Vietnamese) community forms a prominent part of Vietnamese cultural life, introducing Western sports, films, music and other cultural activities in the nation.

See also List of Vietnamese traditional games.

Vietnam is home to a small film industry.

Among countless other traditional Vietnamese occasions, the traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important. Regardless of westernization, many of the age-old customs in a Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements.

See also List of festivals in Vietnam

Media Vietnam's media sector is controlled by the government to follow the official communist party line. The Voice of Vietnam is the official state-run radio broadcasting service that covers the nation. It also broadcasts internationally via shortwave, renting transmitters in other countries and provides broadcasts from its website. Vietnam Television is the national television broadcasting company. As Vietnam moved toward a free-market economy with its doi moi measures, the government has relied on the print media to keep the public informed about its policies. The measure has had the effect of almost doubling the numbers of newspapers and magazines since 1996 . Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors.

Tourism Vietnam's number of visitors for tourism and vacation has increased steadily over the past ten years. About 3.56 million international guests visited Vietnam in 2006, an increase of 3.7% from 2005. The country is investing capital into the coastal regions that are already popular for their beaches and boat tours. Hotel staff and tourism guides in these regions speak a good amount of English.

International rankings {| class="wikitable"|-! Organization! Survey! Ranking|-| Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal]| 142 out of 157|-| The Economist]| Reporters Without Borders#Worldwide press freedom index| 155 out of 167|-| [Transparency International| 111 out of 163|-| [United Nations Development Programme| 109 out of 177|-| [World Economic Forum| 77 out of 125|}

See also Sources and notes References

Herring, George C. America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 (4th ed 2001), most widely used short history.
Jahn GC. 2006. The Dream is not yet over. In: P. Fredenburg P, Hill B, editors. Sharing rice for peace and prosperity in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Victoria, (Australia): Sid Harta Publishers. p 237-240
Karrnow, Stanley. Vietnam: A History. Penguin (Non-Classics); 2nd edition (June 1, 1997). ISBN 0-14-026547-3
McMahon, Robert J. Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War: Documents and Essays (1995) textbook
Tucker, Spencer. ed. Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War (1998) 3 vol. reference set; also one-volume abridgment (2001)
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 7th edition, Oxford University Press.

External links Government

Official website of Gorvernment of Vietnam
Portal of the Government of Vietnam
Communist Party of Vietnam
National Assembly: the Vietnamese legislative body
General Statistics Office
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Media State-run

Voice of Vietnam: State radio broadcaster
Vietnam Television: State television broadcaster
Vietnam News Agency: Official state news agency
Nhân Dân (Nhân Dân): Official Communist Party newspaper
Quân đội Nhân Dân: Newspaper of the People's Army
Vietnam Net: Largest Vietnamese portal, run by the government-owned Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Corporation
Hà Nội Mới (New Hanoi): run by the Hanoi Communist Party
Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Saigon): run by the Ho Chi Minh City Communist Party

Non state-run While all media in Vietnam must be sponsored by a Communist Party organization and be registered with the government, the following media sources have less government control than others.

VnExpress: Popular online newspaper
Tuổi Trẻ (Youth): Daily newspaper with highest circulation, affiliated with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Organization of Ho Chi Minh City
Thanh Niên (Youth): Major daily newspaper, affiliated with the Vietnam National Youth Federation
Lao Động (Labour): Major daily newspaper, affiliated with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (the sole labour union in Vietnam)
Tiền Phong (Vanguard): Major daily newspaper, affiliated with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth organization
Vietnam Economic Times - for foreign investors.

Overviews

BBC - Country profile: Vietnam
CIA World Factbook - Vietnam
Freedom House "Countries at the Crossroads" report - Vietnam: information on government accountability, civil liberties, rule of law, and anticorruption efforts
VietNam Map
Encyclopaedia Britannica - Vietnam
Open Directory Project - Vietnam directory category
US State Department - Vietnam includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
US Library of Congress - Country Study: Vietnam
Information about Vietnam: from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affair
Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui: News concerning Vietnam (English & French)
Business Anti-Corruption Portal Vietnam Country Profile
Nghe An - Ha Tinh Forum

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