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Vietnam

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Asian Countries;
Countries

   SOS Children works in Vietnam. For more information see SOS Children in
   Vietnam
         Cộng Hòa Xã Hội Chủ Nghĩa Việt Nam
   Socialist Republic of Vietnam

   Flag of Vietnam Coat of arms of Vietnam
   Flag            Coat of arms
   Motto: Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc
   (Independence, freedom, happiness)
   Anthem: Tiến Quân Ca
   Location of Vietnam
          Capital        Hanoi
                         21°2′N 105°51′E
       Largest city      Ho Chi Minh City
    Official languages   Vietnamese
   Government            Socialist republic^1
    - General Secretary  Nông Đức Mạnh
    - President          Nguyễn Minh Triết
    - Prime Minister     Nguyễn Tấn Dũng
       Independence      From France
    - Declared           September 2, 1945
    - Recognized         1954
                              Area
    - Total              331,689 km² ( 65th)
                         128,065 sq mi
    - Water (%)          1.3
                           Population
    - July 2005 estimate 84,238,000 ( 12th)
    - 1999 census        76,323,173
    - Density            253/km² ( 46th)
                         655/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $251.8 billion ( 36th)
    - Per capita         $3,025 ( 123rd)
        HDI  (2003)      0.704 (medium) ( 108th)
         Currency        đồng (₫) ( VND)
         Time zone       ( UTC+7)
    - Summer ( DST)      ( UTC+7)
       Internet TLD      .vn
       Calling code      +84
   1. According to the official name and its 1992 Constitution

   Vietnam ( Vietnamese: Việt Nam), officially the Socialist Republic of
   Vietnam is a nation in Southeast Asia. It borders the People's Republic
   of China to the north, Laos to the northwest and Cambodia to the
   southwest. To the country's east lies the South China Sea. With a
   population of approximately 84 million, Vietnam is one of the most
   densely populated nations in Southeast Asia.

History

   A famous Vietnamese legend tells that the Vietnamese people of various
   tribes were born outside the womb following the marriage of Lạc Long
   Quân (Dragon Chief) and Âu Cơ (the Fairy). However, most Vietnamese
   historians consider the Dong Son civilization that covered much of
   Southeast Asia to be the beginning of Vietnam's history. In 208 BCE a
   Qin general named Triệu Đà established a state called Nam Việt which
   encompassed southern China and the Red River Delta. The historical
   significance of the original Nam Việt remains controversial because
   some historians consider it a Chinese occupation while others believe
   it was an independent era. For most of the period from 111 BCE to the
   early 10th century CE, Vietnam was under the rule of successive Chinese
   dynasties. During this period, Buddhism became a dominant influence in
   the religious and cultural life of the people. Sporadic independence
   movements were attempted, but were quickly suppressed by Chinese
   forces. In 939 CE the Vietnamese defeated Chinese forces at the Bạch
   Đằng River and gained independence after 10 centuries under Chinese
   control. They gained complete autonomy a century later. During the rule
   of the Trần Dynasty, Dai Viet defeated three Mongol attempts of
   invasion by the Yuan Dynasty. Three times with massive troops as well
   as careful preparation for their attacks but three times in the row the
   Mongols were totally swept out of Dai Viet. Incidentally, the final
   battle in which Vietnamese general Tran Hung Dao defeated most of
   Mongolian forces was held again at Bạch Đằng River like his ancestors
   nearly 300 years ago. 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 and 18th centuries, the Vietnamese
   expanded southward in a process known as nam tiến (southward
   expansion). They eventually conquered the kingdom of Champa and much of
   the Khmer
   Battle of Bach Dang river. Silk painting by Năng Hiển.
   Enlarge
   Battle of Bach Dang river. Silk painting by Năng Hiển.

   Vietnam's independence ended in the mid-19th century CE, when the
   country was colonized by the French Empire. The French administration
   enacted significant political and cultural changes to Vietnamese
   society. A Western-style system of modern education was developed, and
   Christianity was introduced in Vietnamese society. Developing a
   plantation economy to promote the exports of tobacco, indigo, tea and
   coffee, the French largely ignored increasing calls for self-government
   and civil rights. A nationalist political movement soon emerged, and
   its young leader Ho Chi Minh led its call for independence to the
   League of Nations. Yet the French maintained dominant control of their
   colonies until World War II, when the Japanese invasion of Indochina
   triggered by the war in the Pacific. The natural resources of Vietnam
   were exploited for the purposes of Japan's military campaigns into
   Burma, the Malay Peninsula and India. In the final years of the war, a
   forceful nationalist insurgency emerged under Ho Chi Minh, committed to
   independence and communism. Following the defeat of Japan, nationalist
   forces fought French colonial forces in the First Indochina War that
   lasted from 1945 to 1954. The French suffered a major defeat at the
   Battle of Dien Bien Phu and shortly afterwards withdrew from the
   country. The world community divided the country at the 17th parallel
   into North Vietnam and South Vietnam during the Geneva Accords. This
   division was meant to be temporary, pending democratic elections and
   reunification.

Vietnam War

   U.S. forces during the Vietnam war.
   Enlarge
   U.S. forces during the Vietnam war.

   The Communist-held north was opposed by the United States for its
   proximity to the Soviet Union and Communist China. Disagreements soon
   emerged over the organizing of elections and reunification, and the
   U.S. began increasing its contribution of military advisers even as
   Soviet-supplied arms and munitions strengthened communist forces.

   The controversial attack on U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin triggered
   a U.S. military assault on North Vietnamese military installations and
   the deployment of more than 500,000 troops into South Vietnam. U.S.
   forces were soon embroiled in a vicious guerrilla war with the Viet
   Cong, the South Vietnamese communist militia. North Vietnamese forces
   unsuccessfully attempted to overrun the South during the 1968 Tet
   Offensive and the war soon spread into neighboring Laos and Cambodia.
   With casualties mounting, the U.S. began transferring combat roles to
   the South Vietnamese military in a process known as Vietnamization. The
   effort had mixed results, but with US support the South Vietnamese were
   able to hold their own. The Paris Peace Accords on 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 invaded in strength and overpowered the South on
   April 30, 1975. South Vietnam briefly became the Republic of South
   Vietnam, a puppet state under military occupation by North Vietnam,
   before being officially reunified with the North under Communist rule
   as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, 1976. More than 30
   years of war had devastated the economy, urban and rural infrastructure
   across the nation. Millions of people were killed, and as many as
   50,000 U.S. soldiers were killed in the warfare. Widespread undetonated
   mines and bombs remain a serious problem for people in the rural areas.
   Between one and two million people fled the communist regime by sea,
   becoming famously known as boat people.

   Upon taking control, the Vietnamese communists banned other political
   parties, arrested suspects believed to have collaborated with the U.S.
   and 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. In 1978, the Vietnamese Army invaded Cambodia to remove their
   erstwhile allies, the Khmer Rouge from power. This action worsened
   relations with China, which launched a brief incursion into northern
   Vietnam in 1979. This conflict caused Vietnam to rely even more heavily
   on Soviet economic and military aid.

   With the decline of the Soviet Union and the Cold War, Vietnam's
   economic woes intensified. In a historic shift in 1986, the Communist
   Party of Vietnam implemented free-market reforms known as Đổi Mới
   (Renovation). 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. Vietnam's economic development
   has been significantly aided by investment from the expatriate
   Vietnamese community living in the U.S. and European nations. Vietnam
   normalized relations with the U.S. in 1995, and is an important member
   state of the Association of South East Asian Nations. The power of the
   Communist Party over all organs of government remains firm, even though
   there have been increasing calls for political freedoms from a nascent
   pro-democracy movement.

Geography and climate

   Map of Vietnam
   Enlarge
   Map of Vietnam

   Vietnam extends approximately 331,688 square km (128,066  sq mi) in
   area. The area of the country running along its international
   boundaries is 4,639 km (2,883  mi). 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 Delta. Phan Xi
   Păng, located in Lào Cai province, is the highest mountain in Vietnam
   at 3,143 m (10,312  ft). The south is divided into coastal lowlands,
   Annamite Chain peaks, extensive forests, and poor soil. Comprising 5
   relatively flat plateaus of basalt soil spread over the provinces of
   Đắk Lắk (or "Dac Lac"), Gia Lai, and Kon Tom, the highlands account for
   16% of the country's arable land and 22% of its total forested land.
   Before 1975, North Vietnam had maintained that the Central Highlands
   and the Giai Truong Son were strategic areas of paramount importance,
   essential to the domination not only of South Vietnam but also of the
   southern part of Indochina. Since 1975, the highlands have provided an
   area in which to relocate people from the densely populated lowlands.
   Halong Bay, Vietnam's world natural heritage
   Enlarge
   Halong Bay, Vietnam's world natural heritage

   The delta of the Red River (also known as the Sông Hồng), is 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 ancestral home of the ethnic Vietnamese, the delta accounted for
   almost 70 % of the agriculture and 80 % of the industry of North
   Vietnam before 1975. 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. An official Vietnamese source estimates the amount of
   sediment deposited annually to be about 1 billion cubic meters, or
   nearly 13 times the amount deposited by the Red River. About 10,000
   square kilometers of the delta are under rice cultivation, making the
   area one of the major rice-growing regions of the world. Through the
   adoption of high yielding, modern rice varieties, Vietnam has become
   the world’s second largest exporter of rice . Approximately 60% of the
   irrigated rice growing area in the Mekong Delta is covered with modern
   rice varieties from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) .
   The southern tip, known as the Cà Mau Peninsula, or Mui Bai Bung, is
   covered by dense jungle and mangrove swamps.

   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. During the southwesterly summer monsoon,
   occurring from May to October, the heated air of the Gobi Desert rises,
   far to the north, inducing moist air to flow inland from the sea and
   deposit heavy rainfall. Annual rainfall is substantial in all regions
   and torrential in some, ranging from 120 centimeters to 300
   centimeters. Nearly 90 % of the precipitation occurs during the summer.
   The average annual temperature is generally higher in the plains than
   in the mountains and plateaus. Temperatures range from a low of 5°C in
   December and January, the coolest months, to more than 37°C in April,
   the hottest month. Seasonal divisions are more clearly marked in the
   northern half than in the southern half of the country, where, except
   in some of the highlands, seasonal temperatures vary only a few
   degrees, usually in the 21°C-28°C range.

Government and politics

   The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a single-party state. A new state
   constitution 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 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 is the head of government,
   presiding over a council of ministers composing 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 and the local courts.
   Military courts are also a powerful branch of the judiciary with
   special jurisdiction in matters of national security. All organs of
   Vietnam's government are largely 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, state appointments and setting policy.

   The Vietnam People's Army is the official name for the three military
   services of Vietnam, which is organized on 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.

Subdivisions

   Regions of Vietnam
   Enlarge
   Regions of Vietnam

   The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi (it had served as the capital of North
   Vietnam), and the largest and most populous city is the Ho Chi Minh
   City (formerly known as Saigon, it had served as the capital of South
   Vietnam). Vietnam is subdivided into 64 provinces, which are further
   subdivided into districts and municipalities. Vietnamese provinces are
   in theory controlled by a People's Council, elected by the inhabitants.
   The People's Council appoints a People's Committee, which acts as the
   executive arm of the provincial government. This arrangement is a
   somewhat simplified version of the situation in Vietnam's national
   government. Provincial governments are expected to be subordinate to
   the central government. Often, the Vietnamese government groups the
   various provinces into eight regions. These regions are not always
   used, and alternative classifications are possible:
     * Northwest ( Tay Bac) contains four inland provinces in the west of
       Vietnam's northern part. Two of them are along Vietnam's border
       with Laos, and one borders China.

     * Northeast ( Dong Bac) contains eleven provinces that lie to north
       of the highly populated Red River lowlands. Many of these provinces
       are mountainous.

     * Red River Delta ( Dong Bang Song Hong) contains the small but
       populous provinces based around the Red River. There are nine
       provinces in this region. It also includes the national capital,
       Hanoi, and the municipality of Haiphong — both are independent of
       any provincial government.

     * North Central Coast ( Bac Trung Bo) contains six provinces in the
       northern half of Vietnam's narrow central part. All provinces in
       this region stretch from the coast in the east to Laos in the west.

     * South Central Coast ( Nam Trung Bo) contains five coastal provinces
       in the southern half of Vietnam's central part. Vietnam is wider at
       this point than in the North Central Coast region, and so the
       inland areas are separate provinces. The region also includes the
       independent municipality of Danang.

     * Central Highlands ( Tay Nguyen) contains the five inland provinces
       of south-central Vietnam. Much of this region is mountainous, while
       mostly inhibited by ethnic minorities, there are many Vietnamese
       living here.

     * Southeast ( Dong Nam Bo) contains those parts of lowland southern
       Vietnam which are north of the Mekong delta. There are seven
       provinces, plus the municipality of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly
       Saigon).

     * Mekong River Delta ( Dong Bang Song Cuu Long) is Vietnam's
       southernmost region, mostly containing small but populous provinces
       in the delta of the Mekong. There are twelve provinces, plus the
       municipality of Can Tho.

Economy

   Ho Chi Minh City.
   Enlarge
   Ho Chi Minh City.

   The Vietnam War destroyed much of the economy of Vietnam. Apart from
   widespread destruction of urban and rural infrastructure, heavy
   bombings and mines had savaged agricultural activities. Millions of
   people were displaced by the conflict, and over two million people were
   killed. Upon taking power, the Government created a command economy in
   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. Furthermore, 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 " đổi mới" (Renovation).
   Private ownership was encouraged in industries, commerce and
   agriculture. In many ways, this followed the Chinese model and achieved
   similar results. On one hand, Vietnam achieved around 8% annual GDP
   growth from 1990 to 1997 and continued at around 7% from 2000 to 2002,
   making it the world's second-fastest growing economy. Simultaneously,
   foreign investment grew three-fold and domestic savings quintupled.
   Manufacturing, information technology and high-tech industries form a
   large and fast-growing part of the national economy.

   Urban unemployment has been rising steadily in recent years due to high
   numbers of migration from the countryside to the cities, and rural
   unemployment, estimated to be up to 35% during non-harvest periods, is
   already at critical levels. Layoffs in the state sector and
   foreign-invested enterprises, combined with the lasting effects of a
   previous military demobilization, further exacerbated the unemployment
   situation. In May 2006, Vietnam negotiated a bilateral trade agreement
   with the U.S. that marked the completion of the bilateral negotiations
   with WTO members the country needed to qualify for accession to the
   organization. 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's chief trading
   partners include Japan, Australia, ASEAN countries, the U.S. and
   Western European nations. Vietnam was accepted into the WTO on November
   7, 2006.
   Year Gross Domestic Product (Billion VND) US Dollar Exchange
   1980 57,130                               2.05 Old Dong
   1985 100,464                              6.69 New Dong
   1990 41,955,000                           6,482.54 New Dong
   1995 228,892,000                          11,037.85 New Dong
   2000 441,646,000                          14,169.85 New Dong
   2005 806,854,877                          15,851.76 New Dong

   Vietnam is still a relatively poor country with GDP of US$251.8 billion
   (est., 2004). This translates to ~US$3000 per capita. Inflation rate
   was estimated at 14% per year in 2004. The government has contained
   this figure to 9.5% in 2005, and continues its efforts to avoid double
   digit inflation. The spending power of the public has noticeably
   increased. The reason lies in the high prices for property. In the
   capital of Hanoi, property prices can be as high as those in Tokyo or
   New York City. This has amazed many people because the average income
   per capita of this city is around US$1,000 per annum. The booming
   prices have given poor land owners the opportunity to sell their homes
   for inflated prices. Tourism has become an increasingly important
   industry in Vietnam. There are over 3 to 3.5 million annual visitors.
   Expatriate Vietnamese are an important source of financial and capital
   investment.

   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. 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 26%
   in 1999, as production in other sectors of the economy has risen.

Transport

   Hai Van Pass.
   Enlarge
   Hai Van Pass.

   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
   railways are the most popular form of transportation in the country.
   The state-operated Vietnam Railways manages train services on the 2,654
   kilometers of railway lines. Vietnam boasts 93,300 kilometers of roads,
   which connect all cities, towns and many rural areas. Roads in smaller
   towns and rural areas are poorly maintained and largely unpaved, but
   all major cities have a well-developed network of highways. Economic
   growth has led to greater public and private investment in the
   improvement and construction of more roads and highways. Bicycles,
   motorcycles and public bus services remain the most popular form of
   road transport in Vietnam's cities, towns and villages. Traffic
   congestion is a serious problem in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the
   city's 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 has 7 developed ports and
   harbours at Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Gai,
   Qui Nhon and Nha Trang. There are increasing demands and pressures on
   the government to attract foreign investment in modernizing Vietnam's
   ports, owing to an explosion of trade and cargo. Vietnam has four
   international airports, of which the Tan Son Nhat International Airport
   in Ho Chi Minh City is the largest and busiest. There are also many
   regional airports, and smaller, non-commercial airports and airstrips
   run by the government and military. Vietnam Airlines is the flagship
   national carrier, managed entirely by the state. The Pacific Airlines
   is a smaller service run by state-owned firms that was formed to invite
   foreign investment in aviation and expand air links to destinations in
   the Asia Pacific.

Demographics

   Ethnic composition of Vietnam
   Viet/Kinh

                          86.21%
   Tay

                           1.94%
   Thai

                           1.74%
   Mường

                           1.49%
   Khmer

                           1.38%
   Hoa

                           1.13%
   Nung

                           1.12%
   Hmong

                           1.03%
   Văn Miếu (Temple of literature), Hanoi, Vietnam Main hall
   Enlarge
   Văn Miếu (Temple of literature), Hanoi, Vietnam Main hall

   The 1999 census estimates the population of Vietnam to be 76.3 million,
   and recent estimates place the figure beyond 84 million. The largest of
   the 54 government recognized ethnic groups of Vietnam were:

    1. Viet/ Kinh: 65.8 million (86.21%)
    2. Tay: 1.48 million (1.94%)
    3. Thái: 1.33 million (1.74%)
    4. Mường: 1.14 million (1.49%)
    5. Khmer: 1.06 million (1.38%)
    6. Hoa: 0.862 million (1.13%)
    7. Nung: 0.856 million (1.12%)
    8. Hmong: 0.787 million (1.03%)

   Vietnamese people form the largest ethnic group, and are also called
   Viet or Kinh. Their population is concentrated in the alluvial deltas
   and coastal plains of the country. A homogenous social group, the Viets
   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 Khơ-me Crôm (Khmer
   Krom) and the Hoa (ethnic Han Chinese), are found mostly in the
   highlands that cover two-thirds of the national territory. The Mường
   live in the mountains of north central Vietnam and speak a Mon-Khmer
   language closely-related to the Vietnamese language. The Tày people
   live primarily in the mountains and foothills of northern Vietnam.
   Their language is a member of the Tai languages, belonging to the
   Central Tai subgroup and closely related to the Zhuang language of
   southern China. The Khơ-me Crôm live in the fertile delta of the Mekong
   River in southern Vietnam and are ethnically the same as the Khmer
   people who make up the majority of the population of Cambodia.
   Cao Dai Temple
   Enlarge
   Cao Dai Temple

   The Hoa (ethnic Han Chinese) are mainly lowlanders and, more
   specifically, urban dwellers. They speak predominantly Cantonese (known
   to the Vietnamese as Quảng Đông 廣東), but there are also speakers of
   Hakka (Khách Gia 客家), Min Nan/ Hokkien/ Fujian (Mân Nam 閩南/Phúc Kiến
   福建), Chaozhou (Triều Châu 潮州), etc. Until the 1979 Vietnamese census,
   the Hoa were the largest minority of Vietnam. Since 1975, many Hoa
   communities have left Vietnam, so that according to the 1999 census the
   Hoa were only the fifth-largest minority. Vietnam also has some
   Eurasians from the French colonization and Amerasian of American
   soldiers and personnel. Furthermore, there are also a few of those
   descended from Indian settlers also during the colonial era. Many
   biracial people face extensive discrimination in Vietnam, being often
   referred to as "Children of the Dust."

   According to official figures, 86.2% of the population speak Vietnamese
   as a native language. Various other languages are spoken by the several
   minority groups in Vietnam. The most spoken of these languages are: Tày
   ( 1.5 million), Mường (1.2 million), Khmer (1.05 million), Chinese
   (870,000, this figure also includes speakers of all Chinese dialects),
   Nùng (860,000), H'Mông (790,000), and Tai Dam (700,000). The French
   language, a legacy of colonial rule is still spoken by some older
   Vietnamese as a second language but is losing its popularity. Russian —
   and to a much lesser extent Czech or Polish — is often known among
   those whose families had ties with the Soviet bloc. In recent years,
   Chinese, Japanese and English have become the most popular foreign
   languages, with English being obligatory courses in most schools.

   For much of Vietnamese history, Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism and
   Confucianism have strongly influenced the religious and cultural life
   of the people. The communist government's suppression of religious
   activities have affected the practice of organized religions. According
   to the 1999 census, 80.8% of Vietnamese subscribe to no religion.
   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 amongst the Cao Đài,
   and Hoa Hao communities. The largest Protestant churches are the
   Evangelical Church of Vietnam and the Montagnard Evangelical Church.
   Membership of Sunni and Bashi Islam is usually accredited to the ethnic
   Cham minority, but there are also a few ethnic Vietnamese adherents of
   Islam in the southwest.

   The Vietnamese government has had a history of violence toward local
   religious leaders regarding freedom of worship. It has consistently
   repressed religious sects that are not sanctioned by the state. These
   religious groups include Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Hoa Hao
   Buddhist Church, and Montagnard protestant churches such as Mennonite,
   according to a 2003 European Parliament resolution . Most notably, the
   Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, 86, of the UBCV has been imprisoned
   for more than 25 years after he had written a letter of protest to
   Prime Minister Pham Van Dong.

   Vietnamese government violations in 2005 include detainee
   interrogation, abuse, harassment, and death threats according to the
   Centre for Religious Freedom .

   However, recent improvement of liberty in religion in Vietnam has made
   the United State government to remove the country from the list of
   Country of Particular Concern .

Culture

   In a temple in Vietnam
   Enlarge
   In a temple in Vietnam

   Over thousands of years, the culture of Vietnam has been strongly
   influenced by neighbouring China. Due to Vietnam's long association
   with China, Vietnamese culture remains strongly Confucian with its
   emphasis on familial duty. Education is highly valued. Historically,
   passing the imperial Mandarin 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.
   The Hanoi Opera House.
   Enlarge
   The Hanoi Opera House.

   The traditional female costume called " Áo Dài" is worn in special
   occasions such as weddings or Lunar New Year celebration or festivals.
   Áo Dài was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mainly by
   females.

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

   Vietnamese music is slightly different according to three regions: Bắc
   or North, Trung or Central, and Nam 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.

   Football 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. Baseball, introduced during American
   presence in Vietnam, has also gained some popularity. The (expatriate
   Vietnamese) community forms a prominent part of Vietnamese cultural
   life, introducing Western sports, films, music and other cultural
   activities in the nation.

   Vietnam is home to a small film industry, but the works from its
   counterparts in Hong Kong, France, the U.S. enjoy greater popularity
   and circulation.

Language

   In its early history, Vietnamese writing used Chinese characters. In
   the 13th century, the Vietnamese developed their own set of characters
   called Chữ nôm. The celebrated epic Đoạn trường tân thanh (Truyện Kiều
   or The Tale of Kieu) by Nguyễn Du was written in Chữ nôm. During the
   French colonial period, Quốc ngữ, the romanised Vietnamese alphabet
   representation of spoken Vietnamese which was a collective fruit of
   several Portuguese missionaries, became popular and brought literacy to
   the masses.

Education

   Children in central Vietnam.
   Enlarge
   Children in central Vietnam.

   Vietnam has an extensive state-controlled network of schools, colleges
   and universities. General education in Vietnam is imparted in 5
   categories: pre-primary ( Kindergarten), primary schools, intermediate
   schools, high schools and colleges. Courses are taught mainly in
   Vietnamese, but also often in French or English. A large number of
   public schools have been organized across cities, towns and villages
   with the purpose of raising the national literacy rate. According to
   Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training, there are currently 23
   non-public universities, accounting for 11% of the total number of
   universities. These non-public universities offer seats for 119,464
   students, or 11.7% of the total number of students. 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 Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

   In the year 2004, nearly 1 million Vietnamese students took the
   university entrance exam (considered a pass-or-fail test), but the
   entire higher education system of Vietnam had space for only 200,000
   students. The government is planning to increase the number of
   non-public universities to 30% by 2007. Despite state emphasis on
   education, many Vietnamese schools suffer from overcrowding, a shortage
   of trained teaching staff, funding and resources. There are a small
   number of private schools, emerging mainly in the cities. The entire
   education system is facing several crises such as out-of-date course
   curriculum, a lecturer-centered method of teaching and learning,
   research activities separated from teaching activities and a major gap
   between theory and practice that leads to a large number of graduates
   being unable to find a job. Degrees from Vietnamese universities are
   often not accredited by institutions recognized around the world.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam"
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