The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia. Situated in eastern Indochina, it borders China, Laos, Cambodia, and the South China Sea. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Indochina, or French Indochina, was a federation of French colonies and protectorates in south-east Asia, part of the French colonial empire. ... The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ... The Lao Peoples Democratic Republic is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar (commonly known in the west as Burma) and the Peoples Republic of China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. ... National motto: Nation, Religion, King National anthem: Nokoreach Capital Phnom Penh Largest city Phnom Penh Official languages Khmer Government King Prime Minister Democratic const. ... The South China Sea, showing surrounding coutires and neighbouring seas and oceans The South China Sea is a marginal sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km². The minute South China Sea Islands, collectively an archipelago...

(In Detail) (Full size)
National motto: Ðộc lập, tự do, hạnh phúc (Vietnamese: Independence, Liberty, Happiness)
Official language	Vietnamese
Capital	Hanoi
Largest City	Ho Chi Minh City
President	Tran Duc Luong
Prime Minister	Phan Van Khai
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 65th 329,560 km² 1.3%
Population  - Total (2004)  - Density	Ranked 14th 82,689,518 264/km²
GDP (PPP)  - Total (2004)  - GDP/head	$203.7 billion $2,500
Independence  - Declared  - Recognised	From France September 2, 1945 1954
Currency	Dong
Time zone	UTC +7
National anthem	Tien Quan Ca (Song of the Troops Advancing)
Internet TLD	.vn
Calling Code	84
edit  (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Vietnam_infobox&action=edit)

History

Main article: History of Vietnam Vietnams history goes back more than 2,500 years. ...

Vietnam's history goes back more than 2,000 years. For a thousand years, it was under the rule of successive dynasties of the Chinese Empire. Vietnam regained independence in the early 10th century, and complete autonomy a century later. However, Vietnam remained a vassal state dependent on the good will of the Chinese emperors. The native dynastic period ended in mid-19th century, when the country was colonized by France. During World War II, Japan occupied Vietnam. After the war, France attempted to re-establish control but ultimately failed. The Geneva Accords partitioned the country into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. During the Cold War period, the North was supported by the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics while the South was supported by the United States. Tensions quickly escalated into the Vietnam War. The war continued until the Paris Peace Accords on January 27, 1973 formally recognized sovereignty for both sides. American troops were withdrawn by March 29, 1973. The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ... A vassal, in European medieval feudalism terminology, is one who through a commendation ceremony (composed of homage and fealty) enters into mutual obligations with a lord, usually military conscription and mutual protection, in exchange for a fief. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ... The Geneva Conference of April - July 1954 was a conference between many countries that agreed to restore peace in Indochina and Korea. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was founded by Ho Chi Minh and was recognized by China and the USSR in 1950. ... National motto: ??? Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809km² N/A population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... The Cold War ( 1947- 1991) was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between groups of nations practicing different ideologies and political systems. ... The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) comprises most of the cultural, historic, and geographic area known as China. ... Soviet redirects here. ... The Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973 by the governments of North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States with the intent to stop the continued aggression between the two Vietnams that had become the Vietnam War. ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ...

But by January 1974, the war was fully restarted, and yet, the newly enacted War Powers Resolution prevented the United States from defending South Vietnam. Saigon fell in April 1975. January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... The War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148) limits the power of the President of the United States to wage war without the approval of the Congress. ... The Fall of Saigon, on April 30, 1975, is the capture of the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon by the North Vietnamese Army. ...

In 1976, Vietnam was officially unified under the North Vietnamese government as "The Socialist Republic of Vietnam." Refugees continued fleeing from Vietnam through the rest of the decade, and into the next.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Vietnam A new state constitution was approved in April 1992, reaffirming the central role of the Communist Party of Vietnam in politics and society, and outlining government reorganization and increased market reforms in the economy. ...

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is governed through a highly centralized system dominated by the Communist Party of Vietnam (Đảng Cộng Sản Việt Nam), which was formerly known as the Vietnamese Labor Party. The government is in theory independent from the party, but in practice it receives most of its directives from the party. Although there has been some effort to discourage membership in overlapping party and state positions, this practice continues. Senior Politburo members (Tran Duc Luong, Phan Van Khai, Nguyen Van An, Nguyen Tan Dung, Le Hong Anh and Pham Van Tra) concurrently hold high positions in the government. Stamp featuring Ho Chi Minh commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Communist Party The Communist Party of Vietnam (Đảng Cộng Sản Việt Nam) is the ruling party in Vietnam. ... Tran Duc Luong (2004) Trần Đức Lương (born May 5, 1937) is the President of Vietnam. ... Phan Van Khai (Phan Văn Khải, born December 25, 1933) is the Prime Minister of Vietnam since September 24, 1997, and was re-elected in August 2002. ... Nguyễn Văn An (阮文安) (born October 1, 1937 in Nam Dinh province) is National Assembly Chairman of Vietnam since July 2002. ... Nguyen Tan Dung (Nguyễn Tấn Dũng) is First Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam since 29 September 1997. ... Le Hong Anh (Lê Hồng Anh) is Minister of Security of Vietnam. ... Pham Van Tra (Phạm Văn Trà) is Minister of Defense of Vietnam. ...

There are no legal opposition parties in Vietnam, although a number of opposition groups do exist scattered overseas among exile communities within countries such as France and the United States. These communities have supported demonstrations and civil disobedience against the government. The most prominent are the Vietnamese Constitutional Monarchist League, People Action's Party of Viet Nam, Montagnard Foundation Inc. and the Government of Free Vietnam. The Government of Free Viet Nam has claimed responsibility for a number of guerilla raids into Vietnam, which the government has denounced as terrorism. See Exile (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Vietnamese Constitutional Monarchist League Vietnamese Constitutional Monarchist League (VCML), (vietnamese:Cờ Liên Minh Quân Chủ Lập Hiến Đa Nguyên Việt Nam). ... Chairman Nguyen Si Binh & Vice-Chairman Nguyen Xuan Ngai with President George W. Bush Peoples Action Party of Vietnam (PAP), (vietnamese: Dang Nhan Dan Hanh Dong), was founded in 1991, is an exile anti-communist organization that is based in the United States. ... Mr. ... Government of Free Vietnam Government of Free Vietnam (GFVN), (vietnamese: CHÍNH PHỦ LÂM THỜI VIỆT NAM TỰ DO). ...

Former political parties include the nationalist Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang of Nguyen Thai Hoc, the Can Lao party of the Ngo Dinh Diem government and the Viet Nam Duy Tan Hoi of Phan Boi Chau during the colonial period. Ngo Dinh Diem Ngô Ðình Diệm (January 3, 1901–November 2, 1963) was the first President of South Vietnam (1955-63). ... Phan Bội Châu (1867-1940) was a pioneer of Vietnamese 20th century nationalism. ...

Vietnam is a member of the United Nations, La Francophonie, ASEAN, and APEC and has applied for membership to the World Trade Organization. The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization made up of 191 states established in 1945. ... The Francophonie flag, symbolising the five continents, was adopted in 1987 on Nigers suggestion. ... Main languages See Languages of ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong of Singapore Area  - Total 4,480,000 km2 Population  - Total (2004)  - Density 550,000,000 122. ... APEC can also stand for Atlantic Provinces Economic Council Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of Pacific Rim countries who meet with the purpose of improving economic and political ties. ... For other uses of the initials WTO, see WTO (disambiguation). ...

Provinces

Main article: Provinces of Vietnam The country of Vietnam is divided into sixty provinces (known in Vietnamese as tỉnh, from Chinese 省 shěng). ...

Vietnam's capital (thủ đô, singular and plural) is Hanoi (Hà Nội). There are also four municipalities (thành phố trực thuộc Trung ương, singular and plural) existing at provincial level: Cần Thơ, Đà Nẵng, Hải Phòng, and Ho Chi Minh City (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh). Ho Chi Minh City was formerly known as Saigon. Hanoi opera house Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội; Chinese: 河内), estimated population 3,500,800 (1997), is the capital of Vietnam and was the capital of North Vietnam from 1954 to 1976. ... Can Tho ( Vietnamese: Cần Thơ) is a city in Vietnam. ... Đà Nẵng is a region and city in central Vietnam near the ancient capital of Huế. ... Haiphong (Vietnamese: Hải Phòng, Chinese 海防) is the third most populous city in Vietnam. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam and, as Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn), was the capital of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1976. ...

Besides the five cities, the country is divided into fifty-nine provinces (tỉnh, singular and plural): An Giang, Bắc Giang, Bắc Kạn, Bạc Liêu, Bắc Ninh, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Bến Tre, Bình Định, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Bình Thuận, Cà Mau, Cao Bằng, Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Điện Biên, Đồng Nai, Đồng Tháp, Gia Lai, Hà Giang, Hải Dương, Hà Nam, Hà Tây, Hà Tĩnh, Hòa Bình, Hậu Giang, Hưng Yên, Khánh Hòa, Kiên Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Châu, Lâm Đồng, Lạng Sơn, Lào Cai, Long An, Nam Định, Nghệ An, Ninh Bình, Ninh Thuận, Phú Thọ, Phú Yên, Quảng Bình, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Quảng Ninh, Quảng Trị, Sóc Trăng, Sơn La, Tây Ninh, Thái Bình, Thái Nguyên, Thanh Hóa, Thừa Thiên-Huế, Tiền Giang, Trà Vinh, Tuyên Quang, Vĩnh Long, Vĩnh Phúc, Yên Bái. An Giang (written identically in both English and Vietnamese) is a Vietnam. ... Tỉnh Bắc Giang Geography Capital: Bac Giang Region: Northeast Area: 3,822 km² Districts: 9 People Population: 1,534,900 Ethnicities: Viet, Nung, San Chay, San Diu, Hoa, Vietnamese, Bắc Giang) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Tỉnh Bắc Kạn Geography Capital: Bac Kan Region: Northeast Area: 4,857 km² Districts: 6 People Population: 286,300 Ethnicities: Viet, Tay, Nung, Dao Government Council Chairperson: Ha Sy Toan Committee Chairperson: Mai The Duong Map Vietnamese, Bắc Kạn), occasionally spelled Bac Can, is a Province of Vietnam. ... Tỉnh Bạc Liêu Geography Capital: Bac Lieu Region: Mekong Delta Area: 2,521 km² Districts: 4 People Population: 768,300 Ethnicities: Viet, Khmer, Hoa, Cham Government Council Chairperson: Truong Cong Dang Committee Chairperson: Phan Quoc Hung Map Vietnamese, Bạc Liêu) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Tỉnh Bắc Ninh Geography Capital: Bac Ninh Region: Northeast Area: 804 km² Districts: 7 People Population: 971,300 Ethnicities: Viet, Tay, Nung, Muong Government Council Chairperson: Nguyen The Thao Committee Chairperson: Nguyen The Thao Map Vietnamese, Bắc Ninh) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Tỉnh Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Geography Capital: Vung Tau Region: Southeast Area: 1,975 km² Districts: 5 People Population: 856,100 Ethnicities: Viet, Hoa, Cho Ro, Khmer Government Council Chairperson: Tran Van Khanh Committee Chairperson: Nguyen Tuan Minh Map Vietnamese, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Ben Tre (in Vietnamese, Bến Tre) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Tỉnh Bình Định Geography Capital: Qui Nhon Region: South Central Coast Area: 6,026 km² Districts: 10 People Population: 1,513,100 Ethnicities: Viet, Cham, Ba Na Government Council Chairperson: Nguyen Xuan Duong Committee Chairperson: Vu Hoang Ha Map Vietnamese, Bình Định) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Tỉnh Bình Dương Geography Capital: Thu Dao Mot Region: Southeast Area: 6,696 km² Districts: 6 People Population: 787,600 Ethnicities: Viet, Khmer, Tay, Hoa, Xtieng Government Council Chairperson: Nguyen Minh Duc Committee Chairperson: Ho Minh Phuong Map Vietnamese, Bình Dương) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Binh Phuoc (in Vietnamese, Bình Phước) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Binh Thuan (in Vietnamese, Bình Thuận) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Ca Mau (in Vietnamese, Cà Mau) is a Province of Vietnam, named after its capital city. ... Tỉnh Cao Bằng Geography Capital: Cao Bang Region: North-East Area: 6,691 km² Districts: 11 People Population: 501,800 Ethnicities: Tay, Nung, Dao, Hmong, Viet, Hoa, San Chay Government Council Chairman: Duong Mac Thang Committee Chairwoman: Dam Thom Map Vietnam. ... Dak Lak (in Vietnamese, Đắk Lắk) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Dak Nong (in Vietnamese, Đắk Nông) is a Province of Vietnam. ... Dien Bien is a province in North-west Vietnam created in the beginning of 2004 by a split of the former Lai Chau province into two new provinces: the new Lai Chau province, incorporating all areas of the former Lai Chau province north of the Black River (or Da River... Dong Nai is a province of Vietnam located east of Saigon. ... Ha Giang (in Vietnamese, Hà Giang) is a province of Vietnam. ... Ha Tay (Vietnamese: Hà Tây) is located in the Red River Delta surrounded by Hanoi, Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Hoa Binh, and Phu To. ... 2005 January 05 2000 GMT R A Myers <tuandbob@dandy. ... Kien Giang is a southern province of Vietnam known for fishing and rice farming. ... Kon Tum province lies in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam and shares borders with Laos and Cambodia. ... Lai-Chau is a province in northwest Vietnam. ... Lao Cai (in Vietnamese, Lào Cai) is a province of Vietnam. ... Quảng Nam, is a province of Vietnam with a population estimated to be 1,402,700 and an area of 10,408 km². ... Quang Tri Province is a region and province in central Vietnam near (north) the ancient capital of Huế. ... Soc Trang (Vietnamese: Sóc Trăng) is a province in southern Vietnam, with its capital in Soc Trang. ... Tay Ninh is one of the sixty (60) provinces (tỉnh) of Vietnam. ... Thái Bình (or Thaibinh) is a coastal east province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam, named after the Vietnamese name for the Pacific Ocean: Thái Bình Dương. ... Trà Vinh is a province in southern part of Vietnam. ...

Geography

Map of Vietnam

Main article: Geography of Vietnam Download high resolution version (330x713, 17 KB)map of Vietnam, converted directly from CIA World Factbook GIF File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of Vietnam Vietnam Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... Download high resolution version (330x713, 17 KB)map of Vietnam, converted directly from CIA World Factbook GIF File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of Vietnam Vietnam Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... For historical geography of Vietnam, see History of Vietnam. ...

The country is approximately 331,688 square kilometers in area. The topography consists of hills and densely forested mountains, with level land covering no more than 20 percent. Mountains account for 40 percent, hills 40 percent, and forests 75 percent. The northern part of the country consists of highlands and the Red River Delta; the south is divided into coastal lowlands, Dai Truong Son (central mountains) with high plateaus, and the Mekong River Delta. View of the Mekong before the sunset The Mekong is one of the worlds major rivers. ...

The climate is tropical and monsoonal; humidity averages 84 percent throughout the year. Annual rainfall ranges from 120 to 300 centimeters, and annual temperatures vary between 5°C and 37°C. The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... A monsoon is a periodic wind, especially in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia. ... Humidity is the quantity of moisture in the air. ...

Land boundaries: Total: 4,639 km Border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km

Economy

Main article: Economy of Vietnam This article only contains information on the economy of Vietnam after the year 1986; contributions dealing with the pre-1986 period are welcome. ...

In 1986, the Sixth Party Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam formally abandoned Marxist economic planning and began introducing market elements as part of a broad economic reform package called "Doi Moi" ("Renovation"). In many ways, this followed the Chinese model and achieved similar results. On the 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, investment grew three-fold and domestic savings quintupled. On the other hand, urban unemployment has been rising steadily in recent years, and rural unemployment, estimated to be up to 35% during nonharvest periods, is already at critical levels. Layoffs in the state sector and foreign-invested enterprises combined with the lasting effects of an earlier military demobilization further exacerbate the unemployment situation. The country is attempting to become a member organization of the WTO. Stamp featuring Ho Chi Minh commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Communist Party The Communist Party of Vietnam (Đảng Cộng Sản Việt Nam) is the ruling party in Vietnam. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... A planned economy is an economic system in which economic decisions are made by centralized planners who determine what sorts of goods and services to produce and how they are to be priced and allocated, and may include state ownership of the means of production. ... In economics, the gross domestic product (GDP) is a measure of the amount of the economic production of a particular territory in financial capital terms during a specific time period. ... Investment is a term with several closely related meanings in finance and economics. ... Military (from Latin militarius, miles soldier) as an adjective describes anything related to soldiers and warfare, more specifically to do with land forces, the sea forces equivalent being naval. Used as a noun, it is equivalent to Armed force. ...

Vietnam, however, is still a very poor country with GDP of around US$37 billion in 2004. This translates to merely US$450 per capita. The impressive growth is due to its low base and the government cleverly hides the fact that inflation in the country is high, estimated at 14% p.a. in 2004. This figure has been scaled down by the Government to 9.5% per annum to avoid the ‘double digit’ classification.

The high inflation rate effectively makes the growth rate negative. However, it is noticed that the spending power of the people has increased. The answer lies in the excessive property prices. In Hanoi, the capital, property price can be as high as that in Tokyo or New York. This has amazed many people because GDP per capita of this city is around US$1,000 per annum. The booming prices have helped people with a little piece of land or a tiny apartment, by selling them, realise their dream despite their low monthly income. Massive wealth from corruption, bribery and embezzlement committed by many government officers has pushed property prices higher, as investment in property is a popular method of money laundering.

Demographics

Street scene in Haiphong

Main article: Demographics of Vietnam Haiphong street scene, pub domain 777 life This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Haiphong street scene, pub domain 777 life This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Haiphong (Vietnamese: Hải Phòng, Chinese 海防) is the third most populous city in Vietnam. ... Originating in what is now southern China and northern Vietnam, the Vietnamese people pushed southward over two millennia to occupy the entire eastern seacoast of the Indochinese Peninsula. ...

The ethnic Vietnamese are concentrated largely in the alluvial deltas and in the coastal plains, having little in common with the minority peoples of the highlands, whom they historically have regarded as hostile and barbaric. A homogenous social group, the Vietnamese exert influence on national life through their control of political and economic affairs and their role as purveyors of the dominant culture. By contrast, the ethnic minorities, except for the Hoa, are found mostly in the highlands that cover two-thirds of the national territory. The Hoa, the largest minority, are mainly lowlanders. Officially, the ethnic minorities are referred to as national minorities. Vietnam also has small number of Eurasians. Most of them are descendants of Vietnamese people and either early French settlers or American soldiers and personnel (or both), during colonial period and Vietnam War. Categories: Vietnamese people | Ethnicity stubs ... The Hoa (Chu Nom: 華) are a Chinese minority in Vietnam. ... African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the combined land mass of Europe and Asia. ... The French are a Latin/Celtic/Germanic ethnic group primarily associated with France and the French language. ...

More than 87% of the population speaks the Vietnamese language, the nation's official language. Various other languages are spoken by the several minority groups in Vietnam. The most common of these are Chinese and Khmer. French is spoken by some, mostly older Vietnamese, as a second-language. In recent decades, English has become a more popular language to learn and is increasingly used in business, among other things. Vietnamese (tiếng Việt, less commonly tiếng Việt Nam or Việt ngữ), formerly known as Annamite, is the national and official language of Vietnam (Việt Nam). ... Chinese (written) language (pinyin: zhōngw n) written in Chinese characters The Chinese language (汉语/漢語, 华语/華語, or 中文; Pinyin: H nyǔ, Hu yǔ, or Zhōngw n) is a member of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. ... Khmer is one of the main Austroasiatic languages. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

See also: List of ethnic groups in Vietnam Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country with over fifty distinct groups. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of Vietnam

In its early history, Vietnamese writing used Chinese characters. In the 16th century, the Vietnamese developed their own set of characters called Chữ Nôm. The celebrated epic Kim Van Kieu by Nguyễn Du is written in Chữ Nôm. During the French colonial period, Quốc Ngữ, the romanized Vietnamese alphabet representation of spoken Vietnamese, became popular and brought literacy to the masses. This had a profound effect on the political power in the country. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Kim V n Kiều (金雲翹 in Chữ N m) or Truyện Kiều or Đoạn Trường T n Thanh is an epic poem in Vietnamese written by the 18th century writer Nguyễn Du. ... Nguyễn Du, 阮攸 (1766–1820), penname Tố Như and Thanh Hi n is a celebrated Vietnamese poet who wrote in Chữ N m, the ancient writing script of Vietnam. ... The Vietnamese alphabet (quốc ngữ or national script) is the current writing system for the national language of Vietnam. ...

Due to Vietnam's long association with China, Vietnamese culture remains strongly Confucian with its emphasis on familial duty and harmony. Education is highly prized. Historically, passing the imperial mandarin exams was the only means for ambitious Vietnamese to socially advance themselves. In the modern era, Vietnamese are trying to reconcile traditional culture with Western ideas of individual freedom, distrust of authority, and consumer culture. Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ... Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption. ...

The majority of Vietnamese are Buddhists, with a strong emphasis on ancestor worship. Some critics say that the Vietnamese' second religion is superstition and fatalism, brought on by the decades of war. Within a typical Vietnamese Catholic family, one would find: an intense devotion to the Virgin Mary (the Holy Mother outranks the Son in Confucian thinking), pictures of deceased ancestors on the family altar, and belief and practice in Feng Shui (Phong Thủy), fortune telling, and communication with spirits and the dead. Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... The term Virgin Mary has several different meanings: For the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary, see Mary, the mother of Jesus. ... Fēng Shuǐ (風水 – literally, wind and water pronounced fung shuway), which may be more than 3000 years old, is the ancient practice of placement to achieve harmony with the environment. ...

Vietnam's cuisine and music have three distinct flavors, related to Vietnam's three regions: Bac or North, Hue 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, probably due to the region's relative prosperity. Vietnamese cuisine is based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Its characteristic flavor is sweet (sugar), spicy (serrano peppers), and flavored by a variety of mints. Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... This article is about opera as an art form. ... The kingdom of Champa (or Lin-yi in Chinese records) controlled what is now south and central Vietnam from approximately 192 through 1697. ... Laissez-faire is short for laissez faire, laissez passer, a French phrase meaning to let things alone, let them pass. First used by the eighteenth century Physiocrats as an injunction against government interference with trade, it is now used as a synonym for strict free market economics. ...

See also:

• Cuisine of Vietnam
• Music of Vietnam

Modern Vietnamese cuisine is heavily influenced by the French colonists. ... Vietnamese culture is highly syncretist, combining native, Western, Indian and Chinese influences. ...

Miscellaneous topics

• List of Vietnam-related topics
• Communications in Vietnam
• Transportation in Vietnam
• Military of Vietnam
• Foreign relations of Vietnam
• Holidays in Vietnam
• Law in Vietnam

This page aims to list articles related to Vietnam and Vietnamese culture. ... Telephones - main lines in use: 6,200,000 (2003) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,000,000 (2003) Telephone system: while Vietnams telecommunication sector lags far behind other countries in Southeast Asia, Hanoi has made considerable progress since 1991 in upgrading the system; Vietnam has digitalized all provincial switch boards, while... Railways: total: 2,652 km standard gauge: 166 km 1. ... knulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din... During the Second Indochina War (1954-75), North Vietnam balanced relations with its two major allies, the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China. ... Holidays in Vietnam Categories: Public holidays by country | Vietnam ...

External links

• Vietnam Link Portal (http://vietnam.startkabel.nl/)
• Vietnamese Online Dictionary (http://vdict.com)
• Vietnam's Holocaust (http://www.vietmemorial.org/myweb/thelist.html)
• VOV News (http://www.vov.org.vn/Defaultv.htm)
• Viet Nam NET (http://www.vnn.vn/)
• Vietnam Travel Guide (http://www.asinah.org/travel-guides/vietnam.html)
• Pictures of Vietnam (http://www.terragalleria.com/vietnam/)
• Vietnam Stocks (http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/abacus-stocks-Vietnam.html)
• Photos of Vietnam (http://www.photo-vietnam.com)
• Viet Bao (http://www.vietbao.com)
• American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (http://www.amchamvietnam.org)

Yellowikis

Yellowikis - the Wiki Yellow Pages - has Vietnam as its country focus for May 2005. Please take a few minutes to add your favourite Vietnamese companies to the database. www.yellowikis.org/..Category:Country:vn  (http://www.yellowikis.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Country:vn) Launched in January 2005 Yellowikis uses the MediaWiki software to collect basic business information. ...