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Vietnam

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Vietnam is a country located at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia.

Asia (orthographic projection)
Asia (orthographic projection)

It sits near the South China Sea to the east. To the southwest, the land meets the Gulf of Thailand. China forms the northern border of the country. Laos and Cambodia lie to the west.

Location Vietnam ASEAN
Location Vietnam ASEAN

The nation covers about 331,000 square kilometres of land. Over 102 million people live here today. This makes it the 16th most populous country in the world. Hanoi serves as the capital city. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city.

Ho Chi Minh City Skyline (night)
Ho Chi Minh City Skyline (night)

The history of this land goes back a very long time. People lived here during the Paleolithic age. Some stone tools found in Gia Lai province are very old. Around 1,000 BC, people began growing rice in river floodplains. This was part of the Đông Sơn culture. They were famous for making beautiful bronze drums.

Halong Bay panorama
Halong Bay panorama

Legends say the Hồng Bàng dynasty was the first state. It was known as Văn Lang. Later, the people became known as the Lạc Việt tribes.

For many years, different groups ruled the land. The Han dynasty from China ruled parts of the north for a long time. This lasted from 111 BC until 939. After that, many Vietnamese dynasties took control. The Lý and Trần dynasties had golden eras. During the Trần dynasty, they even stopped three Mongol invasions. The country grew larger over time through a process called Nam tiến. This meant moving and expanding toward the south.

Nguyen Dynasty, administrative divisions map (1838)
Nguyen Dynasty, administrative divisions map (1838)

In the 1800s, the country faced big changes. The Nguyễn dynasty was the last imperial family. They surrendered to France in 1883. This meant Vietnam became part of French Indochina. Later, the Viet Minh led a revolution in 1945. They wanted independence from Japan. The 20th century brought many long wars. One was the First Indochina War against France. Another was the Vietnam War between the north and the south.

Hue Vietnam Citadel-of-Huế-01
Hue Vietnam Citadel-of-Huế-01

Vietnam became one single country again in 1976. It is now a socialist state. In 1986, the government started new economic reforms. These changes helped the country join the global economy. Today, Vietnam is a developing country. It is a member of many groups like ASEAN and the WTO.

Flag of Vietnam
Flag of Vietnam

It has even held a seat on the United Nations Security Council twice. The country continues to grow and connect with the rest of the world.

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🖼️ Images & Media (43)
File:Koppen-Geiger Map v2 VNM 1991–2020.svg
Koppen-Geiger Map v2 VNM 1991–2020.svg
File:Location Vietnam ASEAN.svg
Location Vietnam ASEAN.svg
File:Flag of Vietnam.svg
Flag of Vietnam.svg
File:GDP per capita development in Vietnam.svg
GDP per capita development in Vietnam.svg
File:Life expectancy in Vietnam.svg
Life expectancy in Vietnam.svg
File:Nguyen Dynasty, administrative divisions map (1838).svg
Nguyen Dynasty, administrative divisions...
File:Asia (orthographic projection).svg
Asia (orthographic projection).svg
File:Emblem of Vietnam.svg
Emblem of Vietnam.svg
File:Chu nom.svg
Chu nom.svg
File:Lock-green.svg
Lock-green.svg
File:Decrease Positive.svg
Decrease Positive.svg
File:Definition of Free Cultural Works logo notext.svg
Definition of Free Cultural Works logo notext.svg

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