Vietnam Located in Southeastern Asia, east of Laos and Cambodia and bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, lies a country completely occupied by France until 1884. A country declared independent after World War II, yet remained under French rule until 1954 when communist forces, led by Ho Chi Minh overthrew the French and took over the North. This country, officially named the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (SRV for short), is more commonly known today as Vietnam. Eighty-seven percent of the citizens of Vietnam are ethnic Vietnamese, while three percent are Chinese. They and the rest of the inhabitants of Vietnam speak mainly Vietnamese, English, French, Khmer, or another tribal language. The most common religions are Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, Muslim, and Protestant. The life expectancy of the total population is 69.27 years, with women expected to live 5.03 years longer than men.
No Mans Land, Flanders Field, France, 1919 (LOC)
Rizières inondées à la frontière entre le Viet...
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi, VietnamVietnam covers a total area of 329,560 sq. km, which is slightly larger than New Mexico. It bears a tropical climate in the south and is frequently hit with monsoons in the north. Vietnam is generally low and flat in the north and south with highlands in the central regions. There are occasional typhoons during the months of May to January, often flooding the area. Mountains can be found in the far north and northwest. The lowest point in Vietnam is the South China Sea and the highest point in Ngoc Linh at 3,143 meters above sea level. The natural resources of Vietnam include phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, and hydropower. Seventeen percent of the land is arable, with permanent crops and pastures occupying 5% of available land. Forests and woodlands account for thirty percent of the land.
Vietnam, with a population of 78,773,873,