FAST FACTS
Area: 331,689 sq km
Population: 72,509,000
Capital (population): Hanoi (2,571,000)
Government: Communist dictatorship
Ethnic groups: Vietnamese 87%
Tho (Tay), Chinese (Hoa), Tai, Khmer,
Muong and Nung
Languages: Vietnamese (official)
Religions: Buddhist 55%
Christian (Roman Catholic 7%)
Currency: Dong = 10 hao or 100 xu
GDP per capita: US$ 269
Assimilated into China during the Southern Yue dynasty
(hence the name in Chinese Yuenan - which translates
in to Vietnam), this country has long been in conflict
with its more powerful neighbour, even when after ejecting
the French colonial powers which ruled it during the
first half of this century, and then the Americans,
who backed a nationalist government, it became a communist
republic.
The constant wars that afflicted Vietnam during this
century left its economy in ruins. It has, however,
managed to recover, once the prolonged wars ceased in
1975.Vietnam is a long thin strip of land on the eastern
coast of the south east Asian peninsula, mostly mountainous
and covered in forest. Its economy is therefore based
on agriculture, and the country has therefore concentrated,
in recent years, on recovering a measure of self-sufficiency.
Since the end of the 1980s, Vietnam has begun to open
up to foreign investment and commercial ties. With foreign
interest in investing in Vietnam now increasing rapidly,
the prospects for the country developing a strong consumer
economy and industrial base.
VIETNAM LINKS
http://www.saigon.com
http://www.deltanet.com/nd/index.html
