Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi · South-Eastern Asia
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of Mainland Southeast Asia.
Photo: [Tycho] talk , http://shansov.net, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Jungle Geranium
Photo: Prenn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Two people standing on the southernmost viewing platform at Phai Vệ mountain in Lạng Sơn city centre, looking at the view over the city towards the mountains in the…
Photo: Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Did you know?
Vietnam was inhabited by the Paleolithic age, with states established in the first millennium BC on the Red River Delta in modern-day northern Vietnam. The Han dynasty annexed northern and central Vietnam, which were subsequently under Chinese rule from 111 BC until the first dynasty emerged in 939. Successive monarchical dynasties absorbed Chinese influences through Confucianism and Buddhism, and expanded southward to the Mekong Delta, conquering Champa. During most of the 17th and 18th centuries, Vietnam was effectively divided into two domains, Đàng Trong and Đàng Ngoài.
Wikipedia: Vietnam – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
The massive Second Doline in Hang Son Doong is so large that trees grow inside.
Photo: Dave Bunnell, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Exemplar of a water rose cultivar ( Nymphaea ) in a public garden in Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam .
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Huế, Vietnam: Wooden doors in the Imperial palace in Hue , Vietnam.
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Etymology
The name Việt Nam (pronounced [viə̂tˀ nāːm], chữ Hán: 越南), literally "Viet South", means per Vietnamese word order "Viet of the South"; meanwhile, per Classical Chinese word order, "Việt Nam" ambiguously means either "South of the Viet" or "Viet people's Southern country".
A variation of the name, Nanyue (or Nam Việt, 南越), was first documented in the 2nd century BC.
Wikipedia: Vietnam – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Incense plays an important role in Vietnamese life. It is considered as a sacred bridge to connect the visible life of human beings and the world of heaven, earth, and…
Photo: Trantuanviet, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Lăng Cô ( Phú Lộc District , Thừa Thiên-Huế Province , Vietnam ) – Hải Vân Pass , also known as “Ocean Cloud Pass” – view to Lăng Cô and Phú Hải Trong
Photo: Steffen Schmitz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Rice terraces near Thon Tha village in Ha Giang, Vietnam.
Photo: Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
History
Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of humans in what is now Vietnam as early as the Paleolithic age. Stone artefacts excavated in Gia Lai province have been claimed to date to 780,000 years ago, based on associated find of tektites, however this claim has been challenged because tektites are often found in archaeological sites of various ages in Vietnam. Homo erectus fossils dating to around 500,000 BC have been found in caves in Lạng Sơn and Nghệ An provinces in northern Vietnam.
Wikipedia: Vietnam – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Entrance building to the Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City
Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
"SP4 Ruediger Richter (Columbus, Georgia), 4th Bn., 503 Inf., 173 Abn Bde (Separate), lifts his battle weary eyes to the heavens, as if to ask why? SGT. Daniel E.…
Photo: Pfc. L. Paul Epley., Public domain · source
General notes: The following changes were applied to this restoration: global sharpness increased, filaments/dust removed, levels adjusted, cropped, local colours…
Photo: Army Specialist Fourth Class Dennis Kurpius, Public domain · source
Geography
Vietnam is located on the eastern Indochinese Peninsula between the latitudes 8° and 24°N, and the longitudes 102° and 110°E. It covers a total area of 331,210 km2 (127,881 sq mi) or 331,699 km2 (128,070 sq mi). The combined length of the country's land boundaries is 4,639 km (2,883 mi), and its coastline is 3,444 km (2,140 mi) long. At its narrowest point in the central Quảng Bình province, the country is as little as 50 kilometres (31 mi) across, though it widens to around 600 kilometres (370 mi) in the north.
Wikipedia: Vietnam – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Making salt by evaporation of sea water near Ninh Hòa town, Khánh Hòa Province Vietnam.
Photo: Original : [Tycho] talk , http://shansov.net derivative…, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
In the first months of the year, it is not uncommon for satellites to capture sights such as the one shown in this image: hundreds of active fires burning across the…
Photo: MODIS Rapid Response Team, Public domain · source
La Terrasse Cafe, Hotel Metropole Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Photo: The Hanoian, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Government and politics
Vietnam is a unitary communist state that self-designates as a socialist republic, one of the two communist states (the other being Laos) in Southeast Asia. Although Vietnam remains officially committed to socialism as its defining creed, some external observers have stated its economic policies have grown increasingly capitalist, with The Economist characterising its leadership as "ardently capitalist communists". Under the constitution, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) asserts their role in all sectors of the country's politics.
Wikipedia: Vietnam – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
One of amazing caves in the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park , Vietnam.
Photo: [Tycho] talk , http://shansov.net, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Photo: Prenn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Economy
Throughout the history of Vietnam, its economy has been based largely on agriculture—primarily wet rice cultivation. Bauxite, an important material in the production of aluminium, is mined in central Vietnam. Since reunification, the country's economy is shaped primarily by the CPV through Five-Year Plans decided upon at the plenary sessions of the Central Committee and national congresses. The collectivisation of farms, factories, and capital goods was carried out as part of the establishment of central planning, with millions of people working for state enterprises.
Wikipedia: Vietnam – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lăng Cô ( Phú Lộc District , Thừa Thiên-Huế Province , Vietnam ) – Hải Vân Pass , also known as “Ocean Cloud Pass” – view to Lăng Cô and Phú Hải Trong
Photo: Steffen Schmitz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Sâm bố chính
Photo: Prenn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Demographics
As of 2021, the population of Vietnam stands at approximately 97.5 million people. The population had grown significantly from the 1979 census, which showed the total population of reunified Vietnam to be 52.7 million. According to the 2019 census, the country's population was 96,208,984. Based on the 2019 census, 65.6% of the Vietnamese population lives in rural areas while only 34.4% live in urban areas. The average growth rate of the urban population has recently increased, which is attributed mainly to migration and rapid urbanisation.
Wikipedia: Vietnam – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0
Culture
Vietnamese culture is mainly regarded as part of the Sinosphere. Vietnam's culture has developed over the centuries from the indigenous ancient Đông Sơn culture with wet rice cultivation as its economic base. Many elements of the nation's culture have Chinese origins, drawing on elements of Confucianism, Mahāyāna Buddhism, and Taoism in its traditional political system and philosophy. Historically, Vietnamese society has been structured around làng (villages). Vietnamese mark a common ancestral anniversary on the tenth day of the third lunar month.
Wikipedia: Vietnam – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0