|
VIETNAM > FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTRY
HISTORY
Vietnam was founded by the Hung Kings 4,000 years ago, and at that time it was
named Van Lang. The Chinese conquered the Red River Delta in the 2nd century
and their 1000-year rule, marked by steadfast resistance and repeated rebellions
by the Vietnamese, ended in AD 938 when Ngo Quyen vanquished the Chinese armies
at the Bach Dang River.
In 1858, the French took over Danang in southern Vietnam. A year later, Saigon
was seized. By 1867, France had conquered all of southern Vietnam, which became
the French colony of Cochin China. It wasn't until 1954, when the French surrendered
to the Viet Minh ending the French Indochina War, that the French colonial control
in Vietnam ended.
The Geneva Accords at this time divided Vietnam into two zones, the Communist
north and the anti-Communist, US-supported south. Political opposition prompted
the USA and other countries to commit combat troops in 1965. The Paris Peace
Agreements of 1973 signaled the withdrawal of US troops.
Vietnam then it found itself at war with Khmer Rouge forces along the Cambodian
borders. China entered the conflict in support of Cambodia and the killings
continued until 1989 when the United Nations negotiated a deal and the Vietnamese
forces being pulled out. This was the first time since the Second World War
that Vietnam was not officially at war with any other nation.
GEOGRAPHY
Vietnam borders Cambodia and Laos to the west, China to the north, and the South
China Sea to the east and south. The country stretches for more than 1650 kilometers
from north to south along the eastern coast of the Indochina Peninsula. The
coastline of Vietnam is about 3,000 kilometers long and the two main cultivated
areas are the Red River Delta (15,000 sq km) in the north and the Mekong Delta
(60,000 sq km) in the south. Three-quarters of the country is mountainous and
hilly; the highest peak is Fansipan, at 3143metres, in northwest Vietnam.
The country covers an area of 329,600 square kilometers, and is made up of equatorial
lowlands, high, temperate plateaus and cooler mountainous areas, extending across
two climatic zones, with a moderate climate in the North, and a tropical climate
in the South. At sea level, the mean annual temperature is about 27°C in
the south, falling to about 21°C in the far north.
CLIMATE
Due to the length of the country, there are distinct climatic variations in
Vietnam.
Northern Vietnam has two seasons – hot, humid and rainy summers, May -
October. Average temperature 24 - 33º C. The winters are cool and dry November
- April. Average temperature 16 - 23º C
Central Vietnam has a temperate climate in the coastal areas with high rainfall,
and the Central Highlands are pleasantly cooler. Summer, May - October. Average
temperature 23 - 24ºC
The Lowlands are warm and reasonably dry from May to September. The monsoon
winds then bring high rainfall rain during late September. Typhoons and flooding
are likely. Winter: November - April. Average temperature 17 - 23º C
In the Highlands the temperatures in the winter can fall slightly below the
average and rainfall is higher than at lower elevations. However, most rain
tends to fall during the summer months.
Southern Vietnam is consistently hot and humid all year round. Summer: May -
November. Average temperature 24 - 31º C, during these months it is hot,
humid and rainy. Winter: December - April. Average temperature 22 - 33º
C. It continues to be hot and humid at this time but humidity levels are lower
between December and February. During April and May the southwest monsoon winds
bring rain showers.
ECOLOGY
The wildlife in Vietnam is seriously endangered because of destruction of the
forests due to the growth of industry, illegal hunting and pollution. Education
programmes and reforestation projects have been set up in an attempt to improve
the situation. Vietnam has 10 national parks and a number of nature reserves,
including Cat Ba, Ba Be Lake and Cuc Phuong in the north; Bach Ma in the center;
and Nam Cat Tien and Yok Don in the south.
WILDLIFE
Wildlife in Vietnam includes elephants, rhinoceros, tigers, leopards, black
bears, snub-nosed monkeys, crocodiles and turtles
POPULATION AND PEOPLE
79 million (annual growth rate 1.37%). 85% Vietnamese, 3% Chinese, and members
of 54 different ethnic minority groups
ARTS
Popular artistic forms include: traditional paintings produced on silk; theatre,
puppetry, music and dance; religious sculpture; lacquer ware and ceramics.
SOCIETY AND CONDUCT
Modest dress is recommended in Vietnam, revealing clothing is considered to
be disrespectful, so short skirts, shorts and sleeveless clothing should be
avoided. Shoulders and legs must be covered when visiting temples and churches.
Government-run hotels and tourist restaurants usually add a 5% service charge
to bills so there's no need to tip, but leaving a small tip in other restaurants
will be greatly appreciated by the staff. It is also thoughtful to tip hired
drivers and guides, and it is polite to leave a small donation after visiting
a pagoda. The men are generally warm and friendly and the women are sweet and
gentle, the people smile easily so please smile back without any suspicion.
RELIGION
Vietnam has a diverse mix of religions, including Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism,
Catholicism, Hinduism and Cao Daism. Over the centuries, Confucianism, Taoism
and Buddhism have melded with popular Chinese beliefs and ancient Vietnamese
animism to form what is known as Tam Giao (or 'Triple Religion'). The dominant
religion is Buddhism and there are numerous temples throughout Vietnam. Catholicism
is also strong as a result of one hundred years of French rule. There are some
beautiful Catholic churches throughout the country.
LANGUAGE
Vietnamese (kinh) is the official language of the country, although there are
dialectic differences across Vietnam and many different languages spoken by
the various ethnic minorities. French, English, Russian and Chinese are spoken
in varying degrees in different parts of the country. A little bit of English
is generally spoken in most of the tourist areas.
|
