Category:Vietnam
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Vietnam
- Long Form Name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
- Short Form Name: Vietnam
- Local Long Form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
- Capital City: Hanoi
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared after World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated by Communist forces under Ho Chi Minh, who took control of the North. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South. Despite the return of peace, for over two decades the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have committed to economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to experience protests from the Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands over loss of land to Vietnamese settlers and religious persecution.
- Flag Description:
Red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center. Red signifies the blood of the people whereas the color Yellow represents their skin color. The five points on the star represents the five main branches of occupations available.
Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
- Area: 329,566 sq km
- Land: 325,360 sq km
- Water: 4,200 sq km
- Geographic Coordinates: 16 00 N, 106 00 E
- Terrain: Low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
- Climate: Tropical weather in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March)
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
Population
- Population: 83,535,576 (July 2005 est.)
- Ethnicity: Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmers, Laos, Chams, and many other ethnic groups
- Languages: Vietnamese, Chinese, English, French, Russian
- Religion: Buddhism, Christian/Catholic, Hoa Hao, Muslim
- Government: Communism
Government
- Type: Communism
- Administrative divisions: 59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thu do, singular and plural)
- Municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh
- Independence: 2 September 1945 (from France)
- Constitution: 15 April 1992
- National Holiday: Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
- Political parties and leaders: Only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH, general secretary]
- Executive Branch: Chief of state: President Tran Duc LUONG (since 24 Sept.1997)
- Legislative Brance: Unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve for 5 yrs)
- Judicial Branch: Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)
Military Structure
- Military branches: People's Army of Vietnam: Ground Forces, People's Navy Command (includes Naval Infantry), Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard
- Military Manpower: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
- Military Manpower (availability):Males age 18-49: 21,341,813 (2005 est.)
Tourist Information
- Currency: Dong (VND)
- Exchange Rates: Dong per US Dollar: 15,746 VND (2004)
- Standard Time Zone:UTC/GMT 7 hours (No daylight saving time at the moment)
- Dialing codes: International country code: 84 (Vietnam)
- Airports: 24 (2004 est)
Hue, Vietnam
- Ports and harbors: Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Certain Official Statistics (where applicable) were obtained from http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/vm.html
Useful Number
Emergency : 115 Police : 113 Fire : 114 SOS : 8298520 Taxi : 8424242
Hotel
New world - Tel No : 8228888 Rennaisance Riverside - Tel No : 8220033 Winsord Plaza - Tel No : 8336688 Equotorial - Tel No : 8397777 Sheraton - Tel No : 8272828 Ceasar - Tel No : 8350555 Empress - Tel No : 8322888 Chancery - Tel No : 9304088 Metropole - Tel No : 9201937
Language
Hello : Xin chao Goodbye : Tam biet How are you : Ban khoe khong? I'm fine, thank you. How about you? : Toi khoe, cam on. Con ban thi sao? Thank you : Cam on I'm sorry : Xin loi Excuse me : Rat tiec Glad to meet you : Rat vui duoc gap ban My name is... : Toi ten la... I m from : Toi tu What time is it : Bay gio la may gio? Do you speak English? : Ban noi duoc tieng Anh khong? Please take me to... : Xin vui long dan toi den... Toilet : Nha ve sinh Exit : Loi ra I'm lost. Can you help me? : Toi bi lac duong. Ban co the giup toi duoc khong? How much is it? : Cai nay bao nhieu tien? See you again : Hen gap lai Do you accept Credit Cards? : Ban co nhan the tin dung khong? Could you tell me any interesting place to go? : Ban co the gioi thieu cho toi mot vai noi thu vi duoc khong? Could you introduce me to any restaurant? : Ban co the gioi thieu cho toi mot vai nha hang duoc khong? Can you recommend a delicious dish? : Ban co the gioi thieu cho toi mot vai mon ngon khong?
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