Vietnam :: essays research papers

Vietnam (v-tnm), officially state-controlled Republic ofVietnam, republic (1990 est. pop. 65,500,000), 128,401 sqmi (332,559 sq km), SE Asia, bordered by Cambodia andLaos (W), china (N), and the South China Sea (E, S).Major cities be HANOI (the capital) and HO CHI MINHCITY (formerly Saigon). The terrain is generally rugged thetwo principal regions, the rubicund R. delta in the north and theMekong R. delta in the south, atomic number 18 linked by a narrow,mountainous strip. Agriculture, primarily the growing of rice,is the basis of the economy, engaging more than 80% of thework force Vietnam is a major rice exporter. Peanuts, corn,cassava, and sweet potatoes, and beans are also grown forsubsistence cash crops include cotton, jute, coffee, and tea.Fishing is also important. Mining, peculiarly of coal, heavyindustry, and most of the timber resources are concentratedin the north. shoreward petroleum deposits have beendeveloped, and crude oil is exported. About 80% of the world ar e Vietnamese. Significant minorities includehighland tribal peoples such as the Nungs and Meos andCambodians and Thais. Large numbers of ethnic Chinesefled the country after a border clash with China in 1979.Buddhism and Roman Catholicism are practiced, but religionis discouraged by the government. History. The area that isnow Vietnam is undisturbed of the historic regions ofTONKIN, ANNAM, and COCHIN CHINA. Europeantraders arrived in the early 16th cent. The french capturedSaigon in 1859, organized the colony of Cochin China in1867, and state protectorates over Tonkin and Annamin 1884. The three were merged with Cambodia in 1887 toform cut INDOCHINA. A nationalist movement arosein the early 20th cent., gaining momentum during theJapanese occupation in WORLD WAR II. After theJapanese withdrew in 1945 the VIET MINH, a coalition ofnationalists and communistics, established a republic headedby HO CHI MINH. French attempts to reassert control andestablish BAO DAI as emperor resulte d in the FrenchIndochina War (194654), which ended with the French beating at DIENBIENPHU. At the Geneva Conference of1954 Vietnam was provisionally divided, pending nationallyfree elections, into Communist North Vietnam and nationalistSouth Vietnam. Fearing a Communist victory, the political science ofNgo Dinh DIEM refused to hold the scheduled elections anddeclared the south an sovereign republic in 1955. TheVIETNAM WAR ensued, with the U.S. aiding SouthVietnam. A cease-fire was subscribe and U.S. troopswithdrawn in 1973, but the Communists overran the south in1975, reunifying (1976) the country. The regime launched alarge-scale resettlement and reeducation program tosuppress continued resistor in the south.