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VIETNAMThe conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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 reuniting the country under Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased 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 various groups - such as the Protestant Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands and the Hoa Hao Buddhists in southern Vietnam over religious persecution. Montagnard grievances also include the loss of land to Vietnamese settlers. WHEN TO GO The best time to visit Vietnam is during the relatively dry and cool season from mid-November to April. Rainy season coincides with typhoon season, which generally starts in May and lasts until November. Higher elevations away from the coast are generally cooler and dryer throughout the year. FACTS ABOUT VIETNAM - Location: Southeast Asia bordering China, Laos, and Cambodia
- Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 106 00 E
- Area: 331,688 sq km
- Coastline: 3,444 km
- Max elevation: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
- Population: 85,262,356
- Capital: Hanoi
- Government: Communist state
- Currency: Dong (VND)
- Internet Country Code: .vn
- Calling Code: 84
- Ethnic groups: Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome 1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1%
- Languages: Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
- Religions: Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8%
- Major Industries: Food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, paper
- Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
- Environmental issues: logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
- Climate: Tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)
- Average sea surface temp: 26 °C
- Average annual rainfall: Varies from 1,000 mm to 2,500 mm
- Annual tourist arrivals: 3.9 million
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