Profile
Background and figures as recorded in the CIA World Factbook.
Vietnam's early history included periods of occupation by outside forces and eventual power consolidation under Vietnamese dynastic families. A succession of Han Chinese emperors ruled the area, which was centered on the Red River Valley, until approximately the 10th century. The Ly Dynasty (11th-13th century) created the first independent Vietnamese state, which was known as Dai Viet, and established their capital at Thang Long (Hanoi). Under the Tran Dynasty (13th-15th century), TRAN Hung Dao, one of Vietnam’s national heroes, led Dai Viet forces to fight off Mongol invaders in 1279.
- Capital
- Hanoi (Ha Noi)
- Government
- communist party-led state
- Population
- 106,688,169
- Area
- 331,210 sq km
- Location
- Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia
- Climate
- tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)
- Natural resources
- antimony; phosphates; coal; manganese; rare earth elements; bauxite…
- Languages
- Vietnamese (official); English (often as a second language); some French; Chinese…
- Religions
- Catholic 6.1%; Buddhist 5.8%; Protestant 1%; other 0.8%…
- Independence
- 2 September 1945 (from France)
- Administrative divisions
- 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural) provinces: An Giang, Bac…
- Currency
- dong (VND)
- Export partners
- USA 28%; China 20%; Japan 6%; Hong Kong 4%…
- Import partners
- China 49%; Singapore 6%; Japan 6%; Hong Kong 5%…
Source: CIA World Factbook — a work of the US government, in the public domain