[[Mekong Delta|Mekong River Delta]] lt;/div> ---- An Giang Province lt;br /> Bạc Liêu Province lt;br /> Bến Tre Province lt;br /> Ca Mau Province lt;br /> Dong Thap Province lt;br /> Hau Giang Province lt;br /> Kien Giang Province lt;br /> Long An Province lt;br /> Soc Trang Province lt;br /> Tien Giang Province lt;br /> Tra Vinh Province lt;br /> Vĩnh Long Province lt;br /> Cần Thơ (municipality) |} The provinces are further subdivided into provincial city (thành phố trực thuộc tỉnh, township (thị xã and county (huyện, and then, subdivided into towns (thị trấn or Communes of Vietnam (xã. The centrally controlled municipalities are subdivided into district (quận and counties, and then, subdivided into ward (country subdivision) (phường.

Geography and climate

Image:Ha Long Bay with boats.jpg a World Heritage Site ] Image:Thác Bản Giốc.jpg in Northern Vietnam]] Vietnam is approximately in area (not including Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands), larger than Italy and almost the size of Germany. The perimeter of the country running along its international boundaries is The topography consists of hills and densely forested mountains, with level land covering no more than 20%. Mountains account for 40% of the area, with smaller hills accounting for 40% and tropical forests 42%. The northern part of the country consists mostly of highlands and the Red River Delta Fan Si Pan located in Lao Cai province is the highest mountain in Vietnam at The south is divided into coastal lowlands, Annamite Chain peaks, extensive forests, and poor soil. Comprising five relatively flat plateaus of basalt soil, the highlands account for 16% of the countrys arable land and 22% of its total forested land. The delta of the Red River (also known as the , a flat, triangular region of http://xttm.agroviet.gov.vn/en/newsletter/2005/September.asp Agroviet Newsletter September 2005]lt;/ref> is smaller but more intensely developed and more densely populated than the Mekong River Delta Once an inlet of the Gulf of Tonkin, it has been filled in by the enormous alluvial deposits of the rivers over a period of millennia, and it advances one into the Gulf annually. The Mekong delta, covering about is a low-level plain no more than above sea level at any point and criss-crossed by a maze of canals and rivers. So much sediment is carried by the Mekongs various branches and tributaries that the delta advances into the sea every year. Because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place. During the winter or dry season, extending roughly from November to April, the monsoon winds usually blow from the northeast along the China coast and across the Gulf of Tonkin, picking up considerable moisture; consequently the winter season in most parts of the country is dry only by comparison with the rainy or summer season. The average annual temperature is generally higher in the plains than in the mountains and plateaus and in the south than in the north. Temperatures in the southern plains (Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta varies less, going between over the course of a year. The seasons in the mountains and plateaus and in the north are much more dramatic, and temperatures may vary from in December and January to in July and August.

Nature

Vietnam has two World Natural Heritage sites: Halong Bay and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and six World biosphere reserve including: Can Gio Mangrove Forest Cat Tien National Park Cat Ba National Park U Minh Thuong National Park Red River Delta Western Nghe An Because of Typhoon Ketsana of 29 September 2009, more than 300,000 persons were evacuated.http://www.oxfam.org/en/emergencies/asia-pacific-disasters Asia-Pacific Disasters | Oxfam International]. Retrieved 2010-01-19.

Biodiversity

Image:Pseudoryx nghetinhensis.PNG ] Vietnam is in the Indomalaya ecozone According to chapter 1 of the 2005 National Environmental Present Condition Report, "Biodiversity Subject of Vietnam Environment Protection Agency,"http://www.nea.gov.vn/HTMT_ddsh05.htm Báo cáo Hiện trạng môi trường quốc gia 2005] - (Vietnamese). in terms of species diversity Vietnam is one of twenty five countries considered to possess a high level of biodiversity, and is ranked 16th in biological diversity (having 16% worlds species) (page 9). 15,986 flora were identified, of which 10% are endemic (p9). Statistics indicate that there are 307 nematodes 200 oligochaeta 145 acarina 113 springtails 7750 insects 260 reptiles 120 amphibians 840 birds and 310 mammals of which 100 birds and 78 mammals are endemic (p9,10). Vietnam also has 1438 fresh water microalgae (9,6% species in the world) (Table 1.2, p9). It is also noted that there are 794 aquatic invertebrates and 2458 sea fish (p10,11). In recent years, there have been 13 genera, 222 species, and 30 taxa of flora newly described. 6 mammals have been discovered including the saola giant muntjac Tonkin Snub-nosed Langur livistona halongensis geothelphusa vietnamica and 1 bird, the Edwards's Pheasant In agricultural genetic diversity Vietnam is one of the worlds twelve original cultivar centers (p13). The Vietnam National Cultivar Gene Bank is preserving 12,300 cultivars of 115 species (p14). In Chapter 4 of that report, it is said that the Vietnamese government spent 49.07 million USD for preserving biodiversity in 2004 (p71) and has established 126 conservation areas including 28 List of national parks of Vietnam (p73).

Economy and foreign relations

File:skyline2HCMC.jpg the largest city in Vietnam]] Historically, Vietnam has been an agricultural civilization based on wet rice cultivating. The Vietnam War destroyed much of the countrys economy. Upon taking power, the Government created a planned economy for the nation. Collectivization of farms, factories and economic capital was implemented, and millions of people were put to work in government programs. For a decade, united Vietnams economy was plagued with inefficiency and corruption in state programs, poor quality and underproduction and restrictions on economic activities and trade. It also suffered from the trade embargo from the United States and most of Europe after the Vietnam War. Subsequently, the trade partners of the Communist blocs began to erode. File:Hanoi tower.jpg in Hanoi will be the tallest building in Vietnam]] In 1986, the Sixth Party Congress introduced significant economic reforms with free market economy elements as part of a broad economic reform package called "doi moi (Renovation, resulting in a Socialist-oriented market economy Private ownership was encouraged in industries, commerce and agriculture.http://ssrn.com/abstract1442384] Vuong, Quan-Hoang and Tran, Tri-Dung (2009) "The cultural dimensions of the Vietnamese private entrepreneurship", Icfai Journal of Entrepreneurship Development Vol. VI, Nos. 3 & 4 (Sept. & Dec. 2009), pp. 54-78, the Icfai University Press. Vietnam achieved around 8% annual Gross domestic product growth from 1990 to 1997 and continued at around 7% from 2000 to 2005, making it one of the worlds fastest growing economies.Simultaneously, foreign investment grew threefold and savings quintupled.Manufacturing, information technology and high-tech industries form a large and fast-growing part of the national economy. Vietnam is a relative newcomer to the oil business, but today it is the third-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia with output of Vietnam is one of Asias most open economies: two-way trade is around 160% of GDP, more than twice the ratio for China and over four times Indias.http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/11/13/8393174/index.htm Vietnam Vrooooom: Asias second-fastest-growing economy takes the global stage.] - CNN Money Vietnam is still a relatively poor country with an annual GDP of US$256.584 billion at purchasing power parity (2009 estimate).Source for GDP: Economist Intelligence unit This translates to a purchasing power of about US$3,300 per capita (or US$726 per capita at the market exchange rate). Inflation rate was estimated at 7.5% per year in 2006. Deep poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of China, India, and the Philippines.https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html Economy of Vietnam] – CIA World FactBook In 2009, the nominal GDP reached $92.439 billion, with nominal GDP per capita of $1,060 According to a focast in December 2005 by Goldman-Sachs Vietnamese economy will become the 17th largest economy in the world in 2025, with nominal GDP of $ 436 billion and GDP per capita of 4,357 USD.lt;/ref> According to the forecast by the PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2008, Vietnam may be fastest growing of emerging economies by 2025 with a potential growth rate of almost 10% per annum in real dollar terms that could push it up to around 70% of the size of the economy of the United Kingdom by 2050.lt;/ref> As a result of several land reform measures, Vietnam is now the largest producer of cashew nuts with a one-third global share, the largest producer of black pepper accounting for one-third of the worlds market and second largest rice exporter in the world after Thailand Vietnam has the highest percent of land use for permanent crops, 6.93%, of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Besides rice, key exports are coffee tea rubber and fishery products. However, agricultures share of economic output has declined, falling as a share of GDP from 42% in 1989 to 20% in 2006, as production in other sectors of the economy has risen. According to the CIA World Fact Book, the unemployment rate in Vietnam is 2.9% (30 April 2009 est.)https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html Vietnam] CIA World Fact Book, 2007 est., access 20 Nov 07 Among other steps taken in the process of transitioning to a market economy, Vietnam in July 2006 updated its intellectual property legislation to comply with TRIPS Vietnam was accepted into the World Trade Organization on November 7, 2006. Vietnams chief trading partners include China, Japan, Australia, Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, the U.S. and Western European countries.

Transport

Air

File:Vietnam airlines boeing777.jpg is the primary airline of Vietnam]] Vietnam operates 17 major civil airports, including three international gateways: Noi Bai serving Hanoi Da Nang International Airport serving Da Nang City, and Tan Son Nhat serving Ho Chi Minh City. Tan Son Nhat is the largest, handling 75 percent of international passenger traffic. According to the approved plan, Vietnam will have 10 international airports by 2015 (besides the three above-mentioned airport, they are: Lien Khuong International Airport Phu Bai International Airport Cam Ranh International Airport Phu Quoc International Airport Cat Bi International Airport Cần Thơ International Airport and Long Thanh International Airport . The planned Long Thanh International Airport will be built on an area of 50 square kilometers and will have full capacity of 100 million passengers, 5 metric ton of cargo per annum. Vietnam Airlines the national airline, has a fleet of 70lt;/ref> (+77 orders) (150 in 2020) aircraftlt;/ref>lt;/ref> Besides the state-owned Vietnam Airlines, there are some private airlines like Jetstar Pacific Indochina Airlines VietJet AirAsia Trai Thien Air Cargo The modern transport network of Vietnam was originally developed under French rule for the purpose of raw materials harvesting, and reconstructed and extensively modernized following the Vietnam War. The road system is the most popular form of transportation in the country. Vietnams road system includes national roads administered by the central level; provincial roads managed by the provincial level; district roads managed by the district level; urban roads managed by cities and towns; and commune roads managed by the commune level.

Road

File:A Saigon bus.JPG ] Bicycle , motor scooters and motorcycles remain the most popular forms of road transport in Vietnams cities, towns, and villages although the number of privately owned automobiles is also on the rise, especially in the larger cities. Public bus operated by private companies is the main long distance travel means for many people. Traffic congestion is a serious problem in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the cities roads struggle to cope with the booming numbers of automobiles.

Rail

In 2009, Vietnam and Japan signed a deal to build a high-speed railway using Japanese technology. Vietnamese high speed engineers were sent to Japan to take a high-speed course from March to November. Since 2006, Vietnam has sent 100 high-speed operators to take courses in Japan so they can operate it once it is completed. The railway will be a 1,630-km-longlt;/ref> express route and contain a total of 26 stations, including Hanoi and Thu Thiem terminus in Ho Chi Minh City It will help reduce the travel time between the countrys two largest cities to under 10 hours.lt;/ref> Using the planned technology (Shinkansen ,lt;/ref> the railway will be designed for trains to travel at a maximum speed of 360 km per hour. However, the consultant joint venture recommended running trains at a maximum of 320 km per hour using Fastech 360s trains. As scheduled, the railway lines from Hanoi to central Vinh and from central Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam will be laid during the 2010-2015 period. From 2015-2020, construction will begin on the routes between Vinh and Nha Trang and between Hanoi and the northern mountainous provinces of Lao Cai and Lang Son

Water

File:Motorbike Ferry Ho Chi Minh.jpg ] The nation has seven developed ports and harbors at Cam Ranh Da Nang Hai Phong Ho Chi Minh City Hong Gai (Halong City), Qui Nhơn and Nha Trang There are also more than 17,000 km of navigable waterway , which play a significant role in rural life owing to the extensive network of rivers in Vietnam.

Demographics

Population

File:Danses Cham.jpg at one of their temples in south Vietnam]] The result of Census April 1, 2009 shows the population of Vietnam more than 85.8 million. Vietnamese people of which: the so-called "Viet" or "Kinh" is nearly 73,6 million, account for 85.8% of the population. Their population is concentrated in the alluvial fans and coastal plains of the country. A homogeneous social and ethnic group, the Kinh exert political and economic control. There are 54 ethnic minority groups throughout the country, but the Kinh are purveyors of the dominant culture. Most ethnic minorities, such as the Muong people a closely related ethnic of the Kinh, are found mostly in the highlands covering two-thirds of the territory. Before the Vietnam War, the population of the Tây Nguyên was almost exclusively Degar (over 40 hill tribal groups), until Diems governments enacted a program of settling Kinh in indigenous areas.The Hoa (ethnic Chinese)http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,463af2212,469f2de62,49749c7f8,0.html World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Vietnam : Chinese (Hoa)], UNHCR Refworld and Khmer Krom are mainly lowlanders. The largest ethnic minority groups include the Hmong people Yao people Tay people Thai people and Nung From 1978 to 1979, some 450,000 ethnic Overseas Chinese left Vietnam.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4130.htm Vietnam (08/08)]. U.S. Department of State

Languages

File:Từ thuần Việt + Từ Hán Việt.png ] The people of Vietnam speak Vietnamese language which is a tonal monosyllabic Mon-Khmer languages language as an official national language. In its early history, Vietnamese writing used Chinese characters In the 13th century, the Vietnamese developed their own set of characters called Chữ Nôm The celebrated epic (or by Nguyễn Du was written in Chữ nôm. During the French colonial period, Quốc ngữ the romanized Vietnamese alphabet used for spoken Vietnamese, which was developed in 17th century by Jesuit Alexandre De Rhodes and several other Roman Catholic missionary became popular and brought literacy to the masses. Various other languages are spoken by several minority groups in Vietnam. The most common of these are Tai languages Muong language Khmer language Chinese language Nung language and Hmong language The French language, a legacy of colonial rule, is still spoken by some older Vietnamese as a second language, but is losing its popularity. Vietnam nevertheless remains a full member of Francophonie Russian  — and to a much lesser extent German, Czech or Polish  — is sometimes known among those whose families had ties with the Soviet bloc In recent years, English is becoming more popular as a second language. English study is obligatory in most schools. Chinese and Japanese have also become more popular.

Religions

File:Chua Mot Cot.jpg in Hanoi ] Image:CaoDaiMain.jpg temple in Mỹ Tho ]] For much of Vietnamese history, Mahayana Buddhism Taoism and Confucianism have strongly influenced the religious and cultural life of the people. About 85% of Vietnamese identify with Buddhism in Vietnam though not all practice on a regular basis.lt;/ref>http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_buddhist.html The Largest Buddhist Communities] – adherents.com. This quotes a much lower figure than the 85% quoted by the US Department of Statehttp://www.apecdoc.org/Vietnm/religion_belief.htm APEC – Vietnam]lt;/ref>lt;/ref>lt;/ref>lt;/ref> Most people ascribe to Tam Đạo ("Triple religion") (80% of people are worship the mixture of Mahayana Buddhism mainly, Taoism Confucianism with Ancestor Worship 2% Hoa Hao (a new 20th century religious movement that is concentrated in the Mekong Delta and 2% Theravada Buddhism mainly among Khmer people in the Mekong. The census of Government showed that only over 10 million people have taken Refuge (Buddhism) in the Three Jewels lt;/ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html CIA Factbook- Vietnam] The vast majority of Vietnamese people of Asian religions practice Ancestor Worship About 8% of the population are Christianity in Vietnam with about six million Roman Catholics and fewer than one million Protestants, according to the census of 2007. Christianity was introduced first by the Portuguese and the Dutch traders in the 16th and 17th centuries, then further propagated by French missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries, and to a lesser extent, by American Protestant missionaries during the presence of American forces during the 1960s and early 1970s, largely among the Montagnards of South Vietnam. The largest Protestant churches are the Evangelical Church of Vietnam and the Montagnard Evangelical Church. Two thirds of Vietnams Protestants are Ethnic groups in Vietnam http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/vietnams-christians-persecuted-as-state-sees-hidden-enemy-543805.html Vietnams Christians persecuted as state sees hidden enemy], The Independent, October 15, 2004 The Vietnamese government is deeply suspicious and wary of Roman Catholicism in Vietnam This mistrust originated during the 19th century when some Catholics collaborated with the French Indochina in conquering and ruling the country and in helping French attempts to install Catholic emperors, such as in the Lê Văn Khôi revolt Furthermore, the Catholic Churchs strongly anti-communist stance has made it an a government enemy. The Vatican Church is banned and only government-controlled Catholic organisations are permitted. The countrys relations with the Vatican have improved, however, in recent years. About 3% of the population are Cao Dai a syncretic 20th century religion that is concentrated around Tay Ninh Province Sunni Islam and Bashi Islam a small minority faith, is primarily practiced by the ethnic Cham people minority, though there are also a few ethnic Vietnamese adherents in the southwest. In total there are 70,000 Islam in Vietnam lt;/ref> small Hinduism in Southeast Asia communities (over 50,000 people) and a small number of Baha'i and Jews The communist government rejects criticism that it does not allow religious freedom. Nevertheless, only government-controlled religious organisations are allowed and the Unified Buddhist Congregation of Vietnam that formed in South Vietnam is banned in favour of the communist-approved body.

Education

File:Ta Quang Buu library.jpg main library]] Vietnam has an extensive state-controlled network of schools, colleges and universities but the number of privately run and mixed public and private institutions is also growing. General education in Vietnam is imparted in 5 categories: Kindergarten elementary school , middle school , high school , and college university Courses are taught mainly in Vietnamese. A large number of public schools have been organized across the country to raise the national literacy rate, which was 90.3% between 2003 and 2008http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/vietnam_statistics.html. There are a large number of specialist colleges, established to develop a diverse and skilled national workforce. A large number of Vietnams most acclaimed universities are based in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Facing serious crises, Vietnams education system is under a holistic reform launched by the government.In Vietnam, education from age 6 to 11 is free and mandatory. Education above these ages is not free; therefore, some poor families may have trouble paying tuition for their children without some forms of public or private assistance. Regardless, school enrollment is among the highest in the world and the number of colleges and universities increased dramatically in recent years, from 178 in 2000 to 299 in 2005.

Health

File:FV hospital.JPG The overall quality of health in Vietnam is regarded as good, as reflected by 2005 estimates of life expectancy (70.61 years) and infant mortality (25.95 per 1,000 live births). However, malnutrition is still common in the provinces, and the life expectancy and infant mortality rates are stagnating. In 2001, government spending on health care corresponded to just 0.9% of gross domestic product (GDP). Government subsidies covered only about 20% of health care expenses, with the remaining 80% coming out of individuals’ own pockets.http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Vietnam.pdf Vietnam country profile]. Library of Congress Federal Research Division (December 2005). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].lt;/ref> In 1954, North Vietnam established a public health system that reached down to the hamlet level. After the reunification in 1975, this system was extended to the former South Vietnam. Beginning in the late 1980s, the quality of health care began to decline as a result of budgetary constraints, a shift of responsibility to the provinces, and the introduction of charges. Inadequate funding has led to delays in planned upgrades to water supply and sewage systems. As a result, almost half the population has no access to clean water, a deficiency that promotes such infectious diseases as malaria dengue fever typhoid and cholera Inadequate funding also has contributed to a shortage of nurses midwives and hospital beds. In 2000 Vietnam had only 250,000 hospital beds, or 14.8 beds per 10,000 people, a very low ratio among Asian nations, according to the World Bank Vietnam has made progress in combating malaria, for which the mortality rate declined sharply, to about 5% of the rate in the early 1990s, after the country introduced antimalarial drugs and treatment. However, tuberculosis (TB) cases are on the rise, with 57 deaths per day reported in May 2004. With an intensified vaccination program, better hygiene and foreign assistance, Vietnam hopes to reduce sharply the number of TB cases and annual new TB infections. As of September 2005, Vietnam had diagnosed 101,291 HIV cases, of which 16,528 progressed to AIDS and 9,554 died. But the actual number of HIV-positive individuals is estimated to be much higher. An average, 40–50 new infections are reported every day in Vietnam. Vietnam hopes to contain the HIV infection rate at the current official rate of 0.35%, which is about average worldwide, by limiting the disease as much as possible to sex workers and intravenous drug users. However, if the current trend continues, the number of infected persons could reach 1 million by 2010. One of the impediments to containing HIV/AIDS is that the victims face more severe discrimination and stigmatization than almost anywhere else in the world, according to a United Nations official. In June 2004, the Bush Administration announced that Vietnam would be one of 15 nations to receive funding as part of a US$15 billion global AIDS plan.

Science and technology

Image:TOPIO 3.0.jpg a Vietnamese humanoid robot can play ping-pong developed by TOSY lt;/ref>]] Historically, Vietnamese scholars did not practice "science" in its generally accepted meaning, but many academic fields were well-developed, especially social sciences and humanities. It has at least ten centuries of commentary and analytic writings. Among the best known works are those of "Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư - of Ngô Sĩ Liên. Writings that deal with geography, nature, customs and people were also written such as "Dư địa chí" by Nguyễn Trãi In philosophy, Vietnamese monks led by abdicated Emperor Tran Nhan Tong developed Trúc Lâm Zen branch. In mathematics, arithmetics and geometry has been taught in schools since the 15th century, using the famous textbook: "Đại thành toán pháp" by Lương Thế Vinh. Lương Thế Vinh also introduced the notion of 0 (number) while Mạc Hiển Tích had used the term "số ẩn" (unknown/secret/hidden number) to refer to negative numbers even earlier. In the later centuries, much knowledge was collected into encyclopedias such as "Vân đài loại ngữ" by Lê Quý Đôn and "Lịch triều hiến chương loại chí" by Phan Huy Chú. Recently, Vietnams mathematical field has advanced the humans knowledge by some contributions, including the foundation of global optimization by Hoang Tuy and the proof of Fundamental lemma (Langlands program) by Ngô Bảo Châu (Fields Medal 2010).

Culture

Image:East Asian Cultural Sphere.png .]] Image:Pho-Beef-Noodles-2008.jpg noodle soup with sliced rare beef and well done beef brisket ]] File:Opéra de Sài Gòn.jpg also known as the Saigon Opera House]] Image:Hanoi Temple of Litterature.jpeg main entry]] File:Áo dài, Hồ Gươm-crop.jpg the national costume of Vietnam]] Vietnam is an agricultural civilization based on wet rice cultivation with ancient Dong Son culture as one of its defining aspects. The major stimulation of Vietnamese cultures development comes from indigenous factors, with Chinese and Indian influence serving to further enrich it. Through history, Cham culture and the cultures of other minority ethnic groups in Vietnam have been integrated with Vietnamese culture in correlated effects. The official spoken and written language of Vietnam is Vietnamese language Vietnam is considered a part of the East Asian Cultural Sphere, or Sinosphere due to highly significant cultural influences from China throughout its history. In the socialist era, the cultural life of Vietnam has been deeply influenced by government-controlled media and the cultural influences of socialist programs. For many decades, foreign cultural influences were shunned and emphasis placed on appreciating and sharing the culture of communist nations such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and others. Since the 1990s, Vietnam has seen a greater exposure to Southeast Asian, European and American culture and media. One of the most popular Vietnamese traditional garments is the ", worn often for special occasions such as weddings or festivals. White Áo dài is the required uniform for girls in many high schools across Vietnam. Áo Dài was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mainly by females, except for certain important traditional culture-related occasions where some men do wear it. Cuisine of Vietnam uses very little oil and many vegetables. The main dishes are often based on rice soy sauce and fish sauce Its characteristic flavors are sweet (sugar), spicy (serrano pepper ), sour (lime), nuoc mam (fish sauce), and flavored by a variety of mint and basil. Vietnamese music varies slightly in the three regions: or North, or Central, and or South. Northern classical music is Vietnams oldest and is traditionally more formal. Vietnamese classical music can be traced to the Mongol invasions, when the Vietnamese captured a Chinese opera troupe. Central classical music shows the influences of Champa culture with its melancholic melodies. Vietnamese literature has a long history. Folk literature has been developed for centuries with many great arts, including a typical 6-8 verse poem kind named "ca dao", a system of tales about village establishers and heroes which served as cultural base for many cultural regions (for example, "Saint Gióng tales"). Written literatures dates from Ngô Dynasty with some admirable artists like Nguyễn Trãi with "Bình Ngô đại cáo , Trần Hưng Đạo with "Hịch tướng sĩ , Nguyễn Du with "Truyện Kiều" (English: The Tale of Kieu and Nguyễn Đình Chiểu with "Lục Vân Tiên . Some genres play an important role in performance like "hát nói" in ca trù Some poet unions have been formed like "Tao Đàn." The mordenization of literature has happened since Western cultural effect began in 19th century. The first transformation movement was "Thơ Mới" from 1932 to 1945. Since then, Vietnamese literature has continued to developed. Martial arts are the most common sports for centuries because Vietnamese has faced too many wars and unprecedented natural events. Vovinam and Bình Ðịnh martial art are two of the most well-known Vietnamese martial arts. Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Vietnam. Sports and games such as badminton tennis ping pong and chess are also popular with large segments of the population. Volleyball especially womens volleyball, is watched by a fairly large number of Vietnamese people. The (expatriate Vietnamese) community forms a prominent part of Vietnamese cultural life, introducing Western sports, films, music and other cultural activities in the nation. Vietnam is home to a small film industry. Among countless other traditional Vietnamese occasions, the traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important. Many of the age-old customs in a Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements.

Media

File:VTV.jpeg the national broadcaster for Vietnam]] Vietnams media sector is controlled by the government to follow the official communist party line, though some newspapers are relatively outspoken.http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id12940221 Muting the Messengers: Vietnams Press Under Pressure], The Economist Jan 15, 2009, Accessed Jan 17, 2009 The Voice of Vietnam is the official state-run radio broadcasting service that covers the nation. It also broadcasts internationally via shortwave, renting transmitters in other countries and provides broadcasts from its website. Vietnam Television is the national television broadcasting company. As Vietnam moved toward a free-market economy with its Đổi mới measures, the government has relied on the print media to keep the public informed about its policies. The measure has had the effect of almost doubling the numbers of newspapers and magazines since 1996. Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors.

Tourism

Image:Dai nam main workship.jpg a tourism complex in Binh Duong Vietnam with the largest artificial sea in Southeast Asiahttp://www.lookatvietnam.com/2009/01/southeast-asias-largest-artificial-sea-inaugurated-in-binh-duong.html.]] Vietnams number of visitors for tourism and vacation has increased steadily over the past ten years. About 3.77 million international guests visited Vietnam in 2009http://www.vietnamtourism.com/e_pages/news/index.asp?loai2&uid11723. The government and private enterprizes are investing capital into the coastal regions that are already popular for their beaches and boat tours http://www.vietnamtourism.gov.vn/index.php?cat0501 In Vietnamese.

International rankings

| class"wikitable" |- ! Organization ! Survey ! Ranking |- | Institute for Economics and Peace lt;ref>lt;/ref> | Global Peace Index lt;ref>lt;/ref> | 39 out of 144 |- | Heritage Foundation [[The Wall Street Journal]] | Index of Economic Freedom#Current ratings | 142 out of 157 |- | [[The Economist]] | Worldwide Quality-of-life Index, 2005http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf | 61 out of 111 |- | Reporters Without Borders | Reporters Without Borders#Worldwide Press Freedom Index | 155 out of 167 |- | Transparency International | Corruption Perceptions Index | 111 out of 163 |- | United Nations Development Programme | List of countries by Human Development Index | 109 out of 177 |- | World Economic Forum | Global Competitiveness Report | 77 out of 125 |}

Gallery

File:Saigon_15.jpg|Center of Ho Chi Minh City File:Ho hoan kiem.jpg|Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi at night Image:bao_tang_my_thuat.jpg|National Museum of Fine Art Image:bao_tang_lich_su.jpg|National Museum of History File:LyThaiToStatueHanoi1.jpg|Statue of Lý Thái Tổ emperor and dynasty founder File:Fansipan-vietnam.jpg|In Lào Cai province the highest mountain in Indochina at 3,143 metres (10,312 ft). File:Cho_Ben_Thanh_1.jpg|Quách Thị Trang square and Ben Thanh Market File:Citadel Hue.jpg|Thế Miếu temple File:VN Ngu Hanh Son tango7174.jpg|Statue of Quan Âm Buddha at the top of one of the Marble Mountains (Vietnam) File:PhoCoHoiAn.jpg|Ancient town in Hoi An a UNESCO World Heritage Site File:Marble Mountains, Vietnam.jpg|Marble Mountains (Vietnam) in Da Nang city File:ChamRemains.jpg|Mỹ Sơn is the site of the largest collection of Cham ruins. File:ChamMuiNe.jpg|The towers of Po Sa Nu (Pho Hai) near Phan Thiết may be the oldest extant Cham buildings. In style, they exhibit the influence of pre-Angkorian Cambodia. File:Phu quoc 3.jpg|Phu Quoc island coastline File:Sapa9.jpg|Rice crops

See also

* Index of Vietnam-related articles * Outline of Vietnam

References

Other documents

* Herring, George C. Americas Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 (4th ed 2001), most widely used short history. * Jahn GC. 2006. The Dream is not yet over. In: P. Fredenburg P, Hill B, editors. Sharing rice for peace and prosperity in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Victoria, (Australia): Sid Harta Publishers. p 237-240 * Karrnow, Stanley. Vietnam: A History Penguin (Non-Classics) 2nd edition (June 1, 1997). ISBN 0-14-026547-3 * McMahon, Robert J. Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War: Documents and Essays(1995) textbook * Tucker, Spencer. ed. Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War(1998) 3 vol. reference set; also one-volume abridgment (2001) * Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 7th edition, Oxford University Press

External links

* http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1243338.stm Country Profile] from BBC News * *http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/afghanistan.htm Vietnam] from UCB Libraries GovPubs * * * http://www2.hcm.ciren.gov.vn/cirengis VietNam Map] or http://www.sjvietnam.org/map a collection of Vietnamese maps] ; Government * http://www.vietnam.gov.vn/en/ Portal of the Government of Vietnam] * http://www.cpv.org.vn/index_e.html Communist Party of Vietnam] * http://www.na.gov.vn/htx/English/C1330/ National Assembly]: the Vietnamese legislative body * http://www.gso.gov.vn/default_en.aspx?tabid491 General Statistics Office] * http://www.mofa.gov.vn/en/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs] *https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-v/vietnam.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members] * http://www.vnagency.com.vn/Home/tabid/117/Default.aspx Vietnam News Agency] ; Other * * http://www.vietnamtourism.com Vietnam tourism website] Official Tourism website of Vietnam
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