Vietnam

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The landscape is defined by the presence of the South China Sea forming it’s entire eastern border. However, land borders exist in the west formed by both Laos and Cambodia. To the north, the country shares a land border with China and in the southwest corner there is a border with the Gulf of Thailand.

Hmong and Other Ethnic Minorities

In the NW mountains there are minority ethnic groups that originated in China such as the Black Hmong. The Hmong and other ethnic minorities migrated to Vietnam many years ago.

Hanoi

The post independence capital of Vietnam is not Saigon, it is Hanoi. Hanoi is located in the north and it is still war scarred but also a very elegant city. Hoan Kiem is a popular location for locals and tourists alike. The district is centered around Hoan Kiem Lake and Turtle Tower.

I found the most astounding feature of Hanoi and other large cities to be the intense motorbike traffic on the main roads.  Of all the world’s global travel destinations the traffic in Hanoi is truly is a sight to behold.

Struggle for Independence

The Vietnamese first achieved independence from Imperial China in 939 AD. After enjoying nearly a 1000 years of independence the French colonists arrived in the mid-19th Century. Under the unwavering leadership of Ho Chi Minh the French were finally run out of the country in 1954. Unfortunately, in 1955 civil war would then break out between the US backed south and the north. The catastrophic result would be the second Indochina war and it would last until the US military was finally run out of the country in 1975.

Cu Chi Tunnels

The catastrophic results of the war still scar the Indochina peninsula in present day. Of all the war memorials the most profound is the Cu Ch Tunnels. Many of the monuments are global travel destinations promoted by the government to educate visitors about the horrors of the Indochina wars. The heroic struggle for independence that ensued here is beyond the comprehension of many of us who were born in the west.

Post Independence

In subsequent years, the population and economy of Vietnam have shown signs of recovery. Fortunately, the communist administration began to make economic reforms in 1986 which would better integrate their local industry into the world economy. As a result, since 2000 Vietnam has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world and they were included into the WTO in 2007.

The present administration continues to invest heavily in social and educational initiatives and Vietnam continues to advance in these areas. In combination with China, Cuba and Laos, Vietnam completes a group of only 4 countries worldwide that proclaim their governments to be communist/socialist.