VIETNAM

Vietnam

is officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

is the easternmost country on the Indochina peninsula in
Southeast Asia. With an estimated 90.0 million inhabitants
as of 2013, it is the world's 13th most populous country,
and the eight-most-populous Asian country. The name
Vietnam = translates as "Southern Viet" (synonymous with
the much older term Nam-viet); it was first officially
adopted in 1802 by Emperor Gia Long, and was adopted
again in 1945 with the founding of the Democratic
Republic of Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh. The country is
bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest,
Cambodia to the southwest, and the South china Sea to
the east. Its capital city has been Hanoi since the
reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1976.

 The Vietnamese became independent from

Imperial China in AD 938, following the Vietnamese
victory in the Battle of Bch ng River.
Successive Vietnamese royal dynasties flourished
as the nation expanded geographically and
politically into Southeast Asia, until the Indochina
Peninsula was colonized by the French in the mid19th century. Following a Japanese occupation in
the 1940s, the Vietnamese fought French rule in
the First Indochina War, eventually expelling the
French in 1954. Thereafter, Vietnam was divided
politically into two rival states, North and South
Vietnam. Conflict between the two sides
intensified, with heavy intervention from the
United States, in what is known as the
Vietnam War. The war ended with a North
Vietnamese victory in 1975.

ONE of the beautiful spot

in
VIETNAM

SPORT
S
Vietnam sports held a significant
position in the countrys cultural field
and have always played a pivotal part
in the cultural development of Vietnam.
Vietnamese games is a wide arena that
include a number of sports like soccer,
cycling, boxing, swimming, tennis,
aerobics, judo, karate, etc. The
most popular Vietnam sport is soccer.
And the Vietnamese sports which hold
a high rank are chess, kung fu and

NATURAL RESOURCES

Vietnam has various natural resources

including forest, sea, and mineral
resources.

In

addition to huge potential energy

sources like oil, natural gas, coal and
hydropower, Vietnam is rich in
other mineral source, such as iron
ore, copper, gold and building
materials.
Moreover, sea sources and agricultural
potential also enrich Vietnam's natural

LARGEST CITY
Ho

Chi Minh City, formerly named Saigon, is

the largest city in Vietnam. It was once known
as Prey Nokor, an important Khmer sea port
prior to annexation by the Vietnamese in the
17th century. Under the name Saigon, it was
the capital of the French colony of Cochin china
and later of the independent republic of South
Vietnam from 195575. On 2 July 1976, Saigon
merged with the surrounding Gia nh Province
and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City
after H Ch Minh (although the name Si Gn
is still commonly used).

LARGEST CITY of VIETNAM

EDUCATION
Vietnam has an extensive state-controlled
network of schools, colleges and universities,
and a growing number of privately run and
partially privatized institutions. General
education in Vietnam is divided into five
categories: kindergarten, elementary schools,
middle schools, high schools, and universities
. A large number of public schools have been
constructed across the country to raise the
national literacy rate, which stood at 90.3%
in 2008.

The University of medicine in

Hanoi

School children

LITERATURE
Vietnamese literature has a centuries-deep history.
The country has a rich tradition of folk literature,
based around the typical 6to-8-verse poetic form
named ca dao, which usually focuses on village
ancestors and heroes.Written literature has been
found dating back to the 10th-century Ng dynasty,
with notable ancient authors including Nguyn Tri,
Trn Hng o, Nguyn Du and Nguyn nh Chiu.
Some literary genres play an important role in
theatrical performance, such as ht ni in ca tr.
Some poetic unions have also been formed in
Vietnam, such as the Tao n. Vietnamese literature
has in recent times been influenced by Western
styles, with the first literary transformation movement
Th Mi emerging in 1932.

The Temple of Literature in

Hanoi.

LANGUAGE
The

official national language of Vietnam is Vietnamese (Ting

Vit), a tonal MonKhmer language which is spoken by the
majority of the population. In its early history, Vietnamese
writing used Chinese characters. In the 13th century, the
Vietnamese developed their own set of characters, referred to
as Ch nm. The folk epic Truyn Kiu ("The Tale of Kieu",
originally known as on trng tn thanh ) by Nguyn Du
was written in Ch nm. Quc ng, the Romanized
Vietnamese alphabet used for spoken Vietnamese, was
developed in the 17th century by the Jesuit Alexandre
de Rhodes and several other Catholic missionaries.[135] Quc
ng became widely popular and brought literacy to the
Vietnamese masses during the French colonial period.
Vietnam's minority groups speak a variety of languages,
including Ty, Mng, Cham, Khmer, Chinese, Nng, and
H'Mng. The Montagnard peoples of the Central Highlands also
speak a number of distinct languages.A number of

LOCATION

VIETNAMESE POETRY
Vietnamese

poetry originated in the form

of folk poetry and proverbs. Vietnamese
poetic structures include six-eight, doubleseven six-eight, and various styles shared
with Classical Chinese poetry forms, such
as are found in Tang poetry; examples
include verse forms with "seven syllables
each line for eight lines," "seven syllables
each line for four lines" (a type of
quatrain), and "five syllables each line for
eight lines." More recently there have been
new poetry and free poetry.

Good Morning, Apocalypse Now : A

Tribute to a Vietnam Veteran
My uncle doesn't speak much
About Vietnam or the stuf
He witnessed when he
Was just a boy. See,
He likes to drive the back roads
fast
And honk at random cars that pass.
His friendly gestures always lead to
how
He grew up compared to kids now.

Jumping and racing trains on the

tracks
Became dodging bullets and
carrying his buddy on his back.
The marshes and dirt valleys here
Became the forests and trenches of
the military frontier.
Last year, my sister donned his
jacket

Last year, my sister donned his jacket

A fatigued fatigue that hung in his closet.
In color and memory darkened,
Kept out of sight for fear it would harkens
The PTSD he's struggled to avoid.

He saw his brothers, young like him

To Vietnam succumb
While on American soil
And he promised he would never speak,
For fear his stomach would coil,
When remembering rice - a dish he no
longer enjoys.
And there's no orange on his clothes to
remind him of th
e agent that destroyed.

When he speaks calm

"Good morning", I wonder if he's thinking
of Vietnam
Or if he knows
That I admire his strength and
Bravery and how
He continually fights against
The "Apocalypse Now".

I Touched The Wall Today (The Vietnam Memorial Wall)

Emotions flooded my very soul as I viewed that Sacred Wall.

Etched for all eternity are hero's names who sacrificed their all.
I sensed that I was on hallowed soil as I knelt on bended knee.
I touched The Wall today, but more than that, The Wall touched me.

I ofered a silent prayer for each of the names that I caressed.

Tho' their time here was brief, by them we were truly blessed.
They placed national destiny above their own defending liberty.
I touched The Wall today, but more than that, The Wall touched me.

They were ordinary Americans, who performed extraordinary things,

Such grand and noble acts to ensure that freedom's bell yet rings!
They gave their full measure that humankind might live free.
I touched The Wall today, but more than that, The Wall touched me.

What might they have become, I muse, had fate not dealt them so,
A teacher, doctor, a farmer? Alas, we shall never know.
To teach nations The Golden Rule, I suspect would be their plea.
I touched The Wall today, but more than that, The Wall touched me.

Tho' grander monuments have been built for those of greater fame,
This simple yet powerful memorial will keep alive the flame,
Of humanity's quest for brotherhood, peace and dignity.
I touched The Wall today, but more than that, The Wall touched me.

ECONOMY

The economy of Vietnam is a developing

planned economy and market economy. Since
the mid-1080s, through the Doi Moi
reform
period, Vietnam has made a shift from a highly
centralized planned economy to a socialistoriented market economy which use both
directive and indicative planning(see Five-Year
Plans of Vietnam). Almost all vietnamese
enterprises are small and medium enterprises
(SMEs).
Vietnam has been named among the Next
Eleven and CIVETS countries.

AGRICULTURE

In 200, agriculture and forestry accounted for

21.8percent of Vietnam's gross domestic
product(GDP), and between 1994 and 2004, the
sector grew at an annual rate of 4.1 percent.
Agricultures share of economic output has declined
in recent years, falling as a share of GDP from 42%
in 1989 to26% in 1999, as production in other
sectors of the economy hs risen. However,
agricultural products accounted for 30 percent of
exports transformed the country into the worlds
second or third largest rice exporter.

AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION

Agriculture is an important part in Vietnam

economic structure. It makes a considerable
contribution to export turnover, GDP and creates
the largest amount of jobs, and is the main source
of the poors income. Main products of Vietnam
agriculture are rice, tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and
cashew nut.
Since the economic reform in the 1980s, Vietnam
has obtained a number of achievements. The
average growth rate has increased significantly at
4.3% per year.

MANUFACTURING

After reunification followed a pattern that was

initially the reverse of the record in agriculture; it
showed recovery from a depressed base in the
early postwar years. Recovery stopped in the late
1970s, however, when the war in Cambodia and
the threat from China caused the government to
redirect food, finance, and other resources to the
military, a move that worsened shortages and
intensified old bottlenecks. At the same time, the
invasion of Cambodia cost Vietnam badly needed
foreign economic support.

Shanghai

The state of manufacturing in Vietnam

today so closely parallels that of China ten
or more years ago- when low-wage, lowtech, low-added value manufacturing
acted as a magnet for FDI into the
country- that many foreign investors with
existing China operations are actively
inquiring about the payoffs of moving to
Vietnam.

FOOD

Vietnamese cuisineencompasses the

foods and beverages of Vietnam, and
features a combination of five fundamental
taste elements in the overall meal. Each
Vietnamese dish has a distinctive flavor
which reflects one or more of these
elements. Common ingredients include
fish sauce,shrimp paste,soy sauce, rice,
fresh herbs, and fruits and vegetables.
Vietnamese recipes use lemongrass,ginger
,mint,Vietnamese mint,long coriander,
Saigon cinnamon,bird's eye chili,lime, and
basilleaves.

NEM CUON(SALAD ROLLS),

ANEMDISH WRAPPED
INBAHN TRANG

SPRING ROLLS

Bn b Hu

VIETNAMESE PEOPLE
TheVietnamese peopleortheKinh
peopleorngi KinhareanAsian
ethnicgrouporiginatingfrompresent-day
northernVietnamandsouthernChina.They
arethemajorityethnicgroupofVietnam,
comprising86%ofthepopulationatthe1999
census,andareofficiallyknownasKinhto
distinguishthemfromother
ethnicgroupsinVietnam.Theearliestrecorded
namefortheancientVietnamesepeople
appearsasLc.

Althoughgeographicallyandlinguisticallylabeled
asSoutheastAsians,longperiodsofChinese
dominationandinfluencehaveplacedthe
VietnameseculturallyclosertoEastAsians,or
morespecificallytheirimmediatenorthern
neighbours,theSouthernChineseandother
tribeswithintheSouthChina.ThewordVitis
shortenedfromBch Vit,anameusedin
ancienttimes.Nam means"south".

People of Tonkin, 1861-1880

Rickshaw in Hanoi in the 19th century

POPULATION
The population ofVietnamis estimated
at92,547,959as of July 1 2014.
Vietnam's population represents1.28%of
thetotal world population.
Vietnam ranks number14in the list
ofcountries by population.
Thepopulation densityin Vietnam is279
people per Km2.
33%of the population isurban(30,482,811
people in 2014).
Themedian agein Vietnam is30.3 years.

GOVERNMENT AND
POLITICS

The socialist republic of Vietnam, along with

china, Cuba, and Laos, is one of the world's four
remaining single-party socialist states officially
espousing communism. Its current state
constitution, which replaced the 1975constitution in
April 1992, asserts the central role of the communist
party of Vietnam in all organs of government,
politics and society.

The General Secretary of the Communist Party

performs numerous key administrative and
executive functions, controlling the partys national
organization and state appointments, as well as
setting policy.
The president of Vietnam is the titular head of
state and the nominal commander-in-chief of the
military, serving as the Chairman of the Council of
Supreme Defense and Security. The Prime Minister
of Vietnam is the head of government, presiding
over a council of ministers composed of three
deputy prime ministers and the heads of 26
ministries and commissions.

CAPITAL

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and the country's

second largest city. Its population in 2009 was
estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million
for the metropolitan jurisdiction.From 1010 until
1802, it was the most important political centre of
Vietnam. It was eclipsed by Hu, the imperial capital
of Vietnam during the Nguyn Dynasty (18021945),
but Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina
from 1902 to 1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the
capital of North Vietnam, and it became the capital of
a reunified Vietnam in 1976, after the North's victory
in the Vietnam War.The city lies on the right bank of
the Red River. Hanoi is 1,760km (1,090mi) north of
Ho Chi Minh City and 120km (75mi) west of Hai
Phong city.

CULTURAL HERITAGE

Globetrotters are flocking vietnam these days

the most for not one but several reasons.
Culture and Vietnam tour is of course one of
them. Visiting some of the major tourist places
of Vietnam can help exploring the gems of
Vietnam culture in detail. Culture of Vietnam is
exotic and marvelous. Travelers are astonished
to discover about various aspects of its cultural
enigma. Cultural tour in Vietnam is an exciting
way to discover the indigenous culture of the
country.

MAJOR RELIGIOUS GROUP

A Ln ng practitioner performs in a
pagoda.
Scholars such as Toan nh (Tn-ngng
Vit-Nam 1991) have listed a resurgence
in traditional belief in many local, villagelevel, spirits.
Vietnam religion are; Dao Mau, Buddhism,
Pure land, Orthodoxism, Dao Dira,
Hinduism, Hao Hao, Tu n Hiu Ngha,
Protestantism, Cao dai, Islam, and
Christianity.

The term "o Mu"

refers to the worship of
mother goddesses in
Vietnam

Buddhism came to
Vietnam as early as the
second century CE
through the North from
China and via Southern
routes from India

Pure Land Buddhism is a

broad branch of Mahayana
Buddhism and is said to be
one of the most popular
schools of Buddhism in
Vietnam, in which
practitioners commonly recite
sutras, chants and dharanis
looking to gain protection from
bodhisattvas or DharmaProtectors
Cao i is a relatively new,
syncretist, monotheistic
religion, officially established
in the city of Ty Ninh,
southern Vietnam, in 1926.
The term Cao i literally
means "high Channel", or
figuratively, the highest place
where God reigns.

Ha Ho
Ha Ho is a religious tradition, based on Buddhism,
founded in 1939 by Hunh Ph S, a native of the
Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam.
T n Hiu Ngha
T n Hiu Ngha ("Four Debts of Gratitude"), a
Buddhist sect based in An Giang Province, is one of
the most recently registered religions in Vietnam.
Protestantism
Protestantism was introduced to Da Nang in 1911
by a Canadian missionary named Robert A. Jaffray;
over the years, he was followed by more than 100
missionaries, members of the
Christian and Missionary Alliance, an Evangelical
Protestant denomination.

Orthodoxism
For Orthodox Christianity, the Russian Orthodox Church is
represented in Vng Tu, Vietnam, mainly among the
Russian-speaking employees of the Russian-Vietnamese
joint venture "Vietsovpetro". The parish is named after
Our Lady of Kazan icon was opened in 2002 with the
blessing of the Holy Synod of the
Russian Orthodox Church, which had been given in
Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra.
o Da
ng o Da (1909-1990) created
a now discontinued religion, a syncretic Buddhism,
Christianity and Taoism. Its adherents ate coconut and
drank coconut milk.
Hinduism
Adherence to Hinduism in Vietnam is associated with the
Cham ethnic minority; the first religion of the Champa
kingdom was a form of Shaivite Hinduism, brought by

Islam

Much like Hinduism,

adherence to Islam in Vietnam
is primarily associated with
the Cham ethnic minority,
although there is also a
Muslim population of mixed
ethnic origins, also known as
Cham, or Cham Muslims, in
the southwest (Mekong Delta)
of the country. Islam is
assumed to have come to
Vietnam much after its arrival
in China during the
Tang Dynasty (618907),
through contact with Arab
traders.

Christianity
Catholicism
Notre

Dame Cathedral in
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Main article:
Roman Catholicism in Vietnam
By far the most widespread
Christian church in Vietnam,
Roman Catholicism first entered
the country through Portuguese
Catholic missionaries in the 16th
century and strengthened its
influence during French colonial
rule. While the earliest missions
were only mildly successful at
gaining converts, later missions by
Jesuit missionaries eventually saw
the definitive establishment of
Christian centres within the local
population.

MUSIC

Traditional Vietnamese music is highly

diverse and syncretistic, combining native
and foreign influences. Throughout its
history, Vietnam has been most heavily
impacted by the Chinese musical
tradition, as an integral part, along with
Korea, Mongolia and Japan.[1] The former
Indochinese kingdom of Champa also
exerted some influence (albeit more
minor when compared to China) on
Vietnam's traditional music.

DANCE
Traditional Vietnamese dance comprises several
different forms including dance as performed in
Vietnamese theatre and opera, dances performed at
festivals, and royal dances of the imperial court.
Dance is thought to have been an integral part of
Vietnamese culture since ancient times, as depicted
by engravings found on Dong Son drums.
Vietnam is a diverse country with 54 different ethnic
groups, with the ethnic Vietnamese (known as Kinh)
making up the majority of the population. This
article mainly focuses on the traditional dances of
the ethnic Vietnamese, although each of the many
ethnic minorities of Vietnam have their own rich
culture and dance styles.

Music and Dance

Vietnam has fifty national music instruments, in which the

set of percussion instruments is the most popular and
diverse. Vietnamese folksongs are rich in forms and melodies
of regions from across the country, ranging from reciting
poems, lullabies, and chanting. Traditional performing arts
include cheo and tuong. Water-puppet shows are also a
special traditional art that was ignited in the Ly dynasty. At
the start of the 20th century, cai luong (reformed theatre)
appeared in Cochinchina with melodies of vong co.
The Vietnamese acoustic arts generally have symbolic,
expressive and emotional features. Traditional stage
performances relate closely to the audience in its
combination of music and dance forms. Dance is an elegant
affair and rarely filled with hard or rough movements,
preferring the grace and sway of arms and body movements.

THEATER
Theater

of Vietnam comprises
many traditional forms of drama
which survive and retain their
popularity to varying degrees.
Vietnamese theater is strongly
influenced by Chinese opera and
other forms, and includes genres
like Ht tung, Ht cho and Ci
lng.

ART
Vietnamese art is visual art that, whether ancient or
modern, originated in or is practiced in Vietnam or by
Vietnamese artists.
Vietnamese art has a long and rich history, the earliest
examples of which date back as far as the Stone Age
around 8,000 BCE[citation needed].
With the millennium of Chinese domination starting in
the 2nd century BC, Vietnamese art undoubtedly
absorbed many Chinese influences, which would
continue even following independence from China in the
10th century AD. However, Vietnamese art has always
retained many distinctively Vietnamese characteristics.
By the 19th century, the influence of French art took
hold in Vietnam, having a large hand in the birth of
modern Vietnamese art

GROUP 6

ZAHAREN ZAE
CAPINIG
CAMELLE FAITH P.
OATE
MIEMA B. SAMPORNA
ANNA MARIE