1

Contains

S. No. Title Page

1 Introduction 2

2 History 3

3 Timeline 6

4 Demographic 8

5 Cultural 9

6 Economy– A comparative

analysis with India10

7 Major Companies 11

8 Polity, Government and

Leadership12

9 Geopolitical Significance 13

10 India & Vietnam 14

11 Recent Events 15

Prepared By Swaraj Mishra

VIETNAM

2

Introduction Etymologically Vietnam came from the “Nam viet ” meaning

southern viet in Chinese. The form Vietnam was first used orally in16th century in a poem. Between 1804 and 1813, the name was used

officially by Emperor Gia Long.

Officially country is known as Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

It is situated in the extreme east of Indochina peninsula in S.E.Asia surrounded by China in north, Laos and Cambodia in

South China Sea in the east.

It has 58 provinces, and Hanoi as its capital. Vietnam

west, and

14this the

8thmost populous country in the world and in Asia having 93 million

people. It has 58 provinces, and Hanoi as

in the worldits capital. Vietnam is the

14th 8thmost populous country and in Asia having 93

million people. It is a communist country with Marxist-Leninist single

party state. Vietnamese is the both official language and script.

3

HistoryFrench colony

One of the first Frenchmen to visit Vietnam was the Jesuit father Alexandre de Rhodes, who

arrived there in 1620. But French colony started from 1874. They ruled the country includ- ing Laos and Cambodia by dividing it into 3 parts Tonkin, Annam and cochin-china.

French had their colony until 1941. This French colony is also known as Indochina colony.Again after the defeat of japan French people returned to South

World War 2

Vietnam and invaded Vi-

After the defeat of France on June 22,

under direct German military control

1940, roughly two-thirds of the country was put

and others are in puppet state of Germany. In 1941when japan entered into World War 2

china. Japan also made an agreementwith Germany, japan established its colony in Indo-

with France about indo china which was known as the Japanese revoked French administrative control“Vichy agreement”. In 1944 march, 9

and took French administrators prisoner. After losing World War 2 japan left the place and

at that time French people again came to Vietnam (south).

4

Vietnam independence

In 1941 Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam and started a Communist party. After the defeat of Japan

in World War 2, they surrendered, the Viet Minh made a deal with the Japanese. They allowed theJapanese soldiers to leave peacefully, and the Japanese gave their arms to the Vietnamese before the

return of the French. In August 1945, the Viet Minh launched a revolution which brought them to

Partition of Vietnam and Geneva Conference

In 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared an independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam, which was rec-

ognized by the fellow Communist governments of China and the Soviet Union. Fighting lasted until March 1954, when they won the decisive victory against French forces at the “gruelling Battle of Dien Bien Phu”.This led to the partition of Vietnam into the “Democratic Republic of Vietnam” in the north, under

Ho Chi Minh control, and the “State of Vietnam” in the south, which had the support of the Unit- ed States, the United Kingdom, and France.

It was at the 1954 “Geneva Conference” that France relinquished any claim to territory in the

5

Civil War (Communist North & capitalist South)

The division of the country into a communist North, led by Ho Chi Minh, and the non-communist South, led byNgo

Dinh Diem, created a new dynamic. Diem, a Catholic, disliked the communists and rejected Ho Chi Minh's vision of onesocialist republic of Vietnam. Thus,

Minh had the support of the USSR, ceived U.S., South Korea, Australia,

the conflict turned into a civil war with Vietnamese fighting Vietnamese. Ho Chi

Chinese, Cuba, North Korea, Bulgaria and East German, whereas Ngo Dinh Diem re- UK, West Germany, Spain support.

In November of 1968, Richard Nixon was elected President in the U.S. inheriting a nation that was impatient to see

American involvement in Vietnam come to a close. Nixon began a policy of "Vietnamization" which entailed the with- drawal of U.S. troops and "handing over the regions" to the South Vietnamese military and the U.S. finally withdrew in1975.

After withdraw of the US army South Vietnam economy took a down shift, inflation went up high, and the capital of

South Vietnam Saigon became the most expensive city in the world. North Vietnam surprised attack and capturing of

Saigon (Now it is known as Ho Chi Minh City) made the war end. At the end civil war stopped and South Vietnam be-

came the part of North Vietnam.

6

Timeline

7

2 Lakh US Armyat SouthVietnam

1st US commercial flight to Vietnam

Vietnam

Action against democracy and freedom of

expression

Strong ac- tion against democracy activist

VietnamIndependency

North Vietnam Army march towards South

Saigon renamed as Ho Chi Minh

City Agreement with china sea dispute

onCease Fire US andVietnam

US lifted its 30 became theAgreement, treadYear trade embargo

150th member of WTO

US Army Left

20131965 20101969 20001975 1989 1995 20082002 20051957

19761959 1966 1973 1994 1999 2001 2004 2007 20091945 2011

1st com- municatio n satellite launch ,

New banned laws on in- ternet users, economy grew with5.14%

Russia hands back the Cam Ranh bay naval

Full diplo- matic rela- tion with

d

North Vietnam won

2 Lakh USChina & Vi- etnam resolve border

Army Human right activ- ists sen- tenced to

Com- munistinsurgency inthe South.

US, JoineHo Chi dies

MinhVietnam troopswithdrawn from Cambodia

at SouthVietnam

baseAsean 1st cial

Offi-1st cial

Offi-

visit ofVietnam

visit of US president for 3 days

8

Demographics of Vietnam

Population

Capital -

Provinces -

Ethnicity -

- 92.5 million

Hanoi

58

(14th largest populous country in the world)

Kinh ethnic group or viet constituted 85.8% of the population.

Vietnam is also home to 54 ethnic minority groups, including

the Hmong, Dao, Tay, Thai, and Nung.

National language of is Vietnamese. French is the second language.

About 45.3% of the Vietnamese adhere to Indigenous religions,16.4% to Buddhism, 8.2% to Christianity, 0.4% to other faiths, and

29.6% of the population isn't religious.

93.4% (118th in the world)

Language

Religion -

-

Literacy-

9

Culture of Vietnam

Vietnam's culture has developed over the centuries from indigenous ancient Dong Son culture. Some elements of the national

culture have

phy.

Music -

Folk Music -

Chinese origins, drawing on elements of Confucianism and Taoism in its traditional political system and philoso-

Impacted by the Chinese musical tradition.

Hat Xam

Hat Van specially used in spiritual ceremonies.

Started at 10th century mainly in poetic form.

“Tho Moi” literature transformation movement in 1932.

“Tet” (lunar new year and most famous festival).

Ao Dai used in special ceremony by girls, but in wedding by both.

Vovinam and Binh Dinh are the famous martial arts.

Soccer is the most popular sports.

Spiritual Music

Literature -

-

Festival -

Clothing

Sports -

-

“Pho” the popular cuisinePopular Cuisine - “Pho, Fish sauce”

10

Economy—A comparative analys is with India India Vietnam

Population 1.252 billion 92.5 million

Currency Rupee

5,350

0.586

Vietnamese Dong

5,070 ppp dollars

0.638

GNI

HDI

per capita

(2014)

in 2013 ppp dollars

Nominal

PPP

$2.047

$7.277

trillion

trillion

$187.848

$509.466

billion

billionGDP

6.9% 5.98%GDP growth

5.11

$464.2

Inflation (CPI)(Jan

Exports in 2013

2015) 6.6

$128.9 billionbillion

Imports in 2013 $590.6 billion $121.4 billion

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Major companies

1. Bank of agriculture and rural development (AGRIBANK)

2. Vietnam Post and Telecommunication (VNPT)

3. Electricity of Vietnam (EVN)

4. Bank of investment and development in Vietnam (BIDV)

5. VietsovPetro Jv enterprises (VietsovPetro)

12

Vietnam Polity, Government and Leadership The current Constitution was adopted by the 8th National Assembly in 1992 and was supplemented then amended in 2001

at the 10th session of the 10th National Assembly. The 1992 Constitution inherits from and builds on previous Constitutions(1946, 1959, and 1980).

The politics of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are defined by a single party socialist republic framework, where the Presi-

dent is the head of the constitution and the PM is the head of the government , in a one party system led by the communist par-

ty of Vietnam . Executive power is exercised by the government and the President of Vietnam.

Judiciary act independently.

Last election held in

President -

Vietnam - May 22, 2011 (13th National assembly)

Truong Tan Sang (for 5 years from 2011)

500 total seats

458 (Communist party of Vietnam)

42 (independent)

National Assembly

Majority -

Minority -

-

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Geo Political Significance Current tensions between Vietnam and China demonstrate the rising geopolitical importance of

Vietnam and the South China Sea.

Vietnam's geopolitical significance will rise over the coming decade, as the US courts it as a

potential ally to counterbalance China.

Vietnam has a very long coastline, spanning almost all of the western stretch of the disputedSouth China Sea. (China regards most of the sea as its own and has become more assertive in itsclaims

part.)since 2010, whereas Vietnam, the Philippines and several other states claim the sea in

Vietnam also has a high degree of political and economic influence in Laos, where it competes

with China and Thailand for loyalty and business opportunities. Vietnam's influence in Cambodia less.

is

Japanese, South Korean and Western multinationals are said to favour Vietnam as an alternative

to China, partly as a hedge against political risk in China (although there is considerable political risk in Vietnam, too), but also because Vietnam offers competitive labour costs.

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India & Vietnam Vietnam is a key player in India’s act “Look east policy” under PM Narendra Modi.

From India’s perspective, a strategic partnership with Vietnam will only deepen political,

nomic, and security ties and be a bulwark against China.

India strongly condemned US action during the Vietnam War and was also one of the few

eco-

non-

communist countries to assist Vietnam during the Cambodian-Vietnamese.

1975

1997

2003have

- India granted the "Most Favored Nation" status to Vietnam.

- Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection agreement (BIPPA).- Free tread agreement. India is the 13th-largest exporter to Vietnam, with exports that

grown steadily from $11.5 million $95.68 million by 2003.

2010 - ASEAN-India free trade agreement came into effect .

2012 - Vietnam exporting $1.7

billion to India which was 55.6% higher than previous year.

2013 - In November Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited India and met India’s PM and

signed “8 MoUs”, and Vietnam offered India “7 Oil Blocks for exploration” where India already had 3 oil blocks for explora-

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Recent eventsLargest fraud trial in Vietnam

2014 Jan -Court sentenced former Vietinbank official Huynh Thi Huyen Nhu to life in prison in country's largest fraud trial.

Vietnam & US Relationship

2014 Mar-Vietnam released high-profile democracy campaigners Cu Huy

Ha Vu, Nguyen Tien Trung and Vi Duc Hoi amid Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks with the United States.

2014 Aug-The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with Viet- namese leaders, in the highest level visit by an American military officer since the Vietnam war.

2014 Oct-The United States said, it would partially lift its embargo on arms sales to Vietnam, which had been in place for three decades.

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Vietnam & Vatican city

2014 Oct-PM Nguyen Tan Dung met Pope Francis in Rome and

restarted diplomatic ties that broken off in 1975.

Humps in Fre edo m of s peec h in Vietnam

2014 Mar-Bloggers Pham Viet Dao and Truong Duy Nhat jailed for

"abusing democratic freedoms to infringe interests of state".

2014 Oct-Blogger Nguyen Van Hai was released from prison and flew to

the US after serving two years of a 12-year sentence for conducting

"anti-state propaganda".

2015 Feb- The government revoked license of outspoken newspaper

Nguoi Cao Tuoi website - "Elderly" in Vietnamese - after it had published articles which allegedly "abuse freedom and democratic rights".

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