Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Map & History
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of Mainland Southeast Asia.
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Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of Mainland Southeast Asia. With an area of about 331,000 square kilometres and a population of over 102 million, it is the world's 16th-most populous country. One of two communist states in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is bordered by China to the north, and Laos and Cambodia to the west; it lies along the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest and the South China Sea to the east, where it has shared and disputed maritime borders with other countries. Its capital is Hanoi, while its largest city is Ho Chi Minh City.
Modern Countries Once Part of Socialist Republic of Vietnam
At its mapped extent, Socialist Republic of Vietnam covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Socialist Republic of Vietnam's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Depth
History
Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of humans in what is now Vietnam as early as the Paleolithic age. Stone artefacts excavated in Gia Lai province have been claimed to date to 780,000 years ago, based on associated find of tektites, however this claim has been challenged because tektites are often found in archaeological sites of various ages in Vietnam. Homo erectus fossils dating to around 500,000 BC have been found in caves in Lạng Sơn and Nghệ An provinces in northern Vietnam. The oldest Homo sapiens fossils from Mainland Southeast Asia are of Middle Pleistocene provenance, and include isolated tooth fragments from Tham Om and Hang Hum.
Government and politics
Vietnam is a unitary communist state that self-designates as a socialist republic, one of the two communist states (the other being Laos) in Southeast Asia. Although Vietnam remains officially committed to socialism as its defining creed, some external observers have stated its economic policies have grown increasingly capitalist, with The Economist characterising its leadership as "ardently capitalist communists". Under the constitution, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) asserts their role in all sectors of the country's politics.
Economy
Throughout the history of Vietnam, its economy has been based largely on agriculture—primarily wet rice cultivation. Bauxite, an important material in the production of aluminium, is mined in central Vietnam. Since reunification, the country's economy is shaped primarily by the CPV through Five-Year Plans decided upon at the plenary sessions of the Central Committee and national congresses. The collectivisation of farms, factories, and capital goods was carried out as part of the establishment of central planning, with millions of people working for state enterprises. Under strict state control, Vietnam's economy continued to be plagued by inefficiency, corruption in state-owned enterprises, poor quality, and underproduction.
Culture
Vietnamese culture is mainly regarded as part of the Sinosphere. Vietnam's culture has developed over the centuries from the indigenous ancient Đông Sơn culture with wet rice cultivation as its economic base. Many elements of the nation's culture have Chinese origins, drawing on elements of Confucianism, Mahāyāna Buddhism, and Taoism in its traditional political system and philosophy. Historically, Vietnamese society has been structured around làng (villages). Vietnamese mark a common ancestral anniversary on the tenth day of the third lunar month. The influence of Chinese culture is more evident in the north, affecting both elite traditions and popular customs.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Vietnam (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Key Facts
| Official language | Vietnamese |
|---|---|
| Religions | Catholicism, Protestantism, Caodaism |
| Form of government | unitary state, one-party state |
| Currency | Vietnamese đồng |
| Founded | 2 July 1976 |
Preceded by
- Dai Viet
- Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam
- North Vietnam
Facts from Wikidata Q881 (CC0).
Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Socialist Republic of Vietnam exist?
Socialist Republic of Vietnam is dated to 1976 CE – 2024 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of Socialist Republic of Vietnam?
The capital of Socialist Republic of Vietnam was Hanoi.
How large was Socialist Republic of Vietnam at its peak?
At its peak in 2024 Socialist Republic of Vietnam covered about 337,618 km².
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