VIETNAM: Virtual Tour

Located in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is a fascinating country with 3500km of beautiful coastline.

Rich in cultural diversity, Vietnam has an estimated population of 82 million people.

The people are warm and friendly.

High mountains with rich rain forests give way to beautiful fertile valleys and river deltas where farmers grow rice and vegetables.

Ingenious systems of canals and irrigation often allow for two or three crops of rice each year.

The capital city of Hanoi is located on the Red River in the north.

The other major city, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), is located in the south just northeast of the Mekong River Delta.

During the 1960s and early 70s, Vietnam received international attention as news broadcasts reported on the lengthy struggle for national unity under a communist regime.

The heavy US involvement led the Vietnamese to characterize the conflict as the American War, the reference used still today.

Over the 11 year war, an estimated 4 million people lost their lives.

In the end, North Vietnam prevailed and the country was unified under a communist regime in 1975.

Today, Vietnam is a country at peace that is slowly opening its doors to the world.

Throughout its known history, most of the people of Vietnam have lived in rural areas where the dominant activity has been the cultivation of rice grown in flooded fields.

Others reside on houseboats making a living through whatever the ocean provides.

Recent economic reforms have allowed individuals to start up small businesses where they are free to build personal incomes.

Though the people are ingenious and industrious, the country is one of the poorest in Asia.

The average income is under $300US a year. The great majority of the population lives in rural areas where the average income is much less.

While the communal structure provides a level of food security not found in other developing nations, freedom of expression, assembly, and religion are very limited.

Traditionally, Buddhism is considered to be the primary religion of Vietnam.

A closer look would reveal a complicated mix of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and ancestor worship.

Vietnam has a strong elementary education system and enjoys one of the highest literacy rates in the world for a developing nation.

Unfortunately the structure of higher education in Vietnam is weak and only a chosen few are able to go on to high school or college.

Vietnam is a country that is undergoing rapid changes.

While still maintaining a communistic identity today, the people of Vietnam are embracing western culture through the influence of world media and the information age.

As Vietnam seeks to find its place in today's global village its biggest challenge will be to find a safe and secure transition to a free society where its citizens will be given the opportunity and encouragement to reach their full potential.

Thank you for visiting Vietnam!