The Socialist republic of Vietnam is a country in south east Asia. It has a total area of 329,560 km2. The climate is tropical in the south; monsoon in the north with a hot, rainy season from mid-May to mid-September and a warm, dry season from mid-October to mid-March. The terrain is low, with a flat delta in the south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in the far north and north-west. Natural resources are phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil deposits and forests. The religion is Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Muslim and Protestant. The language official language is Vietnamese with French, Chinese, English, Khmer, and a large number of tribal languages also spoken. Vietname was founded in 208 BC and remained under Chinese rule until 939 AD when part of the country broke free and declared independence. France established a proctorate in the country during the 1860's. Resistance to French rule culminated in independence in 1954. The country then split into two: a Communist North and a pro-Western South which, supported by the USA, declared war upon the North until 1975 when the Communist North defeated the South and unified the country, the republic being declared in 1976. Research Vietnam
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Gazetteer
Research Vietnam