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Thursday, November 23, 2017

Vietnam, Cool Facts #197

<= 196. Thailand                                                                                                                198. Iran => 



1. Chinese Rule in Vietnam 

Van Lang is considered the first Vietnamese state, which was ruled by the Hong Bang dynasty. Later Van Lang and Nam Cuong merged to from the Au Lac. In 207BC Au Lac was consolidated into Nanyue after the Chinese general Zhao Tuo defeated An Duong Vuong. In 111BC Nanyue was then incorporated into China after the Han-Nanyue War and for the next millennium northern Vietnam was part of China. 

There were early independence movements during the Chinese rule like the Trung Sisters or Lady Trieu, which were only temporarily successful. The region gained a longer period of independence as Van Xuan under the Anterior Ly dynasty. By the early 900s Vietnam had gained autonomy under the Khuc family, but not independence. 

Vietnam achieved full independence in 938, when Ngo Quyen defeated the Han Chinese forces and ended the Chinese domination in present-day Vietnam. 

Four Chinese domination periods of Vietnam

First Chinese domination: 111BC-40 
Second Chinese domination: 43-544
Third Chinese domination: 602-938
Fourth Chinese domination: 1407-1427

Chinese Han Dynasty expansion in Southeast Asia


2. The Vietnamese State of Dai Viet 

Dai Viet means literally Great Viet and it's the name of Vietnam for the periods from 1054 to 1400 and from 1428 to 1804. 

Since the rule of Dinh Tien Hoang (968-979) the country had been officially referred as Dai Co Viet and it was renamed Dai Viet in 1054 by Ly Thanh Tong, the third Ly emperor. 

The Dai Viet successfully stopped the attacks by the Khmer Empire in 1128, 1132 and 1138.
Dai Viet repelled three Mongol invasions in the 1200s during the rule of the Tran dynasty.  
Between 1400-1407 the name of the state was Dai Ngu and from 1407 to 1428 it was Giao Chi, during the brief rule of Ming China in Vietnam. 

Dai Viet conquered the Kingdom of Champa in 1471, but in the following centuries there was a lot of internal strife in Vietnam. The Chinese-supported Mac dynasty challenged the Le dynasty's power. The Mac dynasty was defeated and the Le dynasty was nominally reinstalled to power, but in this point the real power was divided between the northern Trinh lords and the southern Nguyen lords.

The Nguyen lords and Trinh lords fought a civil war for four decades before a truce in the 1670s. Vietnam was unified again in 1778 by the Tay Son dynasty, but only until 1802. Dai Viet came to an end in 1802, when the Nguyen dynasty took the power and the name of the country was changed to Viet Nam by emperor Gia Long (Nguyen Anh).




3. Vietnam part of French Indochina 

Between 1859-1885 France gradually eroded Vietnam's independence in a series of military conquests, which were aided by Catholic militias. 

Cochinchina 1862
In 1862 the sourthern third of Vietnam became the French colony of Cochinchina

Tonkin and Annam 1883
In 1883 Tonkin and Annam became under French rule.

French Indochina 1887
In 1887 the three Vietnamese areas of Cochinchina, Tonkin and Annam were grouped together with Cambodia to form French Indochina. Laos was added in French Indochina later in 1893.

French Indochina influence
The French administration significantly changed the Vietnamese society politically and culturally. A Western-style modern education was developed and Roman Catholicism was propagated. Most French settlers in Indochina lived in Cochinchina and especially in the region of Saigon. The royalist Can Vuong movement rebelled against the French rule for a decade, but they were defeated in the 1890s. Guerrillas of the movement killed about one third of Vietnam's Christian population. The French cultivated tobago, indigo, tea and coffee in Vietnam. France largely ignored the calls for Vietnamese self-government and civil rights. The Yen Bai mutiny was suppressed easily in Vietnam and despite the nationalist movements in the country, France maintained full control of its colonies until World War II.

End of French rule 1954
Japan occupied Vietnam in World War II after the invasion in 1940. Imperial Japan permitted the pro-Vichy French colonial administration to continue. In March 1945 Japan made a full-scale takeover of the country, exploiting Vietnam's natural resources to support its military campaigns and causing the Vietnamese famine of 1945 killing up to 2 million people. After the defeat of Japan in World War II, France tried to restore its colonial rule and this started the First Indochina War. In 1954 France finally lost the war and French Indochina was officially dissolved and as a result Vietnam was also partitioned into two parts.


French Indochina 1887-1954


4. Vietnam - Communist Country  

By 2017 only 5 countries in the world are one party Communist countries. 

World's remaining Communist countries: 

North Korea - since 1948
China - since 1949
Cuba - since 1961
Laos - since 1975
Vietnam - since 1976

Communism in Vietnam 
North Vietnam declared itself Communist in 1945. South Vietnam was supported by the Americans and they opposed Communism. North Vietnam and South Vietnam fought the Vietnam War in 1955-1975, which was finally won by North Vietnam. In 1976 the country unified and Vietnam as a whole became a Communist country. 

Vietnam Economy 
- Vietnam is estimated to be the 21st largest economy by 2025 by Goldman Sachs
- Vietnamese economy is shaped primarily by the Vietnamese Communist Party in Five Year Plans
- Vietnam's economy has been plagued by inefficiency, poor quality, underproduction, corruption in state-owned companies and restrictions on economic activity
- 3rd largest oil-producer in Southeast Asia
- Manufacturing and services each account for 40% of the GDP
- 48% of the labour force in agriculture
- USA purchases the highest amount of Vietnam's exports
- Chinese goods the most popular Vietnamese import
- Largest producer of cashew nuts with a global share of 33%
- Largest producer of black pepper
- 2nd largest rice exporter after Thailand
- 2nd largest coffee exporter
- Other important exports include tea, rubbery and fishery products

Floating market at Mekong Delta

Vietnam's exports


5. Ecology and Biodiversity in Vietnam 

- Vietnam is one of 25 countries considered to have a uniquely high level of biodiversity
- Vietnam is 16th worldwide in biological biodiversity
- Vietnam is the home of 16% of the world's species
- 15,986 of flora have been identified in Vietnam, of which 10% endemic
- 310 mammals, 840 birds, 120 amphibians, 260 reptiles, 7750 insects
- 78 mammals and 100 birds are endemic
- Vietnam has 1437 species of freshwater microalgae, which is 9,6% of all microalgae species
- Recently 6 new mammal and 1 bird species have been discovered in Vietnam
- The last individual of Javan rhinoceros was reportedly shot in 2010 in Vietnam
- In 2004 Vietnam spent 49,07 million dollars on the preservation of biodiversity
- Two World Heritage Sites: Halong Bay and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
- Six biosphere reserves:  Cần Giờ Mangrove ForestCát TiênCát BàKiên Giang, the Red River Delta, and Western Nghệ An


Halong Bay


Timeline

1000BC The kingdoms of Van Lang and Au Lac appeared at the time when wet-rice cultivation and bronze casting were developed 
257BC The Au Lac was formed 
207BC Au Lac was consolidated into Nanyue after the Chinese general Zhao Tuo defeated An Duong Vuong 
111BC Nanyue was incorporated into China and for the next 1000 years northern Vietnam was part of China 
938 Ngo Quyen defeated the Han Chinese forces and achieved full independence for Vietnam after a millennium of Chinese domination 
1200s Dai Viet repelled three Mongol invasions
1471 Champa kingdom was conquered and in the next centuries Dai Viet was split into two parts
1600s French missionaries and traders started arriving to Vietnam
1800s General Nguyen Anh unified Vietnam 
1859-1885 France gradually eroded Vietnam's independence in a series of military conquests
1862 The southern third of Vietnam became the French colony of Cochinchina
1884 The entire country was under French rule with the central and northern parts of Vietnam separated in the two protectorates of Annam and Tonkin
1887 Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin were formally integrated into the union of French Indochina
1920s The nationalistic flag was changed and the French colonial rule aroused discontent leading into several uprisings and independence movements
1940 Japan invaded French Indochina
1941 The Viet Minh, a communist and nationalist movement, emerged under Ho Chi Minh
1945 Japan was defeated in the war and Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent from France
1946 First Indochina War started after the Viet Minh launched a guerrilla campaign against the French, who tried to restore their colonial rule
1954 France lost the First Indochina War and French Indochina was officially dissolved and as a result Vietnam was also partitioned into two parts
1956 The elections weren't held, because there was the fear that Ho Chi Minh's Communist party would have won the elections
1960 National liberation front FNL was established in South Vietnam
1960s USA started giving military aid to the government of South Vietnam 
1963 President of South Vietnam and his brother were assassinated in a coup
1965 USA became involved in ground combat operations in the war between North and South Vietnam
1973 All American troops were withdrawn
1975 Fall of Saigon, North Vietnam occupied Saigon
1976 Vietnam War was over, North and South Vietnam merged to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
1978 Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia and overthrew the Khmer Rouge, who had been attacking Vietnamese border villages
1989 Vietnam withdrew their last troops from Cambodia 

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