The History of South Vietnam By Robert Cooley

Summary ► In this project I will be mainly looking at Southern Vietnam ► The South of the country was pro western and worked with America during the war ► Vietnam was split into North and South in 1954 ► The united states joined the war in 1957 because of the dividing of Vietnam by the communist North and America had air force bases in the South. ► The war was mainly a struggle between Americans and communist southern rebels

Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam is a country located near to Thailand it borders Cambodia and has had a very war torn past.

Geography ► Although many westerners still imagine the Vietnam war in reality a country filled with natural beauty and peaceful village life Its highlands and rainforest regions are home to many exotic animals ► Shaped like a big S Vietnam stretches all along the side of Thailand and Cambodia

Population facts ► South Vietnam also had a population of 16 million. Its first proper leader was Ngo Dinh Diem who was a fanatical catholic. As communism hated religion Diem hated all that communism stood for This is why he got America's support ► South Vietnam had a population of 16 million Its first proper leader was Ngo Dinh Diem who was a fanatical catholic As communism hated religion Diem hated all that communism stood for This is why he got Americas support ► Vietnam had a 16 million population before the war

South Vietnam before the war ► Before the war South Vietnam was ruled by colonial French but was relatively peaceful ► It was widely inhabited by rural villages and farmers ► This is the flag of South Vietnam

Ancient Vietnam ► Pre-historic Vietnamese of the Hoa Binh culture abandoned travelling life to settle in the Red River valley. They were hunters but they also cultivated plants for fruit and roots ► During the stone age period stone tools and weapons improved there was other crafts too including fabric making and rope making. Rice became the main diet and some bronze tools were introduced at around 4000 B.C

Language ► Vietnamese is the spoken language its spoken by an estimate of 86 percent of the people ► As the official language Vietnamese is thought in schools throughout Vietnam Since 1940 ► Vietnamese governments have made great progress in raising literacy rates and approximately 90 percent of the adult population is literate During the twentieth century the countries elite have learnt a variety of languages like French Russian and English with English being the mostly learned second language today

Language in south Vietnam

Ethnic Groups ► Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups most live in highland areas although some large groups such the Chinese live in lowland areas Since the1980s relations between ethnic groups have been good but conflict has been there a lot ► The biggest problem is the fight for food land etc between groups Some group members feel discriminated against and didn’t like government interfering in their lives ► The government which at one level supports ethnic diversity had bad times with groups it fears might become involved in antigovernment activities This has been the case with several highland groups in northern and central Vietnam the ethnic Chinese many fled Vietnam at the time of the Vietnam War and China's brief border war in 1979

A Typical ethnic groups home in Vietnam

Food ► Vietnamese often accompany main dishes with leafy vegetables and small bowls of salty sauces that they dip their food Popular dishes include sauteed vegetables tofu a seafood-based broth with vegetables called canh, and a variety of pork fish or meat dishes ► The main diet is rice and fish Vietnam is known in china for having salty and very nice sauces to go with all types of food ► The big cities have restaurants offering Vietnamese and international foods but for most Vietnamese food consumed outside of the home is taken at street side stalls or small shops that only make one dish The most popular item is a noodle soup with a clear meat broth called pho Many Vietnamese regard this as a national dish Other foods commonly consumed at these sites include other types of rice or soups rice porridge desserts

Industries ► Industrial output is evenly split between all parts Since the 80s Vietnam has promoted foreign investment resulting in a very fast growth in output by that part International corporations have been most active in mining electronics assembly and the production of clothes and shoes usually for export Corruption and an unclear legal system have really limited Vietnams ability to bring more foreign investment since the 1997 A financial crisis Vietnamese state owned factories produce a number of things for local consumption like smokes alcohol fertilizer cement food paper glass rubber and appliances like cookers for a house

saigon ► Ho Chi Minh City began as a small fishing village known as Prey Nokor The area that the city is in now was swampland and was owned by Khmer people for centuries before the arrival of the Vietnamese the Khmer wanted that Southern Vietnam was given to the Vietnamese government as a place for the marriage of a Vietnamese princess to a Khmer prince in order to stop constant invasions and pillaging of Khmer villages

Famine ► In the summer of 1945 a bad famine hit Hanoi and some places around the city eventually resulting in two million deaths from starvation out of a population of ten million The famine starts political unrest and peasant revolts against the Japanese and remnants of French colonial society Ho Chi Minh capitalizes on the turmoil by successfully spreading his Viet Minh movement

Facts ► In 1977 border clashes between Vietnam and Cambodia were bad as well as accusations by its former ally Beijing that Chinese residents of Vietnam were being persucuted Beijing cut off all aid and took away 800 technicians. ► Hanoi was also occupied with a continuing war in Cambodia where Vietnamese troops had invaded and overthrown the countrys Communist leader Pol Pot and his pro-Chinese regime. In early 1979, Vietnam was conducting a two-front war defending its northern border against a Chinese invasion and supporting its army in Cambodia, which was still fighting Pol Pots Khmer Rouge guerrillas.

Facts ► The U.S lifted a Vietnamese trade embargo in Febuary 1994 that had been in place since U.S involvement in the war ► In November 2001 Vietnams national assembly approved a trade agreement that opened U.S markets to Vietnams goods and services tariffs on Vietnams products dropped to about 4% from rates as high as 40% Vietnam in return opened its state markets to foreign competition ► Vietnam became the 150th member of the World Trade Organization in January 2007 after waiting 12 years to join the group ► Vietnam became the 150th member of the World Trade Organization in January 2007 after waiting 12 years to join the group

Bibliography ► Vietnam,History,Geography,Government ► An introduction to Vietnam ► Ask.com ► Ask about.com