The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam)

Vietnam is the easternmost nation on the Indochina Peninsula. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. On the country's east coast lies the East Sea.

Country's official name throughout history: Van Lang (2876 BC – 258 BC), Au Lac (257 BC – 207 BC), Van Xuan (544-602), Dai Co Viet (968 – 1054), Dai Viet (1054 – 1802), Dai Ngu (1400 – 1406), and Viet Nam.

In the 10th century AD, the Vietnamese had won their freedom and built up an independent state named Dai Viet. The country was under the ruling of many national feudal dynasties

In the middle of 19th century (1858), French colonialists began to invade Vietnam. The incompetent government of the Nguyen gradually gave in and from 1884

In the spring of 1975, the patriotic armed forces of Vietnam swept across the country in the great general offensive and overthrew the Saigon government. The southern part of Vietnam was liberated and the country was united as one.

At the 6th Congress of the Communist Party in 1986, the Doi Moi (reform) policy was launched with the focus on economic reform

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) was established on February 3, 1930. Over the past 75 years, the CPV has been in the vanguard of the struggle for national independence

Vietnam is subdivided into 59 provinces and 5 province-level cities, which are further subdivided into districts and municipalities

Agriculture and forestry (20.4% of GDP, 2006): Principal products--rice, maize, sweet potato, peanut, soya bean, cotton, coffee, cashews. Cultivated land--12.2 million hectares. Land use--21% arable; 28% forest and woodland; 51% other.