 For many years, Vietnam formed part of the French colony of Indochina, along with Cambodia and Laos. In 1941, the Japanese occupied Vietnam during their World War II sweep through South-East Asia. The resistance to the Japanese was led by the Indochinese Communist Party.
Following the Japanese defeat in 1945, the Communists proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In 1946, France sent a large expeditionary force to re-establish their control. After eight years of fierce fighting, the struggle ended in the defeat of the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu.
Shortly after a Western-backed government was installed in the south, the Communists began an insurgency to overthrow what they perceived as a puppet regime. The Americans, who had taken over from the French as the lead Western power in Vietnam, responded by sending increasing numbers of military 'advisers'.
By 1962, their numbers had reached 12,000 and the stage was set for a full-scale war between the southern Communist guerrillas (known as the Viet Cong), the North Vietnam Army and the Soviet Union on one side, and the Americans and the South Vietnamese Army on the other side.
The Americans eventually withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam was reunified three years later, with the victory of the Communist forces and the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The Vietnamese army, the strongest in South-East Asia, has since clashed with Chinese troops and undertaken a full-scale invasion and occupation of Cambodia to drive out the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime.
After withdrawing from Cambodia in 1989, Vietnam concentrated on rebuilding its own economy, having introduced a home-grown version of perestroika, known as doi moi. Nonetheless, the Vietnamese economy suffered from the withdrawal of aid and subsidised goods from the former USSR and from Eastern Europe, as well as the continuing US-organised trade boycott instituted after the US withdrawal.
Relations with one of Vietnam’s historic enemies, the USA, eased after President Clinton disposed of the American trade embargo on Vietnam in 1994. Full diplomatic relations were restored the following year.
In the last decade, reforms have resulted in rapid economic growth but there has been no parallel development in the country's political environment – the Communist Party has no intention of relaxing its hold on political power and has been criticised by human rights groups for increasingly suppressing online dissent and freedom of expression.
Religion:
Buddhist majority. There are also Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaist and Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) minorities.
Social conventions:
Handshaking and a vocal greeting is normal. Clothing should be kept simple, informal and discreet. Avoid shorts if possible as they are usually only worn by children. Footwear should be removed when entering Buddhist pagodas. Vietnamese people should not be touched on the head.
Photography: There are restrictions at ports, airports and harbours, and in similar areas elsewhere. It is courteous to ask permission first before taking photographs of people.
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