Historiographical essay on u.s. and vietnam relations between 1970-2000

I. Introduction

Located in Southeastern Asia, east of Laos and Cambodia and bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, lies a country completely occupied by France until 1884. A country declared independent after World War II, yet remained under French rule until 1954 when communist forces, led by Ho Chi Minh overthrew the French and took over the North. This country, officially named the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (SRV for short), is more commonly known today as Vietnam.

Eighty-seven percent of the citizens of Vietnam are ethnic Vietnamese, while three percent are Chinese. They and the rest of the inhabitants of Vietnam speak mainly Vietnamese, English, French, Khmer, or another tribal language. The most common religions are Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, Muslim, and Protestant. The life expectancy of the total population is 69.27 years, with women expected to live 5.03 years longer than men.

Vietnam, with a population of 78,773,873, has a population growth rate of 1.49%. They average 21.62 births and 6.26 deaths a year per every thousand people. Hanoi, the capital, is one of the major cities along with Ho Chi Minh City, (known as Saigon), Haiphong, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Hue. September 2, 1945 is their date of independence from France and is celebrated nationally as their Independence Day. The Constitution was written April 15, 1992. The Government type is a Communist state, with the legal system based on communist legal theory and French civil law system. The Executive branch includes President Tran Duc Luong and Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh, along with Prime Minister Phan Van Khai.(Shelton Woods Pp. 38)

Thesis Statement

Although many people suffered because of the Vietnam War, there were also benefits. The possibility for democracy made the Vietnamese want to fight.

II. Official Name and Geographical Data

The republic of Vietnam covers a total area of 329,560 sq. km, which is slightly larger than New Mexico. It bears a tropical climate in the south and is frequently hit with monsoons in the north. Vietnam is generally low and flat in the north and south with highlands in the central regions. There are occasional typhoons during the months of May to January, often flooding the area. Mountains can be found in the far north and northwest. The lowest point in Vietnam is the South China Sea and the highest point in Ngoc Linh at 3,143 meters above sea level. The natural resources of Vietnam include phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, and hydropower. Seventeen percent of the land is arable, with permanent crops and pastures occupying 5% of available land. Forests and woodlands account for thirty percent of the land.

III. The People

Ethnicities, Education, Population numbers, Health, Religion

Today there are about 75 million people in Vietnam. Eighty percent of these are ethnic Vietnamese, while the remaining twenty percent comprises more than fifty separate ethnic groups. About seven million of these ethnic minorities are members of the hill tribes or montagnards ...