Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Vietnam gained its independence from China in 938 AD. For about the next 1000 years, they saw many successful dynasties gain control, and also conquer neighboring countries. The most successful ones were the Lý, Trần, Hồ, and Lê Dynasties.
Vietnam is the most eastern country of the Indochina peninsula. It is positioned with China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the South China Sea to the east.
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About Vietnam
The name Việt Nam can be traced back to the Triệu Dynasty from 2nd century BC. The country's name was officially changed to Vietnam in 1945. Until then, most residents called it Annam.
The main industries of Cambodia include rice, coffee, rubber, cotton, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, and peanuts.
85% of Vietnamese people practice Mahayana Buddhism. Other religions include Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Catholocism, and Islam.
Like Laos and Cambodia, Vietnam was conquered as part of French colonialism. They were part of French Indochina from 1858 to 1954.
The country of Vietnam has an area of 127,800 square miles. That is almost twice the size of Cambodia, and about the same size as New Mexico!
Much of Vietnam has a tropical or monsoonal climate. The rainy season is from May to September, the dry season is from October to April. The highest peak is in the north, named Fan Si Pan, and is 10,314 ft tall.
There are 231 mammals that live in Vietnam. 47 of these species are protected as an endangered species.
The children of Vietnam love to play soccer, and also spend a lot of time practicing different types of martial arts. The most popular tends to be Việt Võ Đạo.
In Vietnam, every male older than age 18 is obligated to serve at least 2 years in the military
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Vietnamese Money
Currency: Vietnamese Dong
*$1 US will get you 20,600 Dong
*The word Dong means Copper in Vietnamese
*The Dong is the 2nd least valued currency in the world--only Romania is less
Learn Khmer Phrases!
Hello/Goodbye Chào
Thank You Cảm ơn
You're Welcome Không sao đâu
How are you? Khỏe không?
Fine, Thank You Khoẻ, cảm ơn
Excuse me xin lổi
Khmer Numbers!
one một
two hai
three ba
four bốn
five năm
six sáu
seven bảy
eight tám
nine chín
ten mười
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Animals
Indochinese Tiger: Tehy live in secluded forests in hilly to mountainous terrain, the majority of which lies along the borders between countries. Entrance to these areas is frequently restricted and as of late biologists have been granted limited permits for field surveys. For this reason, comparatively little is known about the status of these big cats in the wild.
Agile Gibbon: T
hese vocal apes spend almost all of their lives in the trees and rarely visit the jungle floor.
Asian Elephant: Asian elephants tend to live a very long time. The oldest elephant recorded was 86 years old!
Blood Python: These guys grow to 8 feet long. They are a browning color with deep red coloring on the back.
Leopard Cat: About the size of a regular house cat, leopard cats are carnivorous wildcats that live in the jungles of Asia. They can be kept as pets, but require a special licesne. Until recently, the Leopard Cat was hunted for its fur!
Pot Bellied Pig: This loving creature can actually be a house pet! The recent fad of having a pot-bellied pig instead of a dog or cat has invaded Europe and America. However, several have popped up in shelters or on farms as owners constantly underestimate the size their little porker will reach after a few years...
Water Monitor: These fellas grow between 4 and 10.5 feet in length. Crocodile eggs are one of their favorite foods! Parental Fact: The 1990 movie "The Freshman" staring Marlon Brando & Mathew Broderick features a Water Monitor in place of the iconic Komodo Dragon!
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Fun Facts
A tradition for over 1,000 years, or water puppetry, is a very fun and exciting show that was unknown to foreigners until the 1960's. If you get to see one, watch out--you might get wet if you're sitting in the front!
Vietnam is 1,000 miles from north to south, but at its narrowest width, it is only 30 miles from east to west!
The most popular last name is 'Nguyen' (pronounced 'win'). About 60% of the population sports this name!
A specialty to Vietnam is ruou ran, or snake wine. It is a rice wine that has a pickled snake in it, and has been used for a long time to cure different ailments, like night blindness. I will be visiting a school in the town of Sihanoukville. Since it is a school for under-privileged children, we are bringing art supplies to help their creativity!
Vietnam is the biggest exporter of cashews in the world! They also come in a close second when it comes to rice and coffee beans.
