Curving along the eastern edge of the Indochina Peninsula, Vietnam shares long stretches of its borders with Cambodia, Laos and the South China Sea. Occupied by the French until 1954, a communist state emerged in 1975 after the People’s Army of the north and Viet Cong guerilla fighters defeated the anti-communist south. The bitter war garnered international attention and participation, especially from the United States, at a critical juncture in the Cold War era in which communism was gaining ground on the global stage.
“Doi moi” economic policy reforms beginning in 1986 have helped The Socialist Republic of Vietnam transition to a more modern, competitive nation. State-owned enterprises and agriculture, which once monopolized the economy, are losing prominence as the nation works to achieve sustainable development through more open trade and industry, including food processing, garment manufacturing, machine-building and mining. The United States is now the nation’s most prominent trade partner.
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Vietnam is densely populated and growing quickly, with about a third of the population living in bustling cities. More than 7 million people live in Ho Chi Minh City, the southern city named after the Communist-era nationalist leader. War ravaged much of Vietnam’s landscape, but fantastic caves, imperial landmarks and emerald island coves remain. Pho, a brothy noodle soup, and a growing culinary arts scene have garnered global attention.
Vietnam’s continued efforts to lessen international isolation are evidenced by its membership in the World Trade Organization in 2007 and participation in free trade negotiations with the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2010. It is also a member of the United Nations, the ASEAN Regional Forum and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, among other international organizations.