Vietnam Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Vietnam - Term Paper Example The climate of the Vietnam is mostly monsoonal in the North and tropical towards the south (Tucker 30). Among the natural resources that the country enjoys include coal, phosphates, bauxite, offshore oil and gas, hydropower, manganese and chromate. The country normally suffers from occasional typhoons, which may occur any time from May to January. These typhoons are accompanied by extensive flooding especially along the banks of the Mekong River (Ray, Dragicevish and Louis 45). History The history of Vietnam dates back to over 2700 years ago. Back then it used to be part of the Chinese Empire. The first inhabitants of the country were at first scattered in the Northern part. The country has a rich history in its relations with its largest neighbor, China. It was under Chinese rule until 939 AD when it gained independence (Gainsworth 34). The country flourished under the Ly Dynasty which was in power for 200 years, from 1010 to 1225. Under the Ly Dynasty, Vietnamese continued living u nder Chinese social and political institutions. For instance, their children were schooled following the Confucianism System that was popular in China at the time. However, native forms of social expression were common especially at the village level. These native forms and cultural expressions helped the Vietnamese create vibrant traditions of their own (Largo 12). Under the Ly dynasty, Vietnam was mostly an agricultural economy and rice was the country’s main staple food. Feudal system of land ownership flourished during this period. However, there also existed a class of powerful landlords who exerted influence separate from the feudal lords. Apart from agriculture, commerce was also an important mainstay of the Vietnamese economy. The local craft industry was among the most vibrant in the region and many products from the country could be found in the major markets of Asia. However, unlike its neighbors, Vietnam never ventured into international trade, and therefore, it r arely featured in regional trade activities (Tucker 58). During the 19th century, Vietnam became involved with the French. The French helped Nguyen Anh seize power in the hopes that he would help them in their trading and missionary endeavors. However, this was not to be as Nguyen was highly suspicious of French intentions. Many missionaries and their converts were killed by Nguyen forces, and this led to an intervention by Emperor Napoleon III. After several invasions from French forces, Vietnam finally accepted French control in the country. However, the French occupation of the country was not to last as Vietnamese soon started revolting against their colonizers (Gainsworth 134). In 1954, after years of civil strife, the French decided to grant the Vietnamese nationals their freedom. The two sides agreed to temporarily divide the country into two before full independence could be attained. The Vietnamese nationals, led by the Viet Minh took over the north in Hanoi while the Frenc h and their supports took control of the south and established their base at Saigon. The Northern Viet Minh established a communist society while the South under Ngo Dinh Diem built a strong anti communist regime (Largo 47). However, Diem’s regime was a dictatorial one and his failure to establish strong economic and political reforms made him unpopular in the South. His refusal to reunite with the communist North put him in even more trouble. In 1963, Diem was overthrown and assassinated by his own forces.