Vietnam

Vietnam - Is officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam is an Asian Country and shares borders with China, Laos, Cambodia, the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin. Vietnam was once part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Vietnam was then divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to help the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. The country continues to experience protests from various groups over religious persecution. Economically Vietnam has seen its ups and downs, Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December 2001 have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade and economic regime. Vietnam's exports to the US increased 900% from 2001 to 2007. Deep poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of China, India, and the Philippines.
Vietnam has been inhabited since Paleolithic times, and some archaeological sites in Thanh Hoa Province date back several thousand years. Archaeologists link the beginnings of Vietnamese civilization to the late Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, Phung-nguyen culture, from about 2000 to 1400 BCE.