|
Its
highlands and rainforest regions, far from being devastated,
continue to yield new species and team with exotic wildlife.
Its islands and beaches are among the finest in all
of Southeast Asia, and its cuisine is very possibly
the most delicious you will ever find. Over two decades
have passed since Vietnam was officially united, and
in that time it has done a remarkable job of healing
its wounds. Today, this gracious and graceful country
is an outstanding travel destination.
Shaped
like an elongated S, Vietnam stretches the length of
the Indochinese Peninsula and covers a surface area
of 128,000 square miles--making it roughly the size
of Italy or, in the U.S., New Mexico. China lies to
the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the South
China Sea to the east.
The
people of Vietnam regained independence and broke away
from China in AD 938 after their victory at the battle
of Bach Ðang River. Successive dynasties flourished
along with geographic and political expansion deeper
into Southeast Asia, until it was colonized by the French
in the mid-19th century. Efforts to resist the French
eventually led to their expulsion from the country in
the mid-20th century, leaving a nation divided politically
into two countries. Fighting between the two sides continued
during the Vietnam War, ending with a North Vietnamese
victory in 1975.
|
