A Vietnam Country Review History Essay

Vietnam as we know is approximately 331,688 km² in area but it does not include the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands, it is larger than Italy and almost the same size as Germany. Vietnam is located in South East Asia, bordered to the north near China, to the west near Laos and Cambodia and to the east, by the Pacific Ocean. The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi, it is located in the north and is the second largest city in Vietnam, as the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years now, and Hanoi is considered to be one of the cultural centres of Vietnam, where most of the Vietnamese dynasties had left behind their imprint. After that I will summarize some culture of Vietnam.

First of all, the Culture of Vietnam, or in particular the culture of the Kinh ethnic origin in the northern Vietnam, is one of the oldest cultures in the Pacific region. Although so, the major influence is China, Vietnam’s culture had created a lot of features, quite similar to the other people of East Asia and other countries in the Pacific Ocean (such as Cambodia , Laos and Thailand) that have suffered a major cultural influence by India.

Nowadays, the culture of Vietnam has changed from time to time, it is a special blend of the many ancient cultures with the indigenous culture of the Vietnamese. Other than the influence of China, the cultures of the Vietnamese people are also influenced by the Western culture. Some examples of the Vietnamese culture are: food, apparel, religion, and the cultural territory.

Body

Climate

First of all I will talk about the climate in the south of Vietnam, it is located in the tropical monsoon equatorial so it has a very high temperature throughout the year and it only has two seasons, which are rainy and dry. The rainy season begins from the month of May to November and dry season will begin from the month of December to April the following year. Because the south rainy season is longer than the dry season, so this has some sort of influence in the change of culture I ways of food to the culture in the south, the central, and the north of Vietnam.

As we know the cuisine of Vietnam is very famous around the world, Ho Chi Minh City’s cuisine is also partly reflected by the cultural life and natural minerals, its cuisine is influenced by the French cuisine, Cambodian cuisine and the Thai cuisine. Today, the specialties are easily found at Ho Chi Minh, it is a combination of the food from the North, Middle, South and international cuisines, for example: sour soup is a combination of the sour salty of the north, spicy peppers of the central, and sweet fresh of the south. Another example is the beef steaks which are thinner and more mature and it is also spicier vegetables served with it compared to France.

By contract, the nature of the part middle of Vietnam is it has a very hard climate, it is influenced by the sea breezes as well as the mountain winds. The people living here are austere and rich energetic. The Central Food has food that are very spicy, very spicy-hot, as positive (for the cold when it comes to soaking in water and odor resistant nature of the seafood capital nature-sound welding) and it is very salty. The food materials are often simple, but if you ever have the opportunity to really enjoy, it will be an experience that will never be forgotten.

Besides that, for the north of Vietnam which Hanoi is the capital, the season of Hanoi has four seasons: summer, spring, winter, autumn. So the culture of Hanoi people is more confidential and always upholds their cultural pride with elegance. Hanoi’s cuisine is not spicy, their flavors are mainly using fish sauces. The cuisine of Hanoi is still considered of elegance, sophistication and harmony from color to flavor. The richness and diversity of the cuisines of Hanoi is the consequence of the weather. So that is why I think the change of climate can help my country to improve our cuisine.

Topography

The topography of Vietnam mostly consists of hills, mountains, forests and the sea. Moreover, the country has two major river deltas, the Red River Delta in the north and the Mekong Delta in the south. Based on abundance of topography I will analyze the influence they have toward our culture.

First of all, the North is covered by mountains, and that is why the culture of the North has a close relationship with China and Laos and there are ethnic people living near the mountains. So that can help them to practice commerce and trade with each other through the day market at the borders. It is very good as it can help the people of Vietnam to exchange cultures with the other country.

Secondly, the middle of Vietnam are mostly adjoins with the East Sea in the east and Truong Son Mountain on the west, and it also is very good to exchange seafood with other countries.

Finally in the South, there’s the Mekong River Delta, which is approximately 40,000 km2. The region has very good climate conditions for agriculture and as a result, the Delta is the largest rice growing region in Vietnam. The South people’s culture is mainly based on working. Every day they are obliged to wake up early for work. Based on topography of the life, the South people live better than Middle.

Nature resources

All natural resources of Vietnam are mainly oil and gas, mineral resources (anthracite) and other resources (marine resources, tropical forest, and agricultural potential). The country has 4 world heritages accepted by UNESCO, it also has beautiful beaches, national ecological forests, countryside, high-land and historic places. Based on the abundance of natural resource, I will explain some natural resources that will influence Vietnam’s culture.

As I mention before, Vietnam has a lot of rivers and the sea. With people live near the river or the sea, they have cultures that are religious, which means that before they go fishing on the sea or rivers, they always pray which is believed that they will be assured. Actually, it also creates a superstition in here that is spiritual culture of the coastal fishermen festival. It is a part of the traditional culture and its customs are passed down from one generation to the next. However it does not affect the economy.

In the past, Vietnam was so poor due to the war. But after that people lived in Vietnam were diversified from natural resources so that they can change from nomadic culture to civilized culture. So anywhere that has good natural resources, it always have a good population. It’s a stimulant factor of the Vietnamese culture. However, the downside of it is that the forests could be excessively exploited and this definitely is causing a great impact on the society’s life of the area.

Conclusion

After I analysis three of geographical factors that can influence culture in Vietnam are: Topography, Climate and Natural Resources. The cultures of Vietnam has a lots of differences changes follow each of part of Vietnam (South, North, and Middle), from the past to future time. Nowadays, the culture of Vietnam has changed, from time to time, it is a special blend of the many ancient cultures with the indigenous culture of the Vietnamese. Based on some change of geographical that why government have some change for policy, innovation, and integration. It can help spirit for promote the social to progress. So I can believe “renew culture in the quest to promote social progress in Vietnam today.”