Most Americans are familiar with the country Vietnam due to our role in the Vietnam War. Vietnam is a country that has been full of war, rebellion, and unrest with the Vietnam War only marking one instance. This was one of the bloodiest encounters in its time, though, and as a result, two thirds of the population was born after 1975.

Because of Vietnam’s political affiliation, it is known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The biggest weakness of the country has been the rebuilding process from its wars, causing it slower than usual reform and growth. It has been working diligently, though, and the recent milestones prove it. By the year 2000, Vietnam had established diplomatic relations with most countries and had one of the highest economic growth rates in the world. By 2007, they had joined the World Trade Organization, followed by becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2008. While these have been great strengths to the country, Vietnam still faces political issues in the human rights category. In a 2004 report by the Department of State, Vietnam ranked poorly due to imposing restrictions on things like freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and freedom of association, a major weakness.

The Vietnam War was responsible for destroying most of the Vietnamese economy. It relied heavily on rice farming, which took a devastating toll during the fighting. Since, though, the government has enacted a planned economy to help reinstate and recover their lost economic status. These measures have helped foster incredible growth and have brought its citizens out of what is known as deep poverty. Deep poverty is the percentage of citizens living on less than $1US per day. Education has also grown dramatically.

One of the major strengths of Vietnam is its education. It boasts one of the highest enrollment percentages in the world and the number of school and universities available to its citizens continues to climb. Outside of all of these factors, Vietnam is working heavily to establish itself as a tourism hub. The number of international tourists continues to increase every year and money is being poured into the areas surrounding its beaches and boat tours. English is also being taught to help eliminate the language barrier, one of the many strengths for tourists and tourism overall. Vietnam has had the monumental task of recovering from the Vietnam War. Its successes are finally starting to become apparent and the country is growing rapidly, both as an economy and as a tourism hub.

When visiting Vietnam, English is not widely known. Much of the youth have a basic handle on it but Vietnamese is still widely used throughout the country. As for money, the common currency is known as the Dong. It has stabilized over the years but can be hard to use and exchange outside of its borders. The US dollar is still widely accepted, though, making payment easy for many. The exchange rate is 18,000dong to $1US so it’s actually better to pay in Dong if possible.

When you are visiting, make sure you take in all there is for food. Food is one of the main staples of Vietnam and plays a major part in their culture. It can be found at the center of their daily rituals to their most major holidays. You should also make sure you don’t miss out on bia ho’i which is draft beer that is brewed daily. It can be found throughout the country and can be found easily. Use it as an opportunity to sit back, relax, and take in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Also, don’t think that lodging is an issue, either. You can find some scruffy hotels for as little as $4US per couple to some extravagant, high end resorts all throughout the country.

The crime rate in Vietnam is low, especially since the country is extremely keen on building up the industry. Punishments for crimes against tourists are severe, resulting in it being a safe place to visit. Purse snatching and things of that nature can happen in larger cities so just be sure your smaller valuables are secure. Vietnam hosts a great nightlife, though, so get out there and enjoy the scene! Also, before purchasing souvenirs that portray communistic symbolism, make sure you think about where you wear it. You may offend people back home. Vietnam is on its way from recovering from civil war and is very keen on increasing the tourism industry.