Study, Work or Volunteer in Vietnam

Vietnam, officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, lies at the easternmost part of the Indochina Peninsula in the Southeast Asian region. It ranks 13th most populous country in the world with a population of more than 86 million. The Vietnam War which ended in 1975 had a great impact on the nation’s history politically and economically. Vietnam has successfully joined the World Trade Organization in 2007 and became a non-permanent member on the UN Security Council in 2008.

The country is represented by a single-party state, the Communist Party. The President of Vietnam acts as the head of state and titular commander in chief of the Vietnam military while the Prime Minister acts as the head of government and heads a council of ministries which have 3 deputy prime ministers. Vietnam has one of the most open economies in Asia with a 2-way trade of about 160% of GDP, even exceeding China and India’s rate. It remains world’s largest producer of cashew nuts and 2nd biggest exporter of rice next to Thailand. Its estimated GDP in 2006 is $280.2 billion at purchasing power parity which means that the nation is still quite a poor country. Tourism also plays a great role in contributing to the nation’s income. Over the last decades, the number of visitors have increased significantly especially in coastal regions with magnificent beaches and resorts.

Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism have greatly influenced the culture of Vietnamese over the last centuries. Almost 85% of Vietnam’s population practice Buddhism and 8% follow Christianity. Vietnamese food is one of the world’s most craved cuisines. It uses little oil and a lot of vegetables and has mixed flavors of sugar, pepper, lime, and fish sauce. The most popular sport in the country is football followed by badminton, tennis, ping pong and chess.