history of Vietnam: Quick Facts

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Political map of Vietnam and surrounding Southeast Asian countries, showing international boundaries, major cities, and key geographic features. Vietnam is highlighted along the South China Sea, bordered by China, Laos, and Cambodia. An inset locator map in the upper right shows Vietnam's position within Asia.

Map of Southeast Asia with Vietnam highlighted in orange, showing its location along the eastern coast of the Indochina Peninsula. Neighboring countries Laos and Cambodia are also highlighted, while surrounding nations such as China, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia are labeled in gray. An inset globe in the top right corner indicates the regional focus within Asia.

Cochinchina, French Indochina

Map of Vietnam from 1954 to 1976, showing North Vietnam in the north and South Vietnam in the south, separated by a demilitarized zone at the 17th parallel. The map highlights the Ho Chi Minh Trail running from North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia into South Vietnam, with major cities such as Hanoi in the north and Saigon in the south, as well as neighboring countries and bodies of water.

Nguyen Cao Ky, South Vietnam premier, sits in a suit and tie on an upholstered seat aboard an airplane, looking directly at the camera.

Map of the Vietnam War theatre from around 1965 to 1970, showing Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and parts of Thailand and China. It highlights Communist supply routes such as the Ho Chi Minh Trail, major North Vietnamese and U.S. military bases, U.S. corps headquarters, and U.S. aircraft carrier groups, with arrows indicating supply and bombing routes. Major cities and geographic features like the Gulf of Tonkin, Mekong Delta, and Central Highlands are labeled.

Learn how the French waged war on the communist Viet Minh in the First Indochina War after World War II

Examine early U.S. involvement in Vietnam under the Eisenhower administration during the First Indochina War

See how the North Vietnamese-backed Viet Cong launched surprise attacks across South Vietnam

Watch scenes of the U.S. and South Vietnamese evacuation from Saigon as North Vietnamese tanks arrive

Know about Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War and the Battle of Long Tan

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