Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia, stretching along the eastern coast of the Indochina Peninsula. Its capital is Hanoi, and it is known for its history, rice fields, and rapidly growing cities.
The name 'Việt Nam' combines 'Việt', referring to an ancient ethnic group, and 'Nam', meaning 'south', roughly 'Viet of the south'. The term has been used in various forms for centuries and became the official country name in the modern era.
To many English speakers, ‘Vietnam’ mainly evokes the Vietnam War, but the name itself is older and simply marks a southern branch of a people. The word shows how a long, rich culture can get overshadowed by just a few decades of conflict in global memory. Language often carries history’s loudest moments, not its longest ones.
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