Vietnam
Syllabification: (Vi·et·nam)
Pronunciation: /vēˌetˈnäm, ˌvyet-, ˌvēət-, -ˈnam/
Translate Vietnam | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of Vietnam
Traditionally dominated by China, Vietnam came under French influence between 1862 and 1954. After World War II, the Vietminh defeated the French, who then withdrew. Vietnam was partitioned along the 17th parallel between communist North Vietnam (capital, Hanoi) and noncommunist South Vietnam (capital, Saigon). The Vietnam War between the North and the US-backed South ended in victory for the North in 1975 and the reunification of the country under a communist regime the following year
Origin:
from Vietnamese Viet, the name of the inhabitants, + nam 'south'
