Colors and the Meaning of the Vietnam Flag
Flag of Vietnam, composed of five-pointed yellow stars on a red background. The red base represents the spilled blood during the fight for the independence of the country. Each corner of the star; it represents workers, peasants, soldiers, intellectuals and the working youth.
History of the Vietnam Flag
After France’s permanent military invasions, Vietnam’s freedom declined gradually from 1859 to 1885, and the entire country was colonized by France within the Indochina. In the period when France held Vietnam as its colony, it used a special flag on the top left corner of Vietnam, a yellow base with a French flag.
The red flag with a yellow star in the middle was designed in 1940 as the first flag of Vietnam. This flag was used for the first time after the revolution against French rule. The red color on the flag symbolizes socialism in Vietnam and those who have sacrificed themselves for the country. In addition, the five-pointed star on the flag points to a social layer of five categories. These are farmers, young people, academics, soldiers and workers who are the pillars of socialism in Vietnam.
During World War II, Japan invaded Vietnam in 1941. In the same year, the Independence Movement emerged against the occupation led by Ho Chi Minh. The yellow star red flag became a symbol of France’s independence and the resistance to independence given against the Japanese occupation. On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared himself president and founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. On September 5, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s National Flag without making any changes to this flag. So this flag was considered the first official flag of Vietnam.
Division of Vietnam
The Indochina-French War, which began in 1946 among the French Socialist Forces and French supporters, continued until September 1954. In the same year, the decision of the war between the warring parties in Geneva disintegrated and the colonial period in Indochina was over. In accordance with this treaty, Vietnam was divided into two as North and South and a non-armed zone was formed. Thus Vietnam was divided and led by Ho Chi Minh founded North Vietnam. The non-communist Vietnamese controlled the western region of Vietnam.
As a result of the division, a yellow star red flag was accepted in North Vietnam. However, a little change was made to the flag and the yellow star was extended. In South Vietnam, there was a separate flag with three red lines in the middle of yellow. After Vietnam was divided into two separate states, China and the former Soviet Union supported North Vietnam and the United States to South Vietnam. This led to the outbreak of Vietnam War in 1956. Thus Vietnam became an arena where the communist and capitalist poles wanted to show their power.
Unification of Vietnam
Although the Vietnamese paid a heavy price for this war, in March 1973, the US lost the war and had to retreat. While the number of Vietnamese who died in the war was estimated to be about three to four million, the number of American soldiers who died was 53,000. Communist North Vietnam defeated South Vietnam and made them embrace their red flags. By 1976, the North and South parts of Vietnam merged. The yellow flag of North Vietnam is currently used as the unchanging flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The National Anthem of Vietnam, which was prepared by Van Cao in 1944, was accepted as the official anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976.
Neighboring Countries of Vietnam
Vietnam is located on the Asian continent. The number of neighboring countries in Vietnam is three. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam, a country that covers the east of the Indochina Peninsula, borders China in the north, Cambodia and Laos in the west.
Main Characteristics of Vietnam
Vietnam is a Far East country with spectacular views of nature, where you can see every shade of green. The capital of the country is Hanoi. The official language is Vietnamese. Different languages are also spoken. The currency is Dong.
The tropical climate prevails. In the northern region, it is warm, humid and rainy from May to October, while it is warm and rainy from November to April. In the southern region, which is warm throughout the year, it is rainy from May to September and dry season is seen from October to April.
Fish sauces, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh spices, fruits, and vegetables are the basis of country cuisine. They take care to consume their vegetables fresh. Vietnamese cuisine is one of the most healthy cuisines in the world.
| Country | Vietnam |
| Code | VN (VNM) |
| Calling Code | 84 |
| Capital City | Hanoi |
| Currency | vietnamese đồng (VND) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇻🇳 |
| Highest Point | Fan Si Pan (3,144 m) |
| Internet TLD | .vn |
| Population(2017) | 96,007,155 |
| Total Area | 331,689 km2 |