Outline of Vietnam
Vietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. Successive dynasties flourished along with geographic and political expansion deeper into Southeast Asia, until it was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century. Efforts to resist the French eventually led to their expulsion from the country in the mid-20th century, leaving a nation divided politically into two countries. Bitter fighting between the two sides continued during the Vietnam War, ending with a communist victory in 1975.
Vietnamese language
When France invaded Vietnam in the late 19th century, French gradually replaced Chinese as the official language in education and government. Vietnamese adopted many French terms, such as "đầm" (dame, from "madame"), "ga" (train station, from "gare"), "sơ mi" (shirt, from "chemise"), and "búp bê" (doll, from "poupée"). In addition, many Sino-Vietnamese terms were devised for Western ideas imported through the French.