Vietnam began around 5,000 years ago in the Red River Valley. It was taken over by France in 1890 and war began. The country gets its name from Nam Viet, a kingdom created by a Chinese lord in 207 BC. Vietnam has a long coastline and many rivers, including the Red River and Mekong River. The capital has changed between Saigon and Hanoi over time. Vietnam has two flags representing North and South Vietnam. The population is over 93 million and the government is a communist state. The main currency is the Vietnamese dong.