Stretching along the coast of Southeast Asia and down the eastern edge of the Indochinese Peninsula, Vietnam covers a total land area of around 330,000 km2 and has a population of 96.5 million people. As a legacy from the Vietnam war, Southern Vietnam is heavily influenced by Western ideals of individualism and liberalism while the North of Vietnam is generally more conservative and traditionally minded. The politics of Vietnam are defined by a socialist republic framework which is ultimately controlled by a single-party, the CPV, often referred to simply as Dang (the Party) or Dang ta (our Party). Vietnam has progressed quickly to have one of the fastest-growing market-based economies in Asia. This rapid growth has been driven largely by export-oriented manufacturing, foreign direct investment and strong domestic demand.
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) is estimated to include 470,000 active-duty troops; with an additional 40,000 personnel making up the Border Defence Force and Coast Guard. Formal defence relations between Australia and Vietnam were established in February 1998 and formalised a year later, with bilateral agreements and security links continuing to grow.