What was the former name of the country of Vietnam?

Answer 1

France made Vietnam a colony in the 1800s and it was called French Indochina. The Vietnamese managed to eject the French in 1954. The French had tried to return and reimpose a colonial regime after WWII. After the French gave up Vietnam was divided into North and South, though this was supposed to be temporary and elections were supposed to be held to select a national government to be over the entire country, both parts. The US realized that the candidates of the north, though communists, were more popular than the corrupt thieves the US was backing as leaders in the south, and so, the elections were never held.

Before the French took over Vietnam was sometimes called Cochin China.

Answer 2

Indochina; for a specific ancient name see website: Vietnam