1858–1975 Until the French colonization in the mid-19th century, Vietnam's economy had been mostly agrarian, subsistence-based and village-oriented. French colonizers, however, deliberately developed the regions differently as the French needed raw materials and a market for French manufactured goods, designating the South for agricultural production as it was better suited for agriculture, and the North for manufacturing as it was naturally wealthy in mineral resources. Though the plan exaggerated regional divisions, the development of exports—coal from the North, rice from the South—and the importation of French manufactured goods stimulated domestic commerce.
1858–1975 until the french colonization in the mid-19th century vietnam's economy had been mostly agrarian subsistence-based and village-oriented french colonizers however deliberately developed the regions differently as the french needed raw materials and a market for french manufactured goods designating the south for agricultural production as it was better suited for agriculture and the north for manufacturing as it was naturally wealthy in mineral resources though the plan exaggerated regional divisions the development of exports—coal from the north rice from the south—and the importation of french manufactured goods stimulated domestic commerce