During the reign of the
Soviet Union , there were communist countries throughout Eastern Europe, Asia,
and Africa. Communist countries in the twentieth century included Afghanistan,
Albania, Angola, Benin, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Congo, Czechoslovakia, East
Germany, Ethiopia, Hungary, Mongolia, Mozambique, Poland, Romania, Somalia,
South Yemen, Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia. Today, there are only five communist
countries in the world.
1.
China
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Mao Zedong took control over China in 1949 and
proclaimed China as the People's Republic of China, a communist country. China
has remained consistently communist since 1949 although economic reforms have
been in place for several years. China has been called "Red China"
due to the communist party's control over the country.
2.
Cuba
Source: CIA World Factbook, 2007
A revolution in 1959 led to the taking over of the
Cuban government by Fidel Castro. By 1961, Cuba became a fully communist
country and developed close ties to the Soviet Union.
3.
Laos
Source: CIA World Factbook, 2007
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic
Republic, became a communist country in 1975 following a revolution that was
supported by Vietnam and the Soviet Union.
4.
North Korea
Source: CIA World Factbook, 2007
Korea, which was captured by Japan in World War II,
was divided following the war into a Soviet north and American south. Despite
being led by the USSR beginning in 1945, North Korea did not become a communist
country until 1948.
5.
Vietnam
Source: CIA World Factbook, 2007
Vietnam was partitioned at a 1954 conference that
followed the First Indochina War. While the partition was supposed to be temporary,
North Vietnam became communist and supported by the Soviet Union while South
Vietnam was democratic and supported by the United States. Following two
decades of war, the two parts of Vietnam were unified and in 1976, Vietnam as a
unified country became a communist country.
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