| a former country in SE Asia that comprised Vietnam S of about 17° N latitude; a separate state 1954–75; now part of reunified Vietnam. Capital: Saigon. |
Sai·gon  (sī-gŏn')  See Ho Chi Minh City. |
Present name of Saigon, Vietnam, named for the revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh.
City in southern Vietnam; capital of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975.
Note: A commercial, industrial, and transportation hub of Southeast Asia, Saigon enjoyed rapid growth and cultural prestige as the capital of French Indochina.
Note: American and South Vietnamese forces were headquartered in Saigon during the Vietnam War.
Note: Renamed Ho Chi Minh City by the victorious Vietnamese communists in 1976.