During the twentieth century the publishing of school atlases continued and even increased. Next to school atlases, more general world atlases were published as well. In general, such atlases contain more detailed maps of parts of Asia. Vietnam is sometimes includes in maps of South-Asia, sometimes in maps of East-Asia and sometimes in maps of Southeast-Asia. Separate maps of the Indochinese peninsula rarely are included in school atlases. On the other hand,  more detailed maps of smaller regions were included

increasingly in world reference atlases. With the maps in these atlases, the territorial and political changes and developments in the region can be followed. French Indochina broke up into three independent countries. In the period after World War II until the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, Vietnam was de facto divided in two states: the communist North-Vietnam and the Western-oriented South-Vietnam. The country was officially reunited in 1976.