This report " Country SocialAnalysis (CSA) " focused on ethnicity and developmentin Vietnam is a provocative analysis of marginality incontemporary Southeast Asia. It seeks to understand themacro social and political processes, and provides ananalysis of how social, political, and cultural factorsinfluence the opportunities and constraints to moreequitable, inclusive development. This study providesresearch findings to support both the Bank's and thegovernment of Vietnam's goals of social inclusion forethnic minorities and poverty reduction. Previous studies,including the Bank's Country Partnership Study forVietnam (CPS) and the government's SocioeconomicDevelopment Plan (SEDP), focus on four organizingprinciples: (1) improving the business environment; (2)strengthening social inclusion; (3) strengthening naturalresource and environmental management; and (4) improvinggovernance. This study focuses particularly on the issue ofstrengthening social inclusion. Part one of this summaryreport is a literature review that discusses backgroundinformation on ethnic minorities, including theirclassification, history, current living conditions, andpoverty outcomes. Part two presents the results offield-based research and provides in-depth analysis of sixfundamental factors that explain how differences betweenethnic groups contribute to remarkably different livelihoodstrategies and economic outcomes. Part three summarizes thepolicy implications of research findings, suggesting areasfor further consideration.