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Background:
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 France
occupied all of Vietnam by 1884. Independence was declared
after World War II, but the French continued to rule until
1954 when they were defeated by Communist forces under Ho Chi
Minh, who took control of the North. US economic and military
aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to
bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn
following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later,
North Vietnamese forces overran the South. |
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Location:
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Southeastern
Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and
South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 00 N, 106 00 E |
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Map references:
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Southeast
Asia |
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Area:
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total:
329,560 sq km
land: 325,360 sq km
water: 4,200 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger
than New Mexico |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
4,639 km
border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km,
Laos 2,130 km |
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Coastline:
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3,444 km
(excludes islands) |
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Climate:
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tropical in
south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to
mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March) |
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Terrain:
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low, flat delta
in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in
far north and northwest |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m |
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, coal,
manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits,
forests, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land:
17.41%
permanent crops: 4.71%
other: 77.88% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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30,000 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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occasional
typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially
in the Mekong River delta |
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Environment - current issues:
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logging and
slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to
deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and
overfishing threaten marine life populations; groundwater
contamination limits potable water supply; growing urban
industrialization and population migration are rapidly
degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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extending 1,650
km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its
narrowest point |
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Population:
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82,689,518 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
29.4% (male 12,524,098; female 11,807,763)
15-64 years: 65% (male 26,475,156; female 27,239,543)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male 1,928,568; female
2,714,390) (2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
24.9 years
male: 24 years
female: 25.9 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.3% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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19.58
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.14 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.45 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
29.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 33.71 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 70.35 years
male: 67.86 years
female: 73.02 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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130,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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6,600 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Vietnamese (singular and plural)
adjective: Vietnamese |
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Ethnic groups:
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Vietnamese
85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups |
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Religions:
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Buddhist, Hoa
Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some
Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim |
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Languages:
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Vietnamese
(official), English (increasingly favored as a second
language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area
languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94%
male: 95.8%
female: 92.3% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
conventional short form: Vietnam
local short form: Viet Nam
abbreviation: SRV
local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam |
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Government type:
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Communist state |
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Capital:
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Hanoi |
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Administrative divisions:
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58 provinces (tinh,
singular and plural), and 3 municipalities* (thu do, singular
and plural); An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh,
Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc,
Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Da Nang, Dong
Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Hai Phong*, Ha
Nam, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh, Ho Chi Minh*, Hung
Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang
Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh
Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai,
Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh,
Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh,
Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai |
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Independence:
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2 September 1945
(from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
2 September (1945) |
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Constitution:
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15 April 1992 |
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Legal system:
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based on
communist legal theory and French civil law system |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Tran Duc Luong (since 24 September 1997)
elections: president elected by the National Assembly
from among its members for a five-year term; election last
held 25 July 2002 (next to be held when National Assembly
meets following legislative elections in 2007); prime minister
appointed by the president from among the members of the
National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the
prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (since
25 September 1997); First Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan
Dung (since 29 September 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Vu
Khoan (8 August 2002) and Pham Gia Khiem (since 29 September
1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the
proposal of the prime minister and ratification of the
National Assembly
election results: Tran Duc Luong elected president;
percent of National Assembly vote - NA% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - CPV 90%,
other 10% (the 10% are not CPV members but are approved by the
CPV to stand for election); seats by party - CPV 447, CPV-approved
51 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme People's
Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the
National Assembly on the recommendation of the president) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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only party -
Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc Manh, general
secretary] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917
telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737
chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington,
DC 20036 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Raymond F. BURGHARDT
embassy: 7 Lang Ha Road, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [84] (4) 772-1500
FAX: [84] (4) 772-1510
consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City |
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Economy - overview:
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Vietnam is a
poor, densely-populated country that has had to recover from
the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old
Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally-planned
economy. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1996
in moving forward from an extremely low starting point -
growth averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997
Asian financial crisis highlighted the problems in the
Vietnamese economy, but rather than prompting reform,
reaffirmed the government's belief that shifting to a
market-oriented economy would lead to disaster. GDP growth of
8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth then
rose to 6% to 7% in 2000-02 even against the background of
global recession. These numbers mask some major difficulties
in economic performance. Many domestic industries, including
coal, cement, steel, and paper, have reported large stockpiles
of inventory and tough competition from more efficient foreign
producers. Since the Party elected new leadership in 2001,
Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to
economic liberalization and have moved to implement the
structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to
produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The
US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement entered into force near
the end of 2001 and is expected to significantly increase
Vietnam's exports to the US. The US is assisting Vietnam with
implementing the legal and structural reforms called for in
the agreement. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $203.9 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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7.3% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $2,500 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
24%
industry: 37%
services: 39% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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37% (1998 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.9% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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38.2 million
(1998 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 63%,
industry and services 37% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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25% (1995 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$5.3 billion
expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.) |
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Industries:
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food processing,
garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical
fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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10.2% (2002 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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29.8 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
43.7%
hydro: 56.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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27.71 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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356,700 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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185,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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1.3 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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1.3 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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paddy rice, corn,
potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar;
poultry, pigs, fish |
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Exports:
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$19.88 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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crude oil, marine
products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes |
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Exports - partners:
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US 15%, Japan
14.6%, Australia 7.5%, China 6.4%, Germany 6.4%, Singapore
5.4%, UK 4.2% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$22.5 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and
equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw
cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles |
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Imports - partners:
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Taiwan 12.6%,
South Korea 12.3%, China 11.8%, Japan 11.7%, Singapore 11.4%,
Thailand 5.2%, Hong Kong 4.2% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$14.1 billion
(2001) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$2.8 billion in
credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000
(2004) |
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Currency:
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dong (VND) |
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Currency code:
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VND |
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Exchange rates:
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dong per US
dollar - 15,279.5 (2003), 15,279.5 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001),
14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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3,929,100 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1,902,400 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into
modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system,
but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more
modern neighbors
domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and
connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by
fiber-optic cable or microwave radio relay networks; main
lines have been substantially increased, and the use of mobile
telephones is growing rapidly
international: country code - 84; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 65, FM 7,
shortwave 29 (1999) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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at least 7 (plus
13 repeaters) (1998) |
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Internet country code:
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.vn |
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Internet hosts:
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529 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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1.5 million
(2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
3,142 km
standard gauge: 209 km 1.435-m gauge
dual gauge: 308 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m
and 1.000-m gauges (2002)
narrow gauge: 2,625 km 1.000-m gauge |
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Highways:
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total:
93,300 km
paved: 23,418 km
unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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17,702 km
note: more than 5,149 km are navigable at all times by
vessels up to 1.8 m draft |
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Pipelines:
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condensate/gas
432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Cam Ranh, Da Nang,
Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh,
Vung Tau |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 194
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,170,621 GRT/1,798,376 DWT
by type: bulk 16, cargo 135, chemical tanker 1,
container 8, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 25,
refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: Cambodia 1, Germany 1, Japan 2, South
Korea 1, United Kingdom 3
registered in other countries: 11 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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19 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 16
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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People's Army of
Vietnam: Ground Forces, People's Navy Command (including Naval
Infantry), Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard |
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Military manpower - military age:
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17 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 23,438,858 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 14,694,574 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
853,197 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$650 million
(FY98) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.5% (FY98) |
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Disputes - international:
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demarcation of
the land boundary with China continues, but maritime boundary
and joint fishing zone agreement remains unratified; Cambodia
and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments
along border; China occupies Paracel Islands also claimed by
Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in complex dispute with China,
Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei over the
Spratly Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but
falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"
desired by several of the disputants |
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Illicit drugs:
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minor producer of
opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian
heroin; domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction
problems |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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