2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 30.2% (male 12,699,002; female 11,967,674) 15-64 years: 64.2% (male 25,776,600; female 26,599,005) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 1,902,464; female 2,679,971) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish

Airports

47 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 7

total

24

under 914 m

6 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 8

total

23

under 914 m

12 (2002) Military Vietnam

Area

land

325,360 sq km

total

329,560 sq km

water

4,200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

Background

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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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. Economic reconstruction of the reunited country has proven difficult as aging Communist Party leaders have only grudgingly initiated reforms necessary for a free market. Geography Vietnam

Birth rate

19.58 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.)

revenues

$5.3 billion

Capital

Hanoi

Climate

tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March)

Coastline

3,444 km (excludes islands)

Constitution

15 April 1992

Country name

abbreviation

SRV

conventional long form

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

conventional short form

Vietnam

local long form

Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam

local short form

Viet Nam

Currency

dong (VND)

Currency code

VND

Death rate

6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$14.1 billion (2001)

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Nguyen Tam CHIEN

consulate(s) general

San Francisco

Disputes - international

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 a complex dispute over Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct"

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.1 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000

Economy - overview

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. Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities 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.

Electricity - consumption

27.71 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

29.8 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

43.7%

hydro

56.3%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Fan Si Pan 3,144 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban

Ethnic groups

Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups

Exchange rates

dong per US dollar - 15,325.8 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001), 14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999), 13,268 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister and ratification of the National Assembly

chief of state

President Tran Duc LUONG (since 24 September 1997)

election results

Tran Duc LUONG elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%

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 (since NA) and Pham Gia KHIEM (since 29 September 1997)

Exports

$16.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes

Exports - partners

US 15.2%, Japan 14.9%, Australia 7.6%, China 6.6%, Germany 6.5%, Singapore 5.5%, UK 4.3% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 861-0917

[84] (4) 772-1510

chancery

1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036

consulate(s) general

Ho Chi Minh City

telephone

[1] (202) 861-0737

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Vietnam

Flag description

red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center Economy Vietnam

GDP

purchasing power parity - $183.8 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

24%

industry

37%

services

39% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 106 00 E

Geography - note

extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point People Vietnam

Government type

Communist state

Highways

paved

23,418 km

total

93,300 km

unpaved

69,882 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

6,600 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

130,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

29.9% (1998)

lowest 10%

3.6%

Illicit drugs

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 18 December, 2003

Imports

$16.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles

Imports - partners

South Korea 12.7%, China 12.2%, Japan 12.1%, Singapore 11.8%, Taiwan 10.6%, Thailand 5.4% (2002)

Independence

2 September 1945 (from France)

Industrial production growth rate

10.2% (2002 est.)

Industries

food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper

Infant mortality rate

female

26.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

34.71 deaths/1,000 live births

total

30.83 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Internet country code

.vn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2000)

Internet users

400,000 (2002) Transportation Vietnam

Irrigated land

30,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)

Labor force

38.2 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km

total

4,639 km

Land use

arable land

17.41%

other

77.88% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

4.71%

Languages

Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Legal system

based on communist legal theory and French civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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

elections

last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.7 years (2003 est.)

male

67.58 years

total population

70.05 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

92.3% (2003 est.) Government Vietnam

male

95.8%

total population

94%

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 NM

continental shelf

200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

25.5 years (2002)

male

23.6 years

total

24.5 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Cambodia 1, Japan 1, Singapore 1, UK 2 (2002 est.)

note

includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 13, cargo 128, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 9, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 3

total

180 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,054,423 GRT/1,588,732 DWT

Military branches

People's Army of Vietnam (includes Ground Forces, People's Navy Command [including Naval Infantry], Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$650 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.5% (FY98) Transnational Issues Vietnam

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

22,888,109 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

14,366,732 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

17 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

871,036 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

Nationality

adjective

Vietnamese

noun

Vietnamese (singular and plural)

Natural gas - consumption

1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

192.6 billion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta

Natural resources

phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower

Net migration rate

-0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

185,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

356,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

1.4 billion bbl (37257)

Pipelines

condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH, general secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Population

81,624,716 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

37% (1998 est.)

Population growth rate

1.29% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau

Radio broadcast stations

AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)

Radios

8.2 million (1997)

Railways

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

standard gauge

209 km 1.435-m gauge

total

3,142 km

Religions

Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim

Sex ratio

at birth

1.08 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

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; since 1991, main lines in use have been substantially increased and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly

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

international

satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Telephones - main lines in use

2.6 million (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

730,155 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)

Televisions

3.57 million (1997)

Terrain

low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest

Total fertility rate

2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

25% (1995 est.)

Waterways

17,702 km

note

more than 5,149 km are navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 m draft