2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural)

municipalities

Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh

provinces

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, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, 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: 27% (male 11,826,457/female 10,983,069) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 28,055,941/female 28,614,553) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,924,562/female 2,998,384) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

paddy rice, coffee, rubber, cotton, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood

Airports

32 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

total

26

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m

2 (2006)

Area

land

325,360 sq km

total

329,560 sq km

water

4,200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

Background

The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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 reuniting the country under Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to experience protests from various groups - such as the Protestant Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands and the Hoa Hao Buddhists in southern Vietnam over religious persecution. Montagnard grievances also include the loss of land to Vietnamese settlers. Geography Vietnam

Birth rate

16.86 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$16.63 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (2006 est.)

revenues

$15.42 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

21 02 N, 105 51 E

name

Hanoi

time difference

UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

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

dong (VND)

Currency code

VND

Current account balance

$1.029 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

6.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$21.86 billion (2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Michael W. MARINE

embassy

7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

mailing address

PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002

telephone

[84] (4) 772-1500

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Nguyen Tam CHIEN

telephone

[1] (202) 861-0737

Disputes - international

southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments along border; after years of Cambodia claiming Vietnam had moved or destroyed boundary markers, in 2005, after much domestic debate, Cambodia ratified an agreement with Vietnam that settled all but a small portion of the land boundary; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is hampered by unresolved dispute over offshore islands; in 2004, Laotian-Vietnamese boundary commission agrees to erect missing markers in two adjoining provinces; demarcation of the China-Vietnam boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation has been delayed; 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; Vietnam continues to expand construction of facilities in the Spratly Islands; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.1 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000 (2004)

Economy - overview

Vietnam is a densely-populated, developing country that in the last 30 years 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 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of development and significantly reducing poverty. Growth averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian financial crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy and temporarily allowed opponents of reform to slow progress toward a market-oriented economy. GDP growth averaged 6.8% per year from 1997 to 2004 even against the background of the Asian financial crisis and a global recession, and growth hit 8% in 2005 and 7.8% in 2006. Since 2001, however, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration. They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in December 2001 have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade and economic regime. Vietnam's exports to the US doubled in 2002 and again in 2003. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in January 2007. This should provide an important boost to the economy and should help to ensure the continuation of liberalizing reforms. Among other benefits, accession will allow Vietnam to take advantage of the phase out of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, which eliminated quotas on textiles and clothing for WTO partners on 1 January 2005. Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink, from about 25% in 2000 to 20% in 2006. Deep poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of China, India, and the Philippines. Vietnam is working to promote job creation to keep up with the country's high population growth rate. However, high levels of inflation have prompted Vietnamese authorities to tighten monetary and fiscal policies. Hanoi is targeting an economic growth rate between 7.5 and 8% over the next five years.

Electricity - consumption

37.3 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh

Electricity - imports

0 kWh

Electricity - production

40.11 billion kWh (2004)

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, 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

Ethnic groups

Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.7%, Muong 1.5%, Khome 1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nun 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1% (1999 census)

Exchange rates

dong per US dollar - 16,037 (2006), 15,746 (2005), (2004), 15,510 (2003), 15,280 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime minister and confirmed by National Assembly

chief of state

President Nguyen Minh TRIET (since 27 June 2006); Vice President Truong My HOA (since 25 July 2002)

election results

Nguyen Minh TRIET elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 94%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 92%

elections

president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; election last held 27 June 2006; prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers confirmed by National Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh HUNG (since 28 June 2006), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KHIEM (since 28 June 2006), and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh TRONG (since 28 June 2006)

Exports

$39.92 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

US 18.3%, Japan 13.6%, China 9%, Australia 7.9%, Singapore 5.6% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 861-0917

[84] (4) 772-1510

consulate(s) general

San Francisco

consulate(s) general

Ho Chi Minh City

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Vietnam

Flag description

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

20.1%

industry

41.8%

services

38.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.8% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$48.26 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$258.6 billion (2006 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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

9,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

220,000 (2003 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; government continues to face domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems despite longstanding crackdowns This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$39.16 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

China 15.6%, Singapore 12.4%, Taiwan 11.7%, Japan 11.1%, South Korea 9.7%, Thailand 6.5% (2005)

Independence

2 September 1945 (from France)

Industrial production growth rate

11.3% (2006 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

24.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

25.54 deaths/1,000 live births

total

25.14 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.5% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.vn

Internet hosts

12,114 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2000)

Internet users

13.1 million (2006) Transportation Vietnam

Investment (gross fixed)

32.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

30,000 sq km (2003)

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

44.58 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

56.8%

industry

37%

services

6.2% (July 2005)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

4,639 km

Land use

arable land

20.14%

other

72.93% (2005)

permanent crops

6.93%

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 on 20 May 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.85 years (2006 est.)

male

68.05 years

total population

70.85 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

86.9% (2002) Government Vietnam

male

93.9%

total population

90.3%

Location

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

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and plague are high risks in some locations

water contact disease

leptospirosis

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

21,430,808 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

21,341,813

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

17,921,241 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

16,032,358

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

864,161 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

915,572

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

27.1 years (2006 est.)

male

24.8 years

total

25.9 years

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 23, cargo 202, chemical tanker 4, container 5, liquefied gas 5, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned

1 (Denmark 1)

registered in other countries

17 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Honduras 1, Mongolia 8, Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, unknown 2) (2006)

total

267 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,423,936 GRT/2,191,858 DWT

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$650 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.5% (FY98) Transnational Issues Vietnam

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (male) for compulsory military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (3-4 years in the navy); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Forces (2006)

National holiday

Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

Nationality

adjective

Vietnamese

noun

Vietnamese (singular and plural)

Natural gas - consumption

6.342 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m

Natural gas - production

6.342 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

192.6 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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

-0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

230,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

400,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

2.5 billion bbl (2006 est.)

People's Armed Forces

People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes People's Navy Command (with naval infantry, coast guard), Air and Air Defense Force (Kon Quan Nhan Dan), Border Defense Command), People's Public Security Forces, Militia Force, Self-Defense Forces (2005)

Pipelines

condensate/gas 432 km; gas 163 km; oil 50 km; refined products 206 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH]; other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders

8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracy; groups advocate for democracy, are not recognized by government (2006)

Population

84,402,966 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

19.5% (2004 est.)

Population growth rate

1.02% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City Military Vietnam

Public debt

47.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)

Radios

8.2 million (1997)

Railways

dual gauge

253 km three-rail track combining 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (2005)

narrow gauge

2,169 km 1.000-m gauge

standard gauge

178 km 1.435-m gauge

total

2,600 km

Religions

Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$11.92 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

42,167 km

total

222,179 km

unpaved

180,012 km (2004)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 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; main lines 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

country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Telephones - main lines in use

15.845 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9.593 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

6 (plus 61 provincial TV stations) (2006)

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

1.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

2% (2006 est.)

Waterways

17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2005)