Vietnam

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2000)

Internet country code

.vn

Internet users

400,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)

Radios

8.2 million (1997)

Telephone system

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

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $5.3 billion expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.)

Currency

dong (VND)

Currency code

VND

Debt - external

$13.2 billion (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36 (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 leads to disaster. GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth then rose to 6.8% in 2000 and dropped back to 4.7% in 2001 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 slowly in implementing the structural reforms needed to revitalize the economy and 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

23.97 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

25.775 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 41% hydro: 59% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

dong per US dollar - 15,085 (January 2002), 14,725 (2001), 14,168 (2000), 13,943 (1999), 13,268 (1998), 11,683 (1997)

Exports

$15.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Japan 18.1%, China 10.6%, Australia 8.8%, Singapore 6.1%, Taiwan 5.2%, Germany 5.1%, US 5.1% (2000)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $168.1 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 25% industry: 35% services: 40% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.7% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 30% (1998)

Imports

$15.3 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Singapore 17.7%, Japan 14.4%, Taiwan 12.1%, South Korea 11.1%, China 9.1%, Thailand 5.2%, Hong Kong 3.9% (2000)

Industrial production growth rate

10.4% (2001 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.3% (2001 est.)

Labor force

38.2 million (1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 67%, industry and services 33% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line

37% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate

25% (1995 est.)

Area

total: 329,560 sq km land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

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)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 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

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

Irrigated land

30,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km

Land use

arable land: 17.41% permanent crops: 4.71% other: 77.88% (1998 est.)

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 territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

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

Terrain

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

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

Capital

Hanoi

Constitution

15 April 1992

Country name

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

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 FAX: [84] (4) 772-1510 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

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 24 September 1997 (next to be held when National Assembly meets following legislative elections in May 2002); 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) 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%

Flag description

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

Government type

Communist state

Independence

2 September 1945 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

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)

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) 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

National holiday

Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

Political parties and leaders

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

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)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 22,220,891 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 13,978,653 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age

17 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 961,124 (2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.6% (male 13,259,152; female 12,392,089) 15-64 years: 62.9% (male 24,938,098; female 26,083,681) 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 1,749,531; female 2,675,865) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

20.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.24% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,500 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

100,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

29.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 69.86 years female: 72.5 years (2002 est.) male: 67.4 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 96.5% female: 91.2% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese

Net migration rate

-0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

81,098,416 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

1.43% (2002 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

Vietnam disputes several offshore islands with Cambodia, preventing delimitation of a maritime boundary; Cambodia accuses Vietnam of territorial encroachments and initiating armed border incidents in seven provinces; demarcation of boundaries with Laos is nearing completion, but Laos protests Vietnamese squatters; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; maritime boundary with China in the Gulf of Tonkin still awaits ratification; Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; demarcation of the land boundary with China has commenced, but details of the alignment have not been made public

Illicit drugs

minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems

Airports

34 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 17 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 17 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 8 (2002)

Highways

total: 93,300 km paved: 23,418 km unpaved: 69,882 km (1996)

Merchant marine

total: 153 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 782,912 GRT/1,173,186 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cambodia 1, Japan 1, Singapore 1, United Kingdom 2 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 113, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 2

Pipelines

petroleum products 150 km

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

total: 3,142 km standard gauge: 209 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,625 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 308 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (2001)

Waterways

17,702 km note: more than 5,149 km are navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 m draft