Vietnam

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Introduction - Vietnam:
Country	Vietnam


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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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 Vietnams 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.


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

Geographic coordinates	16 00 N, 106 00 E

Map references	Southeast Asia

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

Area comparative	slightly larger than New Mexico

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

Coastline	3,444 km (excludes islands)

Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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

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

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

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

Land use	arable land: 20.14% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 72.93% (2005)

Irrigated land	30,000 sq km (2003)

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

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

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

People - Vietnam:
Population	85,262,356 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 26.3% (male 11,617,032/female 10,784,264) 15-64 years: 67.9% (male 28,711,464/female 29,205,498) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 1,919,138/female 3,024,960) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 26.4 years male: 25.3 years female: 27.6 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	1.004% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	16.63 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.077 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.983 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.634 male(s)/female total population: 0.982 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 24.37 deaths/1,000 live births male: 24.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 71.07 years male: 68.27 years female: 74.08 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	1.89 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	0.4% (2003 est.)

Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	220,000 (2003 est.)

Hiv aids deaths	9,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality	noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese

Major infectious diseases	degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and plague are high risks in some locations animal contact disease: rabies water contact disease: leptospirosis 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)

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)

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)

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

Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.3% male: 93.9% female: 86.9% (2002 est.)

Government - Vietnam:
Country name	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 abbreviation: SRV

Government type	Communist state

Capital	name: Hanoi geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions	59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural) 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 municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh

Independence	2 September 1945 (from France)

National holiday	Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

Constitution	15 April 1992

Legal system	based on communist legal theory and French civil law system has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage	18 years of age; universal

Executive branch	chief of state: President Nguyen Minh TRIET (since 27 June 2006); Vice President Nguyen Thi DOAN (since 25 July 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh HUNG (since 28 June 2006), Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung HAI (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien NHAN (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia KHIEM (since 28 June 2006), and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh TRONG (since 28 June 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime minister and confirmed by National Assembly elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; last held 27 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); 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 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%

Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPV 450, non-party CPV-approved 42, self-nominated 1; note - 493 candidates were elected; CPV and non-party CPV-approved delegates were members of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front

Judicial branch	Supreme Peoples Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)

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

Political pressure groups and leaders	groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by government - 8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; Peoples Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracy (2006)

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, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam CHIEN chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MICHALAK embassy: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [84] (4) 850-5000 FAX: [84] (4) 850-5010 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City

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

Economy - Vietnam:
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. Vietnams 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 Vietnams trade and economic regime. Vietnams exports to the US doubled in 2002 and again in 2003. Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007, following over a decade long negotiation process. This should provide an important boost to the economy and should help to ensure the continuation of liberalizing reforms. Among other benefits, accession allows 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. Agricultures 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 create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year. Vietnamese authorities have tightened monetary and fiscal policies to stem high inflation. Hanoi is targeting an economic growth rate of 7.5-8% during the next five years.

Gdp purchasing power parity	$262.8 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$48.43 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp real growth rate	8.2% (2006 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$3,100 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 20.1% industry: 41.8% services: 38.1% (2006 est.)

Labor force	44.58 million (2006 est.)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 56.8% industry: 37% services: 6.2% (July 2005)

Unemployment rate	2% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line	19.5% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index	36.1 (1998)

Inflation rate consumer prices	7.5% (2006 est.)

Investment gross fixed	32.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget	revenues: $15.42 billion expenditures: $16.63 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (2006 est.)

Public debt	47.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate	11.3% (2006 est.)

Electricity production	40.11 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	37.3 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	400,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil consumption	230,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	2.5 billion bbl (2006 est.)

Natural gas production	6.342 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas consumption	6.342 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas exports	0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas imports	0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas proved reserves	192.6 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance	$1.029 billion (2006 est.)

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

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

Exports partners	US 20.7%, Japan 12%, Australia 9.2%, China 5.6%, Germany 4.4% (2006)

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 17.2%, Singapore 12.6%, Taiwan 11.2%, Japan 9.5%, South Korea 9.3%, Thailand 7.1%, Malaysia 4% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold	$11.92 billion (2006 est.)

Debt external	$21.86 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid recipient	$2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by the 2006 Consultative Group meeting in Hanoi (2004)

Currency code	dong (VND)

Exchange rates	dong per US dollar - 15,983 (2006), 15,746 (2005), (2004), 15,510 (2003), 15,280 (2002)

Communications - Vietnam:
Fiscal year	calendar year

Telephones main lines in use	15.845 million (2005)

Telephones mobile cellular	15.505 million (2006)

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; 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)

Radio broadcast stations	AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)

Television broadcast stations	6 (plus 61 provincial TV stations) (2006)

Internet country code	.vn

Internet hosts	12,114 (2006)

Internet users	14.684 million (2006)

Transportation - Vietnam:
Airports	32 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 26 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)

Airports with unpaved runways	total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

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

Railways	total: 2,600 km standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (2006)

Roadways	total: 222,179 km paved: 42,167 km unpaved: 180,012 km (2004)

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

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

Ports and terminals	Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City

Military - Vietnam:
Military branches	Peoples Armed Forces: Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes Peoples Navy Command (with naval infantry, coast guard), Air and Air Defense Force (Kon Quan Nhan Dan), Border Defense Command), Peoples Public Security Forces, Militia Force, Self-Defense Forces (2005)

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 to 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)

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 21,341,813 females age 18-49: 21,430,808 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 16,032,358 females age 18-49: 17,921,241 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 915,572 females age 18-49: 864,161 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	2.5% (2005 est.)

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; an estimated 300,000 Vietnamese refugees reside in China; establishment of a maritime boundary with Cambodia is hampered by unresolved dispute over the sovereignty of offshore islands; 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 the 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