Contents
Vietnam |
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Past | 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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 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. | ||
Environment | 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 | ||
| Area - comparative: | slightly larger than New Mexico | ||
| Land boundaries: | total: 4,639 km | ||
| Coastline: | 3,444 km (excludes islands) | ||
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm | ||
| 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 | ||
| Natural resources: | phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower | ||
| Land use: | arable land: 20.14% | ||
| Irrigated land: | 30,000 sq km (2003) | ||
| Total renewable water resources: | 891.2 cu km (1999) | ||
| Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): | Total: 71.39 cu km/yr (8%/24%/68%) | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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) | ||
| Median age: | total: 26.4 years | ||
| 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.) | ||
| Gender ratio: | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female | ||
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 24.37 deaths/1,000 live births | ||
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 71.07 years | ||
| 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.) | ||
| Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: high | ||
| Nationality: | noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) | ||
| 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 | ||
Government | Vietnam | ||
| Country name: | conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam | ||
| Government type: | Communist state | ||
| Capital: | name: Hanoi | ||
| Administrative divisions: | 59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural) | ||
| 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) | ||
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) | ||
| 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) | ||
| 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; People's 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 (Appointed) Le Cong PHUNG | ||
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MICHALAK | ||
| Flag description: | red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center | ||
Business | Vietnam | ||
| Business - 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. Since 2001, 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. The economy grew at an average annual rate of 8% in 2005-07. 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 increased 800% from 2001 to 2006. 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. 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 create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than 1 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 four years. | ||
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $222.5 billion (2007 est.) | ||
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $53.61 billion (2007 est.) | ||
| GDP - real growth rate: | 8.2% (2007 est.) | ||
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $2,600 (2007 est.) | ||
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 19.4% | ||
| Labor force: | 45.73 million (2007 est.) | ||
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 56.8% | ||
| Unemployment rate: | 4.2% (2007 est.) | ||
| Population below poverty line: | 19.5% (2004 est.) | ||
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2.9% | ||
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 37 (2004) | ||
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 8.1% (2007 est.) | ||
| Investment (gross fixed): | 33% of GDP (2007 est.) | ||
| Budget: | revenues: $18.28 billion | ||
| Public debt: | 43.3% of GDP (2007 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: | 10.5% (2007 est.) | ||
| Electricity - production: | 51.33 billion kWh (2005) | ||
| Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 43.7% | ||
| Electricity - consumption: | 45.46 billion kWh (2005) | ||
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2005) | ||
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2005) | ||
| Oil - production: | 375,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) | ||
| Oil - consumption: | 254,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) | ||
| Oil - exports: | 399,200 bbl/day (2004) | ||
| Oil - imports: | 238,400 bbl/day (2004) | ||
| Oil - proved reserves: | 600 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) | ||
| Natural gas - production: | 3.836 billion cu m (2005 est.) | ||
| Natural gas - consumption: | 3.836 billion cu m (2005 est.) | ||
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | ||
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2005) | ||
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 184.7 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) | ||
| Current account balance: | -$1.199 billion (2007 est.) | ||
| Exports: | $49.91 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) | ||
| Exports - commodities: | crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes | ||
| Exports - partners: | US 21.2%, Japan 12.3%, Australia 9.4%, China 5.7%, Germany 4.5% (2006) | ||
| Imports: | $51.95 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) | ||
| Imports - partners: | China 17.7%, Singapore 12.9%, Taiwan 11.5%, Japan 9.8%, South Korea 8.4%, Thailand 7.3%, Malaysia 4.2% (2006) | ||
| Economic aid - recipient: | $1.905 billion in credits and grants pledged by the 2006 Consultative Group meeting in Hanoi (2005) | ||
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $17.16 billion (31 December 2007 est.) | ||
| Debt - external: | $24.41 billion (31 December 2007 est.) | ||
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $26.27 billion (2006 est.) | ||
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $NA | ||
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA | ||
| Currency (code): | dong (VND) | ||
| Currency code: | VND | ||
| Exchange rates: | dong per US dollar - 16,119 (2007), 15,983 (2006), 15,746 (2005), NA (2004), 15,510 (2003) | ||
| Fiscal year: | calendar year | ||
Communications | Vietnam | ||
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 10.8 million (2007) | ||
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 33.2 million (2007) | ||
| 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 | ||
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999) | ||
| Radios: | 8.2 million (1997) | ||
| Television broadcast stations: | 6 (plus 61 provincial TV stations) (2006) | ||
| Televisions: | 3.57 million (1997) | ||
| Internet country code: | .vn | ||
| Internet hosts: | 106,772 (2007) | ||
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 5 (2000) | ||
| Internet users: | 17.87 million (2007) | ||
Transportation | Vietnam | ||
| Airports: | 44 (2007) | ||
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 37 | ||
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 7 | ||
| Heliports: | 1 (2007) | ||
| Pipelines: | condensate/gas 432 km; gas 163 km; oil 50 km; refined products 206 km (2006) | ||
| Railways: | total: 2,600 km | ||
| Roadways: | total: 222,179 km | ||
| Waterways: | 17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2005) | ||
| Merchant marine: | total: 314 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,739,927 GRT/2,681,003 DWT | ||
| Ports and terminals: | Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City | ||
Security | Vietnam | ||
| Military branches: | 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) | ||
| 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 | ||
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 16,032,358 | ||
| Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males age 18-49: 915,572 | ||
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.5% (2005 est.) | ||
International | Vietnam | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 17 January, 2008 Source: The World Factbook | |||
