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| Introduction | Vietnam |
| Background: | The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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. Despite the return of peace, for over two decades the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have committed to 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 the Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands over loss of land to Vietnamese settlers and religious persecution. |
| People | Vietnam |
| Population: | 82,689,518 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 29.4% (male 12,524,098; female 11,807,763) 15-64 years: 65% (male 26,475,156; female 27,239,543) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 1,928,568; female 2,714,390) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 24.9 years male: 24 years female: 25.9 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.3% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 19.58 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female 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 total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 29.88 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 33.71 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 70.35 years male: 67.86 years female: 73.02 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.22 children born/woman (2004 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 |
| Ethnic groups: | Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups |
| Religions: | Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim |
| 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) |
| 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 abbreviation: SRV local short form: Viet Nam |
| Government type: | Communist state |
| Capital: | Hanoi |
| Administrative divisions: | 59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thu do, 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, Hai Duong, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, 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 |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Tran Duc Luong (since 24 September 1997) 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 (8 August 2002) 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 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 |
| 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) |
| 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: | only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc Manh, general secretary] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | none |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, 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, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036 consulate(s) general: San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 |
| 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 |
| Flag description: | red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center |
| Communications | Vietnam |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 4.402 million (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 2.742 million (2003) |
| 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) |
| Radios: | 8.2 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998) |
| Televisions: | 3.57 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .vn |
| Internet hosts: | 340 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 5 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 3.5 million (2003) |
| Transportation | Vietnam |
| Railways: | total: 2,600 km standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (2003) narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge |
| Highways: | total: 93,300 km paved: 23,418 km unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2004) |
| Pipelines: | condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau |
| Merchant marine: | total: 194 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,170,621 GRT/1,798,376 DWT registered in other countries: 11 (2003 est.) by type: bulk 16, cargo 135, chemical tanker 1, container 8, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: Cambodia 1, Germany 1, Japan 2, South Korea 1, United Kingdom 3 |
| Airports: | 19 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 16 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Vietnam |
| Military branches: | People's Army of Vietnam: Ground Forces, People's Navy Command (including Naval Infantry), Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 23,438,858 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 14,694,574 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 853,197 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $650 million (FY98) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.5% (FY98) |
| Transnational Issues | Vietnam |
| 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 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 |
| 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 16 December, 2004 |
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