CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Vietnam


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!| 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 5.95% other: 74.08% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
 * 16 00 N, 106 00 E
 * Southeast Asia
 * total: 329,560 sq km
 * slightly larger than New Mexico
 * total: 4,639 km
 * 3,444 km (excludes islands)
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March)
 * low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
 * lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
 * phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
 * arable land: 19.97%
 * 30,000 sq km (1998 est.)
 * occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
 * 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
 * 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
 * extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 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: male: 24 years female: 25.9 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: 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: female: 25.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 33.71 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 67.86 years female: 73.02 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Vietnamese !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 90.3% male: 93.9% female: 86.9% (2002)
 * 82,689,518 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 29.4% (male 12,524,098; female 11,807,763)
 * total: 24.9 years
 * 1.3% (2004 est.)
 * 19.58 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -0.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
 * total: 29.88 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 70.35 years
 * 2.22 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 0.4% (2003 est.)
 * 220,000 (2003 est.)
 * 9,000 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)
 * Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups
 * Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim
 * Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Vietnam local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam abbreviation: SRV local short form: Viet Nam !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: : 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: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: 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: 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: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: 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: 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:
 * conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
 * Communist state
 * Hanoi
 * 59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thu do, singular and plural)
 * 2 September 1945 (from France)
 * Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
 * 15 April 1992
 * based on communist legal theory and French civil law system
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: President Tran Duc Luong (since 24 September 1997)
 * unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
 * Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)
 * only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc Manh, general secretary]
 * none
 * ACCT (observer), 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, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MARINE
 * red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 39.7% services: 38.5% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 29.9% (1998) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $9.718 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (2003 est.) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Oil - proved reserves: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: !| Natural gas - proved reserves: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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 would lead to disaster. GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth then rose to 6% to 7% in 2000-02 even 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. Since the Party elected new leadership in 2001, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to 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.
 * purchasing power parity - $203.7 billion (2003 est.)
 * 7.2% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 21.8%
 * 33% of GDP (2003)
 * 37% (1998 est.)
 * lowest 10%: 3.6%
 * 36.1 (1998)
 * 3.1% (2003 est.)
 * 45.74 million (2003 est.)
 * agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.)
 * 6.1% (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $8.689 billion
 * 64.3% of GDP (2003)
 * paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs, fish
 * food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper
 * 16% (2003 est.)
 * 29.8 billion kWh (2001)
 * 27.71 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 356,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 185,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * 1.4 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
 * 1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 192.6 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
 * $-1.781 billion (2003)
 * $19.88 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
 * US 21.9%, Japan 13.8%, Australia 6.8%, China 6.5%, Germany 5.8%, Singapore 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2003)
 * $22.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
 * China 13.7%, Taiwan 11.4%, Japan 11.3%, South Korea 11%, Singapore 10.4%, US 5.7%, Thailand 5.4%, Hong Kong 4.2% (2003)
 * $6.357 billion (2003)
 * $14.69 billion (2003)
 * $2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000 (2004)
 * dong (VND)
 * VND
 * dong per US dollar - 15,279.5 (2003), 15,279.5 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001), 14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999)
 * calendar year
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| 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 international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 4.402 million (2003)
 * 2.742 million (2003)
 * 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
 * AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
 * 8.2 million (1997)
 * at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)
 * 3.57 million (1997)
 * .vn
 * 340 (2003)
 * 5 (2000)
 * 3.5 million (2003)
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!| Railways: 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: paved: 23,418 km unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.) !| Waterways: !| Pipelines: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 11 (2004 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: !| Airports - with paved runways: 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: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.)
 * total: 2,600 km
 * total: 93,300 km
 * 17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2004)
 * condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206 km (2004)
 * Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
 * total: 194 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,170,621 GRT/1,798,376 DWT
 * 19 (2003 est.)
 * total: 16
 * total: 3
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * People's Army of Vietnam: Ground Forces, People's Navy Command (including Naval Infantry), Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard
 * 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
 * males age 15-49: 23,438,858 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 14,694,574 (2004 est.)
 * males: 853,197 (2004 est.)
 * $650 million (FY98)
 * 2.5% (FY98)
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