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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 100 usable: 100 with permanent-surface runways: 50 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 20

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

85,000 km total; 9,400 km paved, 48,700 km gravel or improved earth, 26,900 km unimproved earth (est.)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 meter draft

Merchant marine [time series]

99 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 460,712 GRT/739,246 DWT; includes 84 cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 8 oil tanker, 3 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 150 km

Ports [time series]

Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

3,059 km total; 2,454 1.000-meter gauge, 151 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge, 230 km dual gauge (three rails), and 224 km not restored to service after war damage

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

the inadequacies of the obsolete switching equipment and cable system is a serious constraint on the business sector and on economic growth, and restricts access to the international links that Vietnam has established with most major countries; the telephone system is not generally available for private use (25 telephones for each 10,000 persons); 3 satellite earth stations; broadcast stations - NA AM, 288 FM; 36 (77 repeaters) TV; about 2,500,000 TV receivers and 7,000,000 radio receivers in use (1991)

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(territory of the US)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Ground, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GNP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 17,835,536; fit for military service 11,338,880; reach military age (17) annually 771,792 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for half of GNP; paddy rice, corn, potatoes make up 50% of farm output; commercial crops (rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas) and animal products 50%; since 1989 self-sufficient in food staple rice; fish catch of 943,100 metric tons (1989 est.)

Budget [time series]

revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 new dong (D) = 100 xu

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-74), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $61 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $12.0 billion

Electricity [time series]

3,300,000 kW capacity; 9,000 million kWh produced, 130 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

new dong (D) per US$1 - 10,800 (November 1992), 8,100 (July 1991), 7,280 (December 1990), 3,996 (March 1990), 2,047 (1988), 225 (1987); note - 1985-89 figures are end of year

Exports [time series]

$2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: agricultural and handicraft products, coal, minerals, crude oil, ores, seafood partners: Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$16.8 billion (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: petroleum products, steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals, medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain partners: Japan, Singapore, Thailand

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 15% (1992); accounts for 30% of GNP

Industries [time series]

food processing, textiles, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

15%-20% (1992 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GNP - exchange rate conversion - $16 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$230 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

7.4% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Vietnam has made significant progress in recent years moving away from the planned economic model and toward a more effective market-based economic system. Most prices are now fully decontrolled and the Vietnamese currency has been effectively devalued and floated at world market rates. In addition, the scope for private sector activity has been expanded, primarily through decollectivization of the agricultural sector and introduction of laws giving legal recognition to private business. Despite such positive indicators, the country's economic turnaround remains tenuous. Nearly three-quarters of export earnings are generated by only two commodities, rice and crude oil. Meanwhile, industrial production stagnates, burdened by uncompetitive state-owned enterprises the government is unwilling or unable to privatize. Unemployment looms as the most serious problem with over 25% of the workforce without jobs and population growth swelling the ranks of the unemployed yearly.

Unemployment rate [time series]

25% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 329,560 km2 land area: 325,360 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate [time series]

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 [time series]

3,444 km (excludes islands)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; unresolved maritime boundary with Thailand; maritime boundary dispute with China in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan

Irrigated land [time series]

18,300 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 3,818 km, Cambodia 982 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 1,555 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 22% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 40% other: 35%

Location [time series]

Southeast Asia, bordering the South China Sea, between Laos and the Philippines

Map references [time series]

Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil deposits, forests

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Abbreviation [time series]

SRV

Administrative divisions [time series]

50 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thanh pho,, singular and plural); Dinh, Binh Thuan, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Lac, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Bac, Ha Giang, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Hung, Hai Phong*, Ho Chi, Minh*, Hoa Binh, Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Minh Hai, Nam Ha, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam-Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Song Be, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phu, Yen Bai

Capital [time series]

Hanoi

Constitution [time series]

NA April 1992

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

none

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

National Assembly: last held 19 July 1992 (next to be held NA July 1997); results - VCP is the only party; seats - (395 total) VCP or VCP-approved 395

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

2 September 1945 (from France)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme People's Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Le Duc ANH (since 23 September 1992) Head of Government: Prime Minister Vo Van KIET (since 9 August 1991); First Deputy Prime Minister Phan Van KHAI (since 10 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen KHANH (since NA February 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Tran Duc LUONG (since NA February 1987)

Legal system [time series]

based on Communist legal theory and French civil law system

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam conventional short form: Vietnam local long form: Cong Hoa Chu Nghia Viet Nam local short form: Viet Nam

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

only party - Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), DO MUOI, general secretary

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

Communist state

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

none

People

Birth rate [time series]

27.99 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

7.92 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Vietnamese 85-90%, Chinese 3%, Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham

Infant mortality rate [time series]

46.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

32.7 million by occupation: agricultural 65%, industrial and service 35% (1990 est.)

Languages [time series]

Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 65.1 years male: 63.08 years female: 67.25 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 88% male: 92% female: 84%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

71,787,608 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.85% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic, Protestant

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.45 children born/woman (1993 est.)