Vietnam

Communist stateIndependence 2 September 1945 (from France)

Vietnam as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalHanoi
Area329,560 km2
1990

Every edition of Vietnam

Populationas each edition published it
66.17 million July 1990 · 106.69m in 2025
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 1.85% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 24.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 65.1 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.8 children per woman 1990 · 2.01 in 2025
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
50 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 13.8 in 2025
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $230 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 7.4% in 1993

Geography

14 fields

Land useshare of 329,560 km2

arable land 22%permanent crops 2%meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 40%other 35%includes 5% irrigated
Total area
329,560km2
land area: 325,360Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Coastline
3,444km
(excluding islands)Territorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
3,818km total
Cambodia 982 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 1,555 km

Continental shelf

edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Disputes

  • offshore islands and three sections of the boundary with Cambodia are in dispute;
  • maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined;
  • occupied Cambodia on 25 December 1978;
  • sporadic border clashes with China;
  • involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, and Taiwan;
  • maritime boundary dispute with China in the Gulf of Tonkin;
  • Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

Environment

occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding

People

14 fields
Population
66,170,889
(July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth
30Death
8
Labor force
35,000,000
(1989 est.)

Net migration rate

- 1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate

50 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

62 years male, 66 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate

3.8 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality

noun--Vietnamese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Vietnamese

Ethnic divisions

  • 85-90% predominantly Vietnamese;
  • 3% Chinese;
  • ethnic minorities include
    • Muong,
    • Thai,
    • Meo,
    • Khmer,
    • Man,
    • Cham
    ;
  • other mountain tribes

Religion

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

Language

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

Organized labor

reportedly over 90% of wage and salary earners are members of the Vietnam Federation of Trade Unions (VFTU)

Government

Communist state

17 fields

National Assembly, 496 seats, elected 19 April 1987seats by party

VCP or VCP-approved 496

Long-form name

Socialist Republic of Vietnam; abbreviated SRV

Type

Communist state

Capital

Hanoi

Administrative divisions

  • 37 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thanh pho, singular and plural);
  • An Giang, Bac Thai, Ben Tre, Binh Tri Thien, Cao Bang, Cuu Long, Dac Lac, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai-Cong Tum, Ha Bac, Hai Hung, Hai Phong*, Ha Nam Ninh, Ha Noi*, Ha Son Binh, Ha Tuyen, Hau Giang, Hoang Lien Son, Ho Chi Minh*, Kien Giang, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Long An, Minh Hai, Nghe Tinh, Nghia Binh, Phu Khanh, Quang Nam-Da Nang, Quang Ninh, Song Be, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thuan Hai, Tien Giang, Vinh Pu, Vung Tau-Con Dao;
  • note--diacritical marks are not included;
  • the number of provinces may have been changed with the elimination of Binh Tri Thien, Nghia Binh, and Phu Khanh and the addition of Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien

Independence

2 September 1945 (from France)

Constitution

18 December 1980

National holiday

Independence Day, 2 September (1945)

Executive branch

chairman of the Council of State, Council of State, chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Quoc Hoi)

Judicial branch

  • Supreme People's Court Chief of State--Chairman of the Council of State Vo Chi CONG (since 18 June 1987);
  • Head of Government--Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) Do MUOI (since 22 June 1988)

Political parties and leaders

only party-- Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), Nguyen Van Linh

Suffrage

  • universal at age 18 National Assembly--last held 19 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992);
  • results--VCP is the only party;
  • seats--(496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496

Communists

nearly 2 million

Member of

ADB, CEMA, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, IRC, ITU, Mekong Committee, NAM, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Flag

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

Economy

This is a centrally planned, developing economy with extensive government ownership and control of productive facilities.

16 fields
Unemployment rate
25%
(1989 est.)
External debt
$16billion
(1989)

Budget

Revenues
$3.2 billionExpenditures
$4.3 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $528 million (1987 est.)

Overview

This is a centrally planned, developing economy with extensive government ownership and control of productive facilities. The economy is primarily agricultural, employing about 65% of the labor force and accounting for almost half of GNP. Rice is the staple crop; substantial amounts of maize, sorghum, cassava, and sweet potatoes are also grown.

The government permits sale of surplus grain on the open market. Most of the mineral resources are located in the north, including coal, which is an important export item. Following the end of the war in 1975, heavy handed government measures undermined efforts at an efficient merger of the agricultural resources of the south and the industrial resources of the north.

The economy remains heavily dependent on foreign aid and has received assistance from Communist countries, Sweden, and UN agencies. Inflation, although down from recent triple-digit levels, is still a major weakness, and per capita output is among the world's lowest. Since early 1989 the government has sponsored a broad reform program that seeks to turn more economic activity over to the private sector.

GNP

$14.2 billion, per capita $215; real growth rate 8% (1989 est.)

Exports

  • $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
  • commodities--agricultural and handicraft products, coal, minerals, ores;
  • partners--USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore

Imports

  • $2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988);
  • commodities--petroleum, steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals, medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain;
  • partners--USSR, Eastern Europe, Japan, Singapore

Industrial production

growth rate 10% (1989)

Electricity

2,465,000 kW capacity; 6,730 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • 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 other 50%;
  • not self-sufficient in food staple rice;
  • fish catch of 900,000 metric tons (1988 est.)

Aid

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-74), $3.1 billion;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.7 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $61 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-88), $10.9 million

Currency

new dong (plural--new dong); 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu

Exchange rates

new dong (D) per US$1--4,000 (March 1990), 900 (1988), 225 (1987), 18 (1986), 12 (1985); note--1985-89 figures are end of year

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 71 ships by typeone square, one ship

short-sea passenger 1cargo 55refrigerated cargo 4roll-on/roll-off cargo 1vehicle carrier 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 8bulk; note--Vietnam owns 10 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 111,028 DWT under the registry of Panama and Malta 171 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 290,123 GRT/432,152 DWT

Airports, 100 total, 100 usable

permanent-surface runways
50runways 2,440-3,659 m
10runways 1,220-2,439 m
20

Networkskm

Railroads
3,059Pipelines
150
Railroads: ; 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 · Pipelines: , refined products

Railroads

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

Highways

about 85,000 km total; 9,400 km bituminous, 48,700 km gravel or improved earth, 26,900 km unimproved earth

Pipelines

150 km, refined products

Inland waterways

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

Ports

Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City

Civil air

controlled by military

Telecommunications

  • 35,000 telephones in Ho Chi Minh City (1984);
  • stations--16 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV;
  • 2,300,000 TV sets;
  • 6,000,000 radio receivers;
  • at least 2 satellite earth stations, including 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49
15,707,629fit for military service
10,030,563reach military age (17) annually
787,444
Defense expenditures
19.4%of GNP
(1986 est.)

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Central Intelligence Agency. “Vietnam.” The World Factbook 1990. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/vietnam/1990.

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