Vietnam
Socialist Republic of VietnamCong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
Communist stateIndependence 2 September 1945 (from France)
Vietnam as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 125 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
France occupied all of Vietnam by 1884. 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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. Economic reconstruction of the reunited country has proven difficult as aging Communist Party leaders have only grudgingly initiated reforms necessary for a free market.
Geography
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 329,560 sq km
Location
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
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 and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
People
19 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2003 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 30.2% (male 12,699,002; female 11,967,674)
- 15-64 years:
- 64.2% (male 25,776,600; female 26,599,005)
- 65 years and over:
- 5.6% (male 1,902,464; female 2,679,971) (2003 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 (2003 est.)
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)
Government
Communist state; President Tran Duc LUONG (since 24 September 1997); Prime Minister Phan Van KHAI (since 25 September 1997)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi, 498 seats, elected 19 May 2002seats by party
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Socialist Republic of Vietnam
- conventional short form:
- Vietnam
- local short form:
- Viet Nam
- abbreviation:
- SRV
- local long form:
- Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
Administrative divisions
58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), and 3 municipalities* (thu do, singular and plural); 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, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Da Nang, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Hai Phong*, Ha Nam, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh, Ho Chi Minh*, 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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Tran Duc LUONG (since 24 September 1997)
- 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
- 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 (since NA) 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%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007)
- 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
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]
International organization participation
ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, 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, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Nguyen Tam CHIEN
- consulate(s) general:
- San Francisco
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 861-0917
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 861-0737
- chancery:
- 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
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
Economy
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.
43 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
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.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities 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.
Industries
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper
Agriculture - products
- paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar;
- poultry, pigs;
- fish
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Exchange rates
dong per US dollar - 15,325.8 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001), 14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999), 13,268 (1998)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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;
- since 1991, main lines in use have been substantially increased and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
- international:
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 3,142 km
- standard gauge:
- 209 km 1.435-m gauge
- narrow gauge:
- 2,625 km 1.000-m gauge
- dual gauge:
- 308 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (2002)
Ports and harbors
Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Merchant marine
- total:
- 180 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,054,423 GRT/1,588,732 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cambodia 1, Japan 1, Singapore 1, UK 2 (2002 est.)
- ships by type:
- bulk 13, cargo 128, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 9, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 3
Military
People's Army of Vietnam (includes Ground Forces, People's Navy Command [including Naval Infantry], Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard)
7 fieldsMilitary branches
People's Army of Vietnam (includes Ground Forces, People's Navy Command [including Naval Infantry], Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - 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 a complex dispute over Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei;
- claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct"
Illicit drugs
- minor producer of opium poppy;
- probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin;
- domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Vietnam.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/vietnam/2003.