Vietnam

Socialist Republic of VietnamCong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam

Communist stateIndependence 2 September 1945 (from France)

Vietnam as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 128 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
Position16 00 N, 106 00 E
Area329,560 sq km
LocationSoutheastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
2004

Every edition of Vietnam

Populationas each edition published it
82.69 million July 2004 est. · 66.17m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.3% 2004 est. · 1.85% in 1993
Median ageyears
24.9 years 2004 est. · 24.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
70.35 years 2004 est. · 65.1 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.22 children per woman 2004 est. · 3.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
29.88 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 50 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,500 2003 est. · $230 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
7.2% 2003 est. · 7.4% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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.

Geography

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia

18 fields

Land useshare of 329,560 sq km

arable land 19.97%permanent crops 5.95%other 74.08% (2001)irrigated 30,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
329,560sq km
land: 325,360 sq kmwater: 4,200 sq kmslightly larger than New Mexico
Coastline
3,444km
(excludes islands)territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Highest point
3,144m
Fan Si Panlowest point: South China Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
4,639km
border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 106 00 E

Map references

Southeast Asia

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point

People

19 fields
Population
82,689,518
(July 2004 est.)growth rate: 1.3% (2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
19.58Death
6.14Net migration
-0.45

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)70.35
67.86 · 73.02Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)29.88
33.71 · 25.77
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2002)90.3%
93.9% · 86.9%Median age years (2004 est.)24.9
24 · 25.9
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

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.)

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.)

Total fertility rate

2.22 children born/woman (2004 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)

Government

Communist state; President Tran Duc Luong (since 24 September 1997); Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (since 25 September 1997)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

90%
CPV 90%other (the 10% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for election) 10%last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007)

National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi, 498 seats, elected 19 May 2002seats by party

CPV 447CPV-approved 51

Percent of vote

CPV 90%other (the 10% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for election) 10%

Country name

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

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

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
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
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 (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)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien
chancery:
1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
[1] (202) 861-0737
FAX:
[1] (202) 861-0917
consulate(s) general:
San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael W. MARINE
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

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.

46 fields
Real growth rate
7.2%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: 16% (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate
6.1%
(2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 21.8%industry 39.7%services 38.5% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

21.9%
US
5.7%
13.8%
Japan
11.3%
6.5%
China
13.7%
Taiwan
11.4%
South Korea
11%
4.6%
Singapore
10.4%
6.8%
Australia
5.8%
Germany
Thailand
5.4%
4.4%
UK
Hong Kong
4.2%
Exports $19.88 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $22.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$8.689 billionExpenditures
$9.718 billion (2003 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion

Electricity

Electricity production
29.8 billion (2001)Electricity consumption
27.71 billion (2001)

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.

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.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $203.7 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

33% of GDP (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
3.6%
highest 10%:
29.9% (1998)

Labor force

45.74 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.)

Public debt

64.3% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products

paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs, fish

Industries

food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper

Oil - production

356,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

185,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

1.4 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production

1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

192.6 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance

$-1.781 billion (2003)

Exports

$19.88 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes

Imports

$22.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles

Debt - external

$14.69 billion (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000 (2004)

Currency

dong (VND)

Exchange rates

dong per US dollar - 15,279.5 (2003), 15,279.5 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001), 14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
2.742 million
(2003)
Fixed lines
4.402 million
(2003) · country code .vn

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)

Television broadcast stations

at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)

Internet users

3.5 million (2003)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

6
over 3,047 m
4
2,438 to 3,047 m
6
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
1
under 914 m
1
Paved 16Unpaved 3

Networkskm

Highways
93,300Railways
2,600Waterways
17,702 (2004)
Highways: paved: 23,418 km · unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge · narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge · dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (2003) · Waterways: (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft)

Railways

total:
2,600 km
standard gauge:
178 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:
2,169 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge:
253 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (2003)

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
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
registered in other countries:
11 (2004 est.)

Airports

19 (2003 est.)

Military

People's Army of Vietnam: Ground Forces, People's Navy Command (including Naval Infantry), Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard

7 fields

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.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

  • demarcation of the land boundary with China continues, but maritime boundary and joint fishing zone agreement remains unimplemented;
  • 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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Vietnam.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/vietnam/2004.

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