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The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the Communist North and anti-Communist South. 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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 reuniting the country under Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The Communist leaders, however, maintain control on political expression and have resisted outside calls to improve human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups - the vast majority connected to land-use issues, calls for increased political space, and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests.
Geography
Extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia
Geographic coordinates: 16 10 N, 107 50 E
Area: total: 331,210 sq km land: 310,070 sq km water: 21,140 sq km
Size comparison: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land Boundaries: total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Coastline: 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March)
Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 20.14% permanent crops: 6.93% other: 72.93% (2005)
Irrigated land: 46,000 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Current Environment 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
International Environment 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
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People
Population: 91,519,289 (July 2012 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.2% (male 11,945,354/female 10,868,610) 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 31,301,879/female 31,419,306) 65 years and over: 5.5% (male 1,921,652/female 3,092,589) (2011 est.)
Median age: total: 28.2 years male: 27.1 years female: 29.2 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.054% (2012 est.)
Birth rate: 16.83 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Death rate: 5.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 20.24 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.41 years male: 69.95 years female: 75.16 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 280,000 (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 14,000 (2009 est.)
Nationality: noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese
Ethnic groups: Kinh (Viet) 85.7%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.8%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer 1.5%, Mong 1.2%, Nung 1.1%, others 5.3% (1999 census)
Religions: Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census)
Languages: Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94% male: 96.1% female: 92% (2002 est.)
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Government
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: name: Hanoi (Ha Noi) geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, 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, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, 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, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City
Independence: 2 September 1945 (from France)
National holiday:
Constitution: 15 April 1992
Legal system: civil law system; note - the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Truong Tan SANG (since 25 July 2011); Vice President Nguyen Thi DOAN (25 July 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung HAI (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien NHAN (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van NINH (since 3 August 2011), and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan PHUC (since 3 August 2011) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime minister and confirmed by National Assembly (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; last election held 25 July 2011 (next to be held in July 2016); prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers confirmed by National Assembly election results: Truong Tan SANG elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 97%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 94%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 22 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2016) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPV 458, non-party CPV-approved 38, self-nominated 4; note - 500 candidates were elected; the 496 CPV and non-party CPV-approved delegates were members of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front and were vetted prior to the election
Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president for a five-year term)
Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nguyen Phu TRONG]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders: 8406 Bloc; Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV; People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN; Alliance for Democracy note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government
International organization participation: ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Quoc CUONG chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 consulate(s) general: Houston, San Francisco consulate: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David B. SHEAR embassy: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi mailing address: 4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550 telephone: [84] (4) 3850-5000 FAX: [84] (4) 3850-5010 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City
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Economy
Vietnam is a densely-populated developing country that in the last 30 years 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. While Vietnam's economy remains dominated by state-owned enterprises, which still produce about 40% of GDP, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration. They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive export-driven industries. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in January 2007 following more than a decade-long negotiation process. Vietnam became an official negotiating partner in the developing Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement in 2010. Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink from about 25% in 2000 to about 22% in 2011, while industry's share increased from 36% to 40% in the same period. Deep poverty has declined significantly, and Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year. The global recession has hurt Vietnam's export-oriented economy, with GDP in 2009-11 growing less than the 7% per annum average achieved during the last decade. In 2011, exports increased by more than 33%, year-on-year, and the trade deficit, while reduced from 2010, remained high, prompting the government to maintain administrative trade measures to limit the trade deficit. Vietnam's managed currency, the dong, continues to face downward pressure due to a persistent trade imbalance. Since 2008, the government devalued it in excess of 20% through a series of small devaluations. Foreign donors pledged nearly $8 billion in new development assistance for 2011. However, the government's strong growth-oriented economic policies have caused it to struggle to control one of the region's highest inflation rates, which reached as high as 23% in August 2011 and averaged 18% for the year. In February 2011, Vietnam shifted its focus away from economic growth to stabilizing its economy and tightened fiscal and monetary policies. In early 2012 Vietnam unveiled a broad "three pillar" economic reform program, proposing the restructuring of public investment, state-owned enterprises and the banking sector. Vietnam's economy continues to face challenges from low foreign exchange reserves, an undercapitalized banking sector, and high borrowing costs. The near-bankruptcy and subsequent default of the state-owned-enterprise Vinashin, a leading shipbuilder, led to a ratings downgrade of Vietnam's sovereign debt, exacerbating Vietnam's borrowing difficulties.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (purchasing power parity): $303.8 billion (2011 est.) $286.9 billion (2010 est.) $268.7 billion (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): GDP (official exchange rate): $122.7 billion (2011 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.9% (2011 est.) 6.8% (2010 est.) 5.3% (2009 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): GDP - per capita (PPP): $3,400 (2011 est.) $3,300 (2010 est.) $3,100 (2009 est.) note: data are in 2011 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22% industry: 40.3% services: 37.7% (2011 est.)
Labor force: 46.48 million (2011 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 48% industry: 22.4% services: 29.6% (2011)
Unemployment rate: 2.3% (2011 est.) 2.9% (2010 est.)
Population below poverty line: 14.5% (2010 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.2% (2008)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 37.6 (2008) 36.1 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18.7% (2011 est.) 10% (2010 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): Investment (gross fixed): 34.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
Budget: revenues: $32.8 billion expenditures: $35.7 billion (2011 est.)
Public debt: 57.3% of GDP (2011 est.) 57.1% of GDP (2010 est.) note: data cover general government debt, and excludes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment. Debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions.
Agriculture - products: paddy rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood
Industries: food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones
Industrial production growth rate: 6% (2011 est.)
Electricity - production: 106 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 101 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Electricity - exports: 535 million kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports: 3.85 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production: 305,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Oil - consumption: 321,500 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Oil - exports: 210,500 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Oil - imports: 227,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 600 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
Natural gas - production: 8.5 billion cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 9.5 billion cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 1 billion cu m (2011 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 192.5 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
Current account balance: -$1.896 billion (2011 est.) -$4.287 billion (2010 est.)
Exports: $95.32 billion (2011 est.) $72.19 billion (2010 est.)
Exports - commodities: clothes, shoes, marine products, crude oil, electronics, wooden products, rice, machinery
Exports - partners: US 18%, China 11%, Japan 11%, Germany 3.7% (2011 est.)
Imports: $97.83 billion (2011 est.) $77.34 billion (2010 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, steel products, raw materials for the clothing and shoe industries, electronics, plastics, automobiles
Imports - partners: China 22%, South Korea 13.2%, Japan 10.4%, Taiwan 8.6%, Thailand 6.4%, Singapore 6.4% (2011 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $17.67 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $12.93 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Debt - external: $39.73 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $35.14 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: $65.82 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $57.92 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: $7.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.) $5.3 billion (31 December 2008)
Market value of publicly traded shares: $26 billion (31 December 2011 est.) $37 billion (31 December 2010) $35 billion (31 December 2009)
Exchange rates: dong (VND) per US dollar - 20,585.6 (2011 est.) 19,130.5 (2010 est.) 17,799.6 (2009) 16,548.3 (2008) 16,119 (2007)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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Communications
Telephones in use: 16.4 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 18
Cellular Phones in use: 154 million (2009)
Telephone system: general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication 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 increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly international: country code - 84; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, completed in 2009, provided new access links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations:
Television broadcast stations:
Internet country code: .vn
Internet hosts: 175,612 (2010)
Internet users: 23.382 million (2009)
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Transportation
Airports: 44 (2012) country comparison to the world: 97
Airports (paved runways): total: 37 over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2012)
Airports (unpaved runways): total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2012)
Heliports: 1 (2012)
Pipelines: condensate 28 km; condensate/gas 10 km; gas 216 km; refined products 206 km (2010)
Railways: total: 2,632 km standard gauge: 527 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,105 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways: total: 180,549 km paved: 133,899 km unpaved: 46,650 km (2008)
Waterways: 17,702 km (5,000 km are navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2011)
Merchant marine: total: 579 by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 142, cargo 335, chemical tanker 23, container 19, liquefied gas 7, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 registered in other countries: 86 (Cambodia 1, Kiribati 2, Mongolia 33, Panama 43, Taiwan 1, Tuvalu 6) (2010)
Ports and terminals: Cam Pha Port, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu My, Quy Nhon
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Military
Military branches: People's Armed Forces: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; includes People's Navy Command (with Naval Infantry, Coast Guard), Air and Air Defense Force (Khong Quan Nhan Dan), Border Defense Command), People's Public Security Forces, Militia Force, Self-Defense Forces (2010)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for male compulsory military service; females may volunteer for active duty military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (3 to 4 years in the navy); 18-45 years of age (male) or 18-40 years of age (female) for Militia Force or Self Defense Forces (2006)
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 25,649,738 females age 16-49: 24,995,692 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 20,405,847 females age 16-49: 21,098,102 (2010 est.)
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