Vietnam

Communist stateIndependence 2 September 1945 (from France)

Vietnam as the 1992 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

Populationas each edition published it

68.96 million July 1992 · 66.17m in 1990

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

3.6 children per woman 1992 · 3.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

47 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 50 in 1990

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

12 fields

Total area

329,560km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico

Coastline

3,444km

excludes islandsContiguous zone: 24 nmContinental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nmExclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

3,818km total

Cambodia 982 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 1,555 km

Disputes

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

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

Land use

arable land 22%;
permanent crops 2%;
meadows and pastures 1%;
forest and woodland 40%;
other 35%;
includes irrigated 5%

Environment

occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding

People

14 fields

Population

68,964,018

(July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

29Death

8Net migration

-1

Labor force

32.7million

agricultural 65%, industrial and service 35% (1990 est.)

Literacy

88%

(male 92%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Vietnamese (singular and plural); adjective - Vietnamese

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

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

Languages

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

19 fields

Long-form name

Socialist Republic of Vietnam; abbreviated SRV

Administrative divisions

50 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thanh pho, singular and plural);
An Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Bac Thai, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Las, Dong Nai, Dong Tay, Gia Lai, Ha Bac, Ha Giang, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Hung, Hai Phong*, Ho Chi Minh*, Hoa Binh, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang 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;
note - diacritical marks are not included

Constitution

18 December 1980; new Constitution to be approved Spring 1992

Legal system

based on Communist legal theory and French civil law system

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Vo Chi CONG (since 18 June 1987)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Vo Van KIET (since 9 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Phan Van KHAI (since 10 August 1991)

Political parties and leaders

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

Elections

National Assembly:: last held 19 April 1987 (next to be held 19 July 1992);
results - VCP is the only party;
seats - (496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496;
note - number of seats under new government 395

Member of

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

Flag

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

Economy

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

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

80%

(1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

30%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$16.8billion

(1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$551 millionExpenditures

$830 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $58 million (1990)

This is a formerly centrally planned, developing economy with extensive government ownership and control of productive facilities. The economy is primarily agricultural; the sector employs about 70% of the labor force and accounts for 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. Oil was discovered off the southern coast in 1986 with production reaching 70,000 barrels per day in 1991 and expected to increase in the years ahead.

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 UN agencies, France, Australia, Sweden, and Communist countries.

Inflation, although down from recent triple-digit levels, is still a major weakness and is showing signs of accelerating upwards again. Per capita output is among the world's lowest. Since late 1986 the government has sponsored a broad reform program that seeks to turn more economic activity over to the private sector.

GNP

exchange rate conversion - $15 billion, per capita $220; real growth rate 2.5% (1991 est.)

Exports

$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: agricultural and handicraft products, coal, minerals, crude petroleum, ores, seafood
partners:: Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Eastern Europe, USSR

Imports

$1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:: petroleum products, steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals, medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain
partners:: Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Eastern Europe, USSR

Industrial production

growth rate -3.6% (1989); accounts for 30% of GNP

Electricity

3,300,000 kW capacity; 9,200 million kWh produced, 140 kWh per capita (1991)

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%;
since 1989 self-sufficient in food staple rice;
fish catch of 943,100 metric tons (1989 est.)

Economic aid

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

Currency

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

Exchange rates

new dong (D) per US$1 - 11,100 (May 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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 100 total, 100 usable

permanent-surface runways

50runways | 2,440-3,659 m

10runways 1,220-2,439 m

89 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 400,430 GRT/643,877 DWT;
includes 73 cargo 4 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 8 petroleum tanker, 3 bulk;
note - Vietnam owns 11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 134,719 DWT under the registries of Panama and Malta