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Compare Laos (2005) - Vietnam (2001)

Compare Laos (2005) z Vietnam (2001)

 Laos (2005)Vietnam (2001)
 LaosVietnam
Administrative divisions 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone** (khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 41.6% (male 1,300,094/female 1,289,227)


15-64 years: 55.2% (male 1,693,494/female 1,737,196)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 88,744/female 108,386) (2005 est.)
0-14 years:
32.13% (male 13,266,585; female 12,415,384)

15-64 years:
62.44% (male 24,357,343; female 25,556,187)

65 years and over:
5.43% (male 1,722,094; female 2,621,421) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish
Airports 44 (2004 est.) 34 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 9


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total:
17

over 3,047 m:
8

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 35


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
total:
17

over 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
7

under 914 m:
8 (2000 est.)
Area total: 236,800 sq km


land: 230,800 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
total:
329,560 sq km

land:
325,360 sq km

water:
4,200 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Utah slightly larger than New Mexico
Background Laos was under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government, ending a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997. 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.
Birth rate 35.99 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 21.23 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $284.3 million


expenditures: $416.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues:
$5.3 billion

expenditures:
$5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.)
Capital Vientiane Hanoi
Climate tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March)
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Constitution promulgated 14 August 1991 15 April 1992
Country name conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic


conventional short form: Laos


local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao


local short form: none
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
Currency - dong (VND)
Death rate 11.83 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 6.22 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $2.49 billion (2001) $13.2 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH


embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, B. P. 114, Vientiane


mailing address: American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96546


telephone: [856] (21) 212581, 212582, 212585


FAX: [856] (21) 212584
chief of mission:
Ambassador Douglas B. "Pete" PETERSON

embassy:
7 Lang Ha Road, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

mailing address:
PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002

telephone:
[84] (4) 8431500

FAX:
[84] (4) 8351510

consulate(s) general:
Ho Chi Minh City
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador PHANTHONG Phommahaxay


chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416


FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate Nguyen Tam CHIEN

chancery:
1233 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, Suite 400

telephone:
[1] (202) 861-0737

FAX:
[1] (202) 861-0917

consulate(s) general:
San Francisco
Disputes - international Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Laos and Thailand pledge to complete demarcation of boundaries in 2005, while ongoing disputes over squatters and boundary encroachment by Thailand including Mekong River islets persist; in 2004 Cambodian-Laotian boundary commission agrees to re-erect missing markers in two adjoining provinces; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; maritime boundary agreement with China in the Gulf of Tonkin awaits ratification; Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; portions of boundary with Cambodia are in dispute; agreement on land border with China was signed in December 1999, but details of alignment have not yet been made public
Economic aid - recipient $243 million (2001 est.) $2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000
Economy - overview The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official Communist states - began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% in 1988-2004 except during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis beginning in 1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains a country with a primitive infrastructure; it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications. The government has sponsored major improvements in the road system. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid from the IMF and other international sources and from new foreign investment in food processing and mining. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on their exports; this may help spur growth. 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 existing in the Vietnamese economy but, rather than prompting reform, reaffirmed the government's belief that shifting to a market oriented economy leads to disaster. GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth continued at the moderately strong level of 5.5%, a level that should be matched in 2001. 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; this problem apparently eased in 2000. Foreign direct investment fell dramatically, from $8.3 billion in 1996 to about $1.6 billion in 1999. Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities have moved slowly in implementing the structural reforms needed to revitalize the economy and produce more competitive, export-driven industries.
Electricity - consumption 3.036 billion kWh (2002) 21.376 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 400 million kWh (2002) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 125 million kWh (2002) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 3.56 billion kWh (2002) 22.985 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
47.71%

hydro:
52.29%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Mekong River 70 m


highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m

highest point:
Ngoc Linh 3,143 m
Environment - current issues unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water 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, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups
Exchange rates kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001), 7,887.6 (2000) dong per US dollar - 14,530 (January 2001), 14,020 (January 2000), 13,900 (December 1998), 11,100 (December 1996), 11,193 (1995 average), 11,000 (October 1994)
Executive branch chief of state: President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphadon (since 26 February 1998) and Vice President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 27 March 2001)


head of government: Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit (since 27 March 2001); First Deputy Prime Minister Bouasone BOUPHAVANH (since 3 October 2003) Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Deputy Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisolit (since 27 March 2001), and Deputy Prime Minister SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 24 February 2002 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister appointed by the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term


election results: KHAMTAI Siphadon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%
chief of state:
President Tran Duc LUONG (since 24 September 1997) and Vice President Nguyen Thi BINH (since NA October 1992)

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 Nguyen Cong TAN (since 29 September 1997), Nguyen Manh CAM (since 29 September 1997), 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 September 1997 (next to be held when National Assembly meets following legislative elections in NA 2002); 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%
Exports NA $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners Thailand 19.3%, Vietnam 13.4%, France 8%, Germany 5.3%, UK 5% (2004) China, Japan, Germany, Australia, US, France, Singapore, UK, Taiwan
Fiscal year 1 October - 30 September calendar year
Flag description three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
GDP - purchasing power parity - $154.4 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 49.5%


industry: 27.5%


services: 23% (2004 est.)
agriculture:
25%

industry:
35%

services:
40% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,950 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6% (2004 est.) 5.5% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 00 N, 105 00 E 16 00 N, 106 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand -
Highways total: 21,716 km


paved: 9,664 km


unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)
total:
93,300 km

paved:
23,418 km

unpaved:
69,882 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)
lowest 10%:
3.5%

highest 10%:
29% (1993)
Illicit drugs estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease from 2003; estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons, a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005) minor producer of opium poppy with 2,100 hectares cultivated in 1999, capable of producing 11 metric tons of opium; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems
Imports NA $15.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports - partners Thailand 60.5%, China 10.3%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4% (2004) Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, US, Sweden
Independence 19 July 1949 (from France) 2 September 1945 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 9.7% (2001 est.) 10.7% (2000 est.)
Industries tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism food processing, garments, shoes, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper
Infant mortality rate total: 85.22 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 95.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 75.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
30.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 12.3% (2004 est.) -0.6% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 5 (2000)
Irrigated land 1,640 sq km


note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)
18,600 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch People's Supreme Court (the president of the People's Supreme Court is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of the People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National Assembly Standing Committee) Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)
Labor force 2.6 million (2001 est.) 38.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 80% (1997 est.) agriculture 67%, industry and services 33% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries total: 5,083 km


border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
total:
4,639 km

border countries:
Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Land use arable land: 3.8%


permanent crops: 0.35%


other: 95.85% (2001)
arable land:
17%

permanent crops:
4%

permanent pastures:
1%

forests and woodland:
30%

other:
48% (1993 est.)
Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Legal system based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice based on communist legal theory and French civil law system
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly (109 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - total number of seats increased from 99 to 109 for the 2002 election)


elections: last held 24 February 2002 (next to be held in 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 109
unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (450 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
last held 20 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results:
percent of vote by party - CPV 92%, other 8% (the 8% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for election); seats by party - CPV or CPV-approved 450
Life expectancy at birth total population: 55.08 years


male: 53.07 years


female: 57.17 years (2005 est.)
total population:
69.56 years

male:
67.12 years

female:
72.19 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 66.4%


male: 77.4%


female: 55.5% (2002)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
93.7%

male:
96.5%

female:
91.2% (1995 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
Map references Southeast Asia Southeast Asia
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT


by type: cargo 1 (2005)
total:
143 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 705,388 GRT/1,071,902 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 8, cargo 108, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 2, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 3 (2000 est.)
Military - note Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on the Lao-Burma border (2005) -
Military branches Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes Ground Forces, Navy, and Air Force), Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure $10.7 million (2004) $650 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.5% (2004) 2.5% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
21,704,588 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
13,673,438 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 17 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
961,124 (2001 est.)
National holiday Republic Day, 2 December (1975) Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Nationality noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
noun:
Vietnamese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Vietnamese
Natural hazards floods, droughts occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding
Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines refined products 540 km (2004) petroleum products 150 km
Political parties and leaders Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphadon, party president]; other parties proscribed only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Le Kha PHIEU, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975 none
Population 6,217,141 (July 2005 est.) 79,939,014 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) 37% (1998 est.)
Population growth rate 2.42% (2005 est.) 1.45% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors - Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Radio broadcast stations AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
Radios - 8.2 million (1997)
Railways - total:
2,652 km

standard gauge:
166 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:
2,249 km 1.000-m gauge

dual gauge:
237 km NA-m gauges (three rails) (1998)
Religions Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.66 male(s)/female

total population:
0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving with over 20,000 telephones currently in service and an additional 48,000 expected by 2001; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas


domestic: radiotelephone communications


international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 61,900 (2002) 2.6 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 55,200 (2002) 730,155 (2000)
Television broadcast stations 4 (1999) at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Total fertility rate 4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.49 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 5.7% (1997 est.) 25% (1995 est.)
Waterways 4,600 km


note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2003)
17,702 km

note:
more than 5,149 km are navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 m draft
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