##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Latvia (2002) - Vietnam (2003)
Compare Latvia (2002) z Vietnam (2003)
| Latvia (2002) | Vietnam (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons | 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 |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 15.8% (male 191,116; female 182,692)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 775,481; female 847,261) 65 years and over: 15.6% (male 120,304; female 249,661) (2002 est.) |
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.) |
| Agriculture - products | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish | paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish |
| Airports | 25 (2001) | 47 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2002) |
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 6 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2002) |
total: 23
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 12 (2002) |
| Area | total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km |
total: 329,560 sq km
land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than West Virginia | slightly larger than New Mexico |
| Background | After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia continues to revamp its economy for eventual integration into various Western European political and economic institutions. | 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 | 8.27 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 19.58 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $2.4 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
revenues: $5.3 billion
expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.) |
| Capital | Riga | Hanoi |
| Climate | maritime; wet, moderate winters | 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 | 531 km | 3,444 km (excludes islands) |
| Constitution | the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922 constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms | 15 April 1992 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia local long form: Latvijas Republika local short form: Latvija former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic |
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 | Latvian lat (LVL) | dong (VND) |
| Death rate | 14.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $3.4 billion (2000 est.) | $14.1 billion (2001) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Brian E. CARLSON
embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510 mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723 telephone: [371] 703-6200 FAX: [371] 781-4088 |
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 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Aivis RONIS
chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214 FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785 |
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 |
| Disputes - international | the Russian Duma refuses to ratify boundary delimitation treaty with Latvia; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights | 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" |
| Economic aid - recipient | $96.2 million (1995) | $2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000 |
| Economy - overview | Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian financial crisis, largely due to the SKELE government's budget stringency and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries, lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. Preparing for EU membership over the next few years continues as a top foreign policy goal. The high current account and internal government deficits remain major concerns. | 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. |
| Electricity - consumption | 5.16 billion kWh (2000) | 27.71 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 500 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 2.59 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 3.301 billion kWh (2000) | 29.8 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 33%
hydro: 67% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 43.7%
hydro: 56.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m |
| Environment - current issues | Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household and hazardous waste management, and reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010 | 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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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 | Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% | Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups |
| Exchange rates | lati per US dollar - 0.6384 (January 2002), 0.628 (2001), 0.607 (2000), 0.585 (1999), 0.590 (1998), 0.581 (1997) | dong per US dollar - 15,325.8 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001), 14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999), 13,268 (1998) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Einars REPSE (since 7 November 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 17 June 1999 (next to be held by June 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA elected as a compromise candidate in second phase of balloting, second round (after five rounds in first phase failed to produce a clear winner); percent of parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 53%, Valdis BIRKAVS 20%, Ingrida UDRE 9% |
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 (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 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% |
| Exports | $2.3 billion f.o.b. (2002) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs | crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes |
| Exports - partners | Germany 17%, UK 16%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 8%, Russia 6% (2001 est.) | US 15.2%, Japan 14.9%, Australia 7.6%, China 6.6%, Germany 6.5%, Singapore 5.5%, UK 4.3% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon | red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $20 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $183.8 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5%
industry: 26% services: 70% (2001) |
agriculture: 24%
industry: 37% services: 39% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.5% (2002 est.) | 7% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 57 00 N, 25 00 E | 16 00 N, 106 00 E |
| Geography - note | most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east | extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point |
| Highways | total: 59,178 km
paved: 22,843 km unpaved: 36,335 km (1998 est.) |
total: 93,300 km
paved: 23,418 km unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 26% (1998) (1998) |
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 29.9% (1998) |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; money laundering remains a concern | minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems |
| Imports | $3.9 billion f.o.b. (2002) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles |
| Imports - partners | Germany 17%, Russia 9%, Lithuania 8%, Finland 8%, Sweden 7% (2001 est.) | South Korea 12.7%, China 12.2%, Japan 12.1%, Singapore 11.8%, Taiwan 10.6%, Thailand 5.4% (2002) |
| Independence | 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) | 2 September 1945 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 5.7% (2002 est.) | 10.2% (2002 est.) |
| Industries | buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy and raw materials | food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper |
| Infant mortality rate | 14.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 30.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 34.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (2002 est.) | 3.9% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | 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) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 41 (2001) | 5 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 200 sq km
note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of drainage, not irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land has been improved by drainage (1998 est.) |
30,000 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) | 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 | 1.1 million (2001 est.) | 38.2 million (1998 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.) | agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,150 km
border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km |
total: 4,639 km
border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km |
| Land use | arable land: 29.01%
permanent crops: 0.48% other: 70.51% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 17.41%
permanent crops: 4.71% other: 77.88% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other | 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 civil law system | based on communist legal theory and French civil law system |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - New Era 23.9%, PCTVL 18.9%, People's Party 16.7%, ZZS 9.5%, First Party 7.6%, LNNK 5.4%; seats by party - New Era 26, PCTVL 24, People's Party 21, ZZS 12, First Party 10, LNNK 7 |
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 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69 years
male: 63.13 years female: 75.17 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 70.05 years
male: 67.58 years female: 72.7 years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94% male: 95.8% female: 92.3% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia |
| Map references | Europe | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
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: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 30,119 GRT/30,572 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 4 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 3 (2002 est.) |
total: 180 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,054,423 GRT/1,588,732 DWT
ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 128, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 9, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 3 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cambodia 1, Japan 1, Singapore 1, UK 2 (2002 est.) |
| Military branches | Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guard, National Guard | People's Army of Vietnam (includes Ground Forces, People's Navy Command [including Naval Infantry], Air and Air Defense Force, Coast Guard) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $87 million (FY01) | $650 million (FY98) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.2% (FY01) | 2.5% (FY98) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 591,592 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 22,888,109 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 464,843 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 14,366,732 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) | 17 years of age (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 19,114 (2002 est.) | males: 871,036 (2003 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 21 August 1991 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union | Independence Day, 2 September (1945) |
| Nationality | noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian |
noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)
adjective: Vietnamese |
| Natural hazards | NA | occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta |
| Natural resources | peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, wood, arable land, minimal; amber | phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | -1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Pipelines | crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992) | condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206 km (2003) |
| Political parties and leaders | Alliance of the Greens and Farmers Union or ZZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS (Farmer's Union); Indulis EMSIS (Green Party)]; CENTER Political Alliance [Juris CELMINS]; First Party of Latvia [Eriks JEKABSONS]; For Fatherland and Freedom or LNNK [Maris GRINBLATS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Janis JURKANS], a coalition of the People's Harmony Party or TSP, the Latvian Socialist Party or LSP, and the Equal Rights Movement; Freedom Party [Ziedonis CEVERS]; Land of Mara [Irena SAPROVSKA]; Latvian Rebirth Party [Andris RUBINS]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris BOJARS]; Latvia's Way Union or LC [Andris BERZINS]; Light of Latgale or LG [Rihards EIGIMS]; New Era Party [Einars REPSE]; Our Land Party [Ilmars ANCANS]; Party of Latvians [Aivars GARDA]; People's Party [Andris SKELE]; Progressive Center Party [Inta STAMGUTE]; Russian Party [Mihails GAVRILOVS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS]; Social Democratic Welfare Party or SLP [Juris ZURAVLOVS]; United Republican Party of Latvia or LARP [Eriks Andrejs SAULUNS, Janis PUKIS, Sarmite JEGERE] | only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH, general secretary] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
| Population | 2,366,515 (July 2002 est.) | 81,624,716 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 37% (1998 est.) |
| Population growth rate | -0.77% (2002 est.) | 1.29% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils | Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999) |
| Radios | 1.76 million (1997) | - |
| Railways | total: 2,412 km
broad gauge: 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2001) |
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) |
| Religions | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox | Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an international capability independent of the Moscow international switch; more facilities are being installed for individual use
domestic: expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections, rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied subscriber applications international: international connections are now available via cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct connections for most calls (1998) |
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 | 734,693 (2000) | 2.6 million (2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 401,263 (2000) | 730,155 (2000) |
| Television broadcast stations | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) | at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998) |
| Terrain | low plain | low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest |
| Total fertility rate | 1.18 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% (2001 est.) | 25% (1995 est.) |
| Waterways | 300 km (perennially navigable) | 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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