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Compare Panama (2003) - Vietnam (2002)

Compare Panama (2003) z Vietnam (2002)

 Panama (2003)Vietnam (2002)
 PanamaVietnam
Administrative divisions 9 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, and Veraguas 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: 30.6% (male 461,670; female 443,671)


15-64 years: 63.3% (male 950,089; female 924,038)


65 years and over: 6.1% (male 86,006; female 95,310) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 31.6% (male 13,259,152; female 12,392,089)


15-64 years: 62.9% (male 24,938,098; female 26,083,681)


65 years and over: 5.5% (male 1,749,531; female 2,675,865) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish
Airports 103 (2002) 34 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 41


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 21 (2002)
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 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 62


914 to 1,523 m: 12


under 914 m: 50 (2002)
total: 17


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 8 (2002)
Area total: 78,200 sq km


land: 75,990 sq km


water: 2,210 sq km
total: 329,560 sq km


land: 325,360 sq km


water: 4,200 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than South Carolina slightly larger than New Mexico
Background With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. On 7 September 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of 1999. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the intervening years. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were turned over to Panama by or on 31 December 1999. 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 20.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 20.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.9 billion


expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $471 million (2000 est.)
revenues: $5.3 billion


expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.)
Capital Panama Hanoi
Climate tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May) 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 2,490 km 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Constitution 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted 1978, 1983 and 1994 15 April 1992
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Panama


conventional short form: Panama


local long form: Republica de Panama


local short form: Panama
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 balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD) dong (VND)
Death rate 6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $7 billion (2002 est.) $13.2 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Linda Ellen WATT


embassy: Avenida Balboa and Calle 37, Apartado Postal 0816-02561, Zona 5, Panama City 5


mailing address: American Embassy Panama, Unit 0945, APO AA 34002


telephone: [507] 207-7000


FAX: [507] 227-1964
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 Roberto ALFARO Estripeaut


chancery: 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-1407


FAX: [1] (202) 483-8416


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa
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 none Vietnam disputes several offshore islands with Cambodia, preventing delimitation of a maritime boundary; Cambodia accuses Vietnam of territorial encroachments and initiating armed border incidents in seven provinces; demarcation of boundaries with Laos is nearing completion, but Laos protests Vietnamese squatters; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; maritime boundary with China in the Gulf of Tonkin still awaits ratification; Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; demarcation of the land boundary with China has commenced, but details of the alignment have not been made public
Economic aid - recipient $197.1 million (1995) $2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000
Economy - overview Panama's economy is based primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include operating the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump in Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, the global slowdown, and the withdrawal of US military forces held back economic growth in 2000-02. The government has been backing public works programs, tax reforms, new regional trade agreements, and development of tourism in order to stimulate 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 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 then rose to 6.8% in 2000 and dropped back to 4.7% in 2001 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 slowly in implementing the structural reforms needed to revitalize the economy and 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 3.681 billion kWh (2001) 23.97 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 118 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 43 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 4.039 billion kWh (2001) 25.775 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 37%


hydro: 61.3%


nuclear: 0%


other: 1.7% (2001)
fossil fuel: 41%


hydro: 59%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Volcan de Chiriqui 3,475 m
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
Environment - current issues water pollution from agricultural runoff threatens fishery resources; deforestation of tropical rain forest; land degradation and soil erosion threatens siltation of Panama Canal; air pollution in urban areas; mining threatens natural resources 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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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 mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 70%, Amerindian and mixed (West Indian) 14%, white 10%, Amerindian 6% Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups
Exchange rates balboas per US dollar - 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1 (1999), 1 (1998) dong per US dollar - 15,085 (January 2002), 14,725 (2001), 14,168 (2000), 13,943 (1999), 13,268 (1998), 11,683 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez (since 1 September 1999); First Vice President Arturo Ulises VALLARINO (since 1 September 1999); Second Vice President Dominador "Kaiser" Baldonero BAZAN Jimenez (since 1 September 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez (since 1 September 1999); First Vice President Arturo Ulises VALLARINO (since 1 September 1999); Second Vice President Dominador "Kaiser" Baldonero BAZAN Jimenez (since 1 September 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 2 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2004)


election results: Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez elected president; percent of vote - Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez (PA) 44%, Martin TORRIJOS (PRD) 37%


note: government coalition - PA, MOLIRENA, Democratic Change, MORENA, PLN, PS
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 24 September 1997 (next to be held when National Assembly meets following legislative elections in May 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 (2001) $15.1 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing (1999) crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners US 47.8%, Sweden 5.8%, Costa Rica 4.8%, Honduras 4.4% (2002) Japan 18.1%, China 10.6%, Australia 8.8%, Singapore 6.1%, Taiwan 5.2%, Germany 5.1%, US 5.1% (2000)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
GDP purchasing power parity - $18.06 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $168.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 7%


industry: 17%


services: 76% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 25%


industry: 35%


services: 40% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,200 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 0.7% (2002 est.) 4.7% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 9 00 N, 80 00 W 16 00 N, 106 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
Highways total: 11,400 km


paved: 3,944 km (including 30 km of expressways)


unpaved: 7,456 km (1999)
total: 93,300 km


paved: 23,418 km


unpaved: 69,882 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1.2%


highest 10%: 35.7% (1997)
lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 30% (1998)
Illicit drugs major cocaine transshipment point and primary money laundering center for narcotics revenue; money-laundering activity is especially heavy in the Colon Free Zone; offshore financial center; negligible signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems
Imports NA (2001) $15.3 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities capital goods, crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals (1999) machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports - partners US 34.3%, Colombia 5.9%, Japan 5.4%, Costa Rica 4.2%, Venezuela 4.2% (2002) Singapore 17.7%, Japan 14.4%, Taiwan 12.1%, South Korea 11.1%, China 9.1%, Thailand 5.2%, Hong Kong 3.9% (2000)
Independence 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821) 2 September 1945 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 0.5% (2002 est.) 10.4% (2001 est.)
Industries construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling food processing, garments, shoes, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper
Infant mortality rate total: 21.44 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 23.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 19.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
29.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.1% (2001 est.) -0.3% (2001 est.)
International organization participation ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 6 (2000) 5 (2000)
Irrigated land 320 sq km (1998 est.) 30,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges appointed for 10-year terms); five superior courts; three courts of appeal 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


note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor (2000 est.)
38.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 20.8%, industry 18%, services 61.2% (1995 est.) agriculture 67%, industry and services 33% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries total: 555 km


border countries: Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
total: 4,639 km


border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Land use arable land: 6.72%


permanent crops: 2.08%


other: 91.2% (1998 est.)
arable land: 17.41%


permanent crops: 4.71%


other: 77.88% (1998 est.)
Languages Spanish (official), English 14%


note: many Panamanians bilingual
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; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on communist legal theory and French civil law system
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (71 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 2 May 1999 (next to be held NA May 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 34, PA 18, PDC 5, PS 4, MOLIRENA 3, PLN 3, Democratic Change 2, PRC 1, MORENA 1


note: legislators from outlying rural districts are chosen on a plurality basis while districts located in more populous towns and cities elect multiple legislators by means of a proportion-based formula
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: 72.32 years


male: 69.97 years


female: 74.79 years (2003 est.)
total population: 69.86 years


male: 67.4 years


female: 72.5 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.6%


male: 93.2%


female: 91.9% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 93.7%


male: 96.5%


female: 91.2% (1995 est.)
Location Middle America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Southeast Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


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: 4,860 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 122,543,755 GRT/184,910,607 DWT


ships by type: barge carrier 5, bulk 1,443, cargo 846, chemical tanker 376, combination bulk 72, combination ore/oil 17, container 588, liquefied gas 207, livestock carrier 6, multi-functional large-load carrier 12, passenger 38, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 537, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 287, roll on/roll off 107, short-sea passenger 41, specialized tanker 33, vehicle carrier 240


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 2, Angola 1, Antigua and Barbuda 1, Argentina 11, Australia 13, Austria 2, The Bahamas 5, Belgium 2, Belize 6, Brazil 6, British Virgin Islands 8, Cambodia 1, Canada 9, Chile 12, China 259, Colombia 14, Croatia 2, Cuba 20, Cyprus 3, Denmark 3, Dominican Republic 1, Ecuador 3, Egypt 16, Equatorial Guinea 1, France 9, Germany 72, Greece 523, Haiti 1, Honduras 3, Hong Kong 299, Iceland 1, India 18, Indonesia 48, Ireland 1, Israel 5, Italy 9, Japan 1,642, Kenya 1, Kuwait 2, Latvia 8, Liberia 5, Lithuania 1, Malaysia 18, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 1, Mexico 8, Monaco 112, Netherlands 19, Netherlands Antilles 1, Nigeria 3, Norway 98, Paraguay 1, Peru 15, Philippines 49, Poland 5, Portugal 7, Puerto Rico 2, Romania 7, Russia 12, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Saudi Arabia 4, Seychelles 1, Singapore 112, South Africa 3, South Korea 342, Spain 52, Sri Lanka 3, Sudan 1, Sweden 2, Switzerland 81, Taiwan 334, Thailand 14, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tunisia 1, Turkey 4, Ukraine 1, UAE 54, UK 73, US 115, Venezuela 6 (2002 est.)
total: 153 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 782,912 GRT/1,173,186 DWT


ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 113, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cambodia 1, Japan 1, Singapore 1, United Kingdom 2 (2002 est.)
Military - note on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression" -
Military branches an amendment to the Constitution abolished the armed forces, but there are security forces (Panamanian Public Forces or PPF includes the Panamanian National Police, National Maritime Service, and National Air Service) 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 $128 million (FY99) $650 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.3% (FY99) 2.5% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 797,456 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 22,220,891 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 544,967 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 13,978,653 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 961,124 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 3 November (1903) Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Nationality noun: Panamanian(s)


adjective: Panamanian
noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)


adjective: Vietnamese
Natural hazards occasional severe storms and forest fires in the Darien area occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Natural resources copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
Net migration rate -0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 130 km (2001) petroleum products 150 km
Political parties and leaders Arnulfista Party or PA [Mireya Elisa MOSCOSO Rodriguez]; Civic Renewal Party or PRC [Serguei DE LA ROSA]; Democratic Change [Ricardo MARTINELLI]; Democratic Revolutionary Party or PRD [Martin TORRIJOS]; National Liberal Party or PLN [Raul ARANGO Gasteazopo]; National Renovation Movement or MORENA [Pedro VALLARINO Cox]; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement or MOLIRENA [Ramon MORALES]; Popular Party or PP (formerly Christian Democratic Party or PDC) [Ruben AROSEMENA]; Solidarity Party or PS [Samuel LEWIS Galindo] only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders Chamber of Commerce; National Civic Crusade; National Council of Organized Workers or CONATO; National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (SUNTRACS); National Council of Private Enterprise or CONEP; Panamanian Association of Business Executives or APEDE; Panamanian Industrialists Society or SIP; Workers Confederation of the Republic of Panama or CTRP none
Population 2,960,784 (July 2003 est.) 81,098,416 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 37% (1999 est.) 37% (1998 est.)
Population growth rate 1.36% (2003 est.) 1.43% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Balboa, Cristobal, Coco Solo, Manzanillo (part of Colon area), Vacamonte Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Radio broadcast stations AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
Radios - 8.2 million (1997)
Railways total: 355 km


broad gauge: 76 km 1.524-m gauge


narrow gauge: 279 km 0.914-m gauge (2002)
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 (2001)
Religions Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15% 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: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: domestic and international facilities well developed


domestic: NA


international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave 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; 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 396,000 (1997) 2.6 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 17,000 (1997) 730,155 (2000)
Television broadcast stations 38 (including repeaters) (1998) at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)
Terrain interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Total fertility rate 2.53 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 16% (2002 est.) 25% (1995 est.)
Waterways 882 km


note: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal
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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