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Compare Poland (2001) - Vietnam (2003)

Compare Poland (2001) z Vietnam (2003)

 Poland (2001)Vietnam (2003)
 PolandVietnam
Administrative divisions 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie 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:
18.39% (male 3,640,451; female 3,463,604)

15-64 years:
69.17% (male 13,288,471; female 13,434,753)

65 years and over:
12.44% (male 1,836,816; female 2,969,817) (2001 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 potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish
Airports 122 (2000 est.) 47 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total:
83

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
29

1,524 to 2,437 m:
42

914 to 1,523 m:
6

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
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:
39

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
13

under 914 m:
21 (2000 est.)
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:
312,685 sq km

land:
304,465 sq km

water:
8,220 sq km
total: 329,560 sq km


land: 325,360 sq km


water: 4,200 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Mexico slightly larger than New Mexico
Background Poland gained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite country following the war, but one that was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes for acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 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 10.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 19.58 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues:
$49.6 billion

expenditures:
$52.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
revenues: $5.3 billion


expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.)
Capital Warsaw Hanoi
Climate temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers 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 491 km 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Constitution 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997 15 April 1992
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of Poland

conventional short form:
Poland

local long form:
Rzeczpospolita Polska

local short form:
Polska
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 zloty (PLN) dong (VND)
Death rate 9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $57 billion (2000) $14.1 billion (2001)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Christopher R. HILL

embassy:
Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-054, Warsaw P1

mailing address:
American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)

telephone:
[48] (22) 628-30-41

FAX:
[48] (22) 628-82-98

consulate(s) general:
Krakow
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 Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI

chancery:
2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802

FAX:
[1] (202) 328-6271

consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
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 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 $NA $2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000
Economy - overview Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalizing the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies. GDP growth has been strong and steady since 1992 - the best performance in the region. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has allowed for the rapid development of a vibrant private sector. In contrast, Poland's large agricultural sector remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy) has begun. Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. The government's determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects most aspects of its economic policies. Improving Poland's outsized current account deficit and reining in inflation are priorities. Warsaw leads the region in foreign investment and needs a continued large inflow. 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 120.007 billion kWh (1999) 27.71 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 8.43 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 3.491 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 134.351 billion kWh (1999) 29.8 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
96.43%

hydro:
3.16%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0.41% (1999)
fossil fuel: 43.7%


hydro: 56.3%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

highest point:
Rysy 2,499 m
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
Environment - current issues situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by postcommunist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes 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, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, 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 Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Byelorussian 0.5% (1990 est.) Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups
Exchange rates zlotych per US dollar - 4.3126 (December 2000), 4.3461 (2000), 3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793 (1997), 2.6961 (1996) 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 Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)

head of government:
Prime Minister Jerzy BUZEK - Solidarity Electoral Union - (since 31 October 1997), Deputy Prime Ministers Janusz STEINHOFF (since 12 June 2000), Longin KOMOLOWSKI (since 19 October 1999)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

election results:
Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzj OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1%
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 $28.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 30.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live animals 8.5% (1999) crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners Germany 36.1%, Italy 6.5%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.8%, UK 4.0%, Czech Republic 3.8% (1999) 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 two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
GDP purchasing power parity - $327.5 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $183.8 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
3.8%

industry:
36.6%

services:
59.6% (1999)
agriculture: 24%


industry: 37%


services: 39% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2000 est.) 7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 52 00 N, 20 00 E 16 00 N, 106 00 E
Geography - note historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
Heliports 3 (2000 est.) -
Highways total:
381,046 km

paved:
249,966 km (including 268 km of expressways)

unpaved:
131,080 km (1998)
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%:
26.3% (1996)
lowest 10%: 3.6%


highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)
Illicit drugs major illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems
Imports $42.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 38.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999) machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports - partners Germany 25.2%, Italy 9.4%, France 6.8%, Russia 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Netherlands 3.7% (1999) South Korea 12.7%, China 12.2%, Japan 12.1%, Singapore 11.8%, Taiwan 10.6%, Thailand 5.4% (2002)
Independence 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) 2 September 1945 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 4.3% (1999) 10.2% (2002 est.)
Industries machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper
Infant mortality rate 9.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 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) 10.2% (2000 est.) 3.9% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC 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) 19 (2000) 5 (2000)
Irrigated land 1,000 sq km (1993 est.) 30,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms) 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 17.2 million (1999 est.) 38.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services 50.4% (1999) agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries total:
2,888 km

border countries:
Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 428 km
total: 4,639 km


border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Land use arable land:
47%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
13%

forests and woodland:
29%

other:
10% (1993 est.)
arable land: 17.41%


permanent crops: 4.71%


other: 77.88% (1998 est.)
Languages Polish Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Legal system mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg based on communist legal theory and French civil law system
Legislative branch bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Sejm elections last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001); Senate - last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001)

election results:
Sejm - percent of vote by party - AWS 33.8%, SLD 27.1%, UW 13.4%, PSL 7.3%, ROP 5.6%, MNSO 0.4%, other 12.4%; seats by party - AWS 201, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 27, ROP 6, MNSO 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AWS 51, SLD 28, UW 8, ROP 5, PSL 3, independents 5; note - seats by party in the Sejm as of February 2001: AWS 175, SLD 161, UW 49, PSL 26, PP 6, KdP 7, ROP-PC 4, independents 31, one seat vacant

note:
two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties
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:
73.42 years

male:
69.26 years

female:
77.82 years (2001 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%

male:
99%

female:
98% (1978 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 94%


male: 95.8%


female: 92.3% (2003 est.)
Location Central Europe, east of Germany 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 exclusive economic zone:
defined by international treaties

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:
46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 943,540 GRT/1,532,694 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 41, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 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 Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force 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 $3.17 billion (FY00) $650 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.95% (FY00) 2.5% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
10,447,931 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 22,888,109 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
8,139,245 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 14,366,732 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age 17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
344,781 (2001 est.)
males: 871,036 (2003 est.)
National holiday Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Nationality noun:
Pole(s)

adjective:
Polish
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 coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
Net migration rate -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000 km (1996) condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Coalition for Poland or KdP [first name unknown GRABOWSKI]; Confederation for an Independent Poland-Patriotic Camp or KPN-OP (KPN-Fatherland or KPN-O is a small group within the KPN-OP) [Michal JANISZEWSKI]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Bronislaw GEREMEK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP-PC [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Polish Socialist Party or PPS [Piotr IKONOWICZ]; Solidarity Electoral Action or AWS (includes RS-AWS and Solidarity) [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI]; Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy BUZEK] only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union) none
Population 38,633,912 (July 2001 est.) 81,624,716 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 18.4% (2000 est.) 37% (1998 est.)
Population growth rate -0.03% (2001 est.) 1.29% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Radio broadcast stations AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
Radios 20.2 million (1997) -
Railways total:
23,420 km

broad gauge:
646 km 1.524-m gauge

standard gauge:
21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double track)

narrow gauge:
1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (1998)
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 Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim
Sex ratio at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2001 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 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aimed to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000; the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million applicants on the waiting list for telephone service

domestic:
cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital

international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic 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 8.07 million (1998) 2.6 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.78 million (1998) 730,155 (2000)
Television broadcast stations 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995) at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)
Terrain mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Total fertility rate 1.37 children born/woman (2001 est.) 2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 12% (1999) 25% (1995 est.)
Waterways 3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996) 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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