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Compare Puerto Rico (2003) - Vietnam (2002)

Compare Puerto Rico (2003) z Vietnam (2002)

 Puerto Rico (2003)Vietnam (2002)
 Puerto RicoVietnam
Administrative divisions none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco 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: 22.9% (male 454,908; female 434,555)


15-64 years: 65.2% (male 1,212,764; female 1,322,356)


65 years and over: 11.9% (male 200,669; female 260,625) (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 sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish
Airports 31 (2002) 34 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 19


over 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 8


under 914 m: 5 (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: 12


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 10 (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: 9,104 sq km


land: 8,959 sq km


water: 145 sq km
total: 329,560 sq km


land: 325,360 sq km


water: 4,200 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island slightly larger than New Mexico
Background Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917 and popularly elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self-government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998 voters chose to retain commonwealth status. 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 15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 20.89 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $6.7 billion


expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 99/00)
revenues: $5.3 billion


expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.)
Capital San Juan Hanoi
Climate tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation 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 501 km 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Constitution ratified 3 March 1952; approved by US Congress 3 July 1952; effective 25 July 1952 15 April 1992
Country name conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico


conventional short form: Puerto Rico
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 US dollar (USD) dong (VND)
Death rate 7.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $NA $13.2 billion (2000)
Dependency status commonwealth associated with the US -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (commonwealth associated with the US) 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 none (commonwealth associated with the US) 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 $NA $2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000
Economy - overview Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-02, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy. 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 19.44 billion kWh (2001) 23.97 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 20.9 billion kWh (2001) 25.775 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 99.2%


hydro: 0.8%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel: 41%


hydro: 59%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
Environment - current issues erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages 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, 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 white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9% Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups
Exchange rates the US dollar is used 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 George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)


head of government: Governor Sila M. CALDERON (since 2 January 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature


elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)


election results: Sila M. CALDERON (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.6%


note: residents of Puerto Rico do not vote for US president and vice president
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 chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners US 88.2%, UK 1.5%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2001) Japan 18.1%, China 10.6%, Australia 8.8%, Singapore 6.1%, Taiwan 5.2%, Germany 5.1%, US 5.1% (2000)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June calendar year
Flag description five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
GDP purchasing power parity - $43.01 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $168.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1%


industry: 45%


services: 54% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 25%


industry: 35%


services: 40% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,100 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -0.2% (2002 est.) 4.7% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 15 N, 66 30 W 16 00 N, 106 00 E
Geography - note important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point
Highways total: 14,400 km


paved: 14,400 km


unpaved: 0 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%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 30% (1998)
Illicit drugs - 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 chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports - partners US 53.5%, Ireland 16.3%, Japan 4.5% (2001) 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 none (commonwealth associated with the US) 2 September 1945 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 10.4% (2001 est.)
Industries pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products; tourism food processing, garments, shoes, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper
Infant mortality rate total: 9.38 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 8.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
29.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5% (2002 est.) -0.3% (2001 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), FAO (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCL, WFTU, WHO (associate), WToO (associate) 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) 76 (2000) 5 (2000)
Irrigated land 400 sq km (1998 est.) 30,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate) 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 1.3 million (2000) 38.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.) agriculture 67%, industry and services 33% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 4,639 km


border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Land use arable land: 3.72%


permanent crops: 5.07%


other: 91.21% (1998 est.)
arable land: 17.41%


permanent crops: 4.71%


other: 77.88% (1998 est.)
Languages Spanish, English 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 Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice based on communist legal theory and French civil law system
Legislative branch bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (28 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPD 19, PNP 8, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPD 30, PNP 20, PIP 1


note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - percent of vote by party - PPD 49.3%; seats by party - PPD 1; Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA elected resident commissioner
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: 77.26 years


male: 73.27 years


female: 81.44 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: 93.8%


male: 93.7%


female: 94% (2001)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 93.7%


male: 96.5%


female: 91.2% (1995 est.)
Location Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic 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 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: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/20,904 DWT


ships by type: container 1 (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 defense is the responsibility of the US -
Military branches no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police 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 - $650 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.5% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 22,220,891 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - 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 US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952) Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Nationality noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)


adjective: Puerto Rican
noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)


adjective: Vietnamese
Natural hazards periodic droughts; hurricanes occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
Natural resources some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
Net migration rate -1.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - petroleum products 150 km
Political parties and leaders National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Luis FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Carlos PESQUERA]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Sila M. CALDERON]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution none
Population 3,885,877 (July 2003 est.) 81,098,416 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 37% (1998 est.)
Population growth rate 0.58% (2003 est.) 1.43% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Aguadilla, Arecibo, Fajardo, Guanica, Guayanilla, Guayama, Mayaguez, Playa de Ponce, San Juan Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Radio broadcast stations AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
Radios - 8.2 million (1997)
Railways total: 96 km


narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-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 and other 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: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 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; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern system, integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability


domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US
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 1.322 million (1997) 2.6 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 169,265 (1996) 730,155 (2000)
Television broadcast stations 18 (plus three stations of the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service) (1997) at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)
Terrain mostly mountains, with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest
Total fertility rate 2.02 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 12% (2002) 25% (1995 est.)
Waterways none 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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