Vietnam (2001) | Faroe Islands (2008) | |
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Administrative divisions | 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thu do, singular and plural); An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Da Nang, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Hai Phong*, Ha Nam, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh, Ho Chi Minh*, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai | none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 34 municipalities |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
32.13% (male 13,266,585; female 12,415,384) 15-64 years: 62.44% (male 24,357,343; female 25,556,187) 65 years and over: 5.43% (male 1,722,094; female 2,621,421) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 20.6% (male 4,882/female 4,904)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 16,353/female 14,668) 65 years and over: 14.1% (male 3,041/female 3,663) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish | milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish |
Airports | 34 (2000 est.) | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
17 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
17 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.) |
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Area | total:
329,560 sq km land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km |
total: 1,399 sq km
land: 1,399 sq km water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams) |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than New Mexico | eight times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self government was attained in 1948. |
Birth rate | 21.23 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 14.12 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$5.3 billion expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.) |
revenues: $588 million
expenditures: $623 million (2005) |
Capital | Hanoi | name: Torshavn
geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March) | mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy |
Coastline | 3,444 km (excludes islands) | 1,117 km |
Constitution | 15 April 1992 | 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) |
Country name | 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 |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands local long form: none local short form: Foroyar |
Currency | dong (VND) | - |
Death rate | 6.22 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $13.2 billion (2000) | $64 million (1999) |
Dependency status | - | part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Douglas B. "Pete" PETERSON embassy: 7 Lang Ha Road, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [84] (4) 8431500 FAX: [84] (4) 8351510 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City |
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate Nguyen Tam CHIEN chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, Suite 400 telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737 FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917 consulate(s) general: San Francisco |
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) |
Disputes - international | maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; maritime boundary agreement with China in the Gulf of Tonkin awaits ratification; Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; portions of boundary with Cambodia are in dispute; agreement on land border with China was signed in December 1999, but details of alignment have not yet been made public | because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been deferred; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm |
Economic aid - recipient | $2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000 | $105 million; note - annual subsidy from Denmark (2005) |
Economy - overview | Vietnam is a poor, densely populated country that has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally planned economy. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1996 in moving forward from an extremely low starting point - growth averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian financial crisis highlighted the problems existing in the Vietnamese economy but, rather than prompting reform, reaffirmed the government's belief that shifting to a market oriented economy leads to disaster. GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth continued at the moderately strong level of 5.5%, a level that should be matched in 2001. These numbers mask some major difficulties in economic performance. Many domestic industries, including coal, cement, steel, and paper, have reported large stockpiles of inventory and tough competition from more efficient foreign producers; this problem apparently eased in 2000. Foreign direct investment fell dramatically, from $8.3 billion in 1996 to about $1.6 billion in 1999. Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities have moved slowly in implementing the structural reforms needed to revitalize the economy and produce more competitive, export-driven industries. | The Faroese economy is dependent on fishing, which makes the economy vulnerable to price swings. Since 2003 the Faroese economy has picked up as a result of higher prices for fish and for housing. Unemployment is minimal and government finances are relatively sound. Oil finds close to the Islands give hope for economically recoverable deposits, which could eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (about 15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other Scandinavians. |
Electricity - consumption | 21.376 billion kWh (1999) | 269.7 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 22.985 billion kWh (1999) | 290 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
47.71% hydro: 52.29% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: Ngoc Linh 3,143 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m |
Environment - current issues | 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 | NA |
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 |
party to: Marine Dumping -associate member to the London Convention and Ship Pollution |
Ethnic groups | Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups | Scandinavian |
Exchange rates | dong per US dollar - 14,530 (January 2001), 14,020 (January 2000), 13,900 (December 1998), 11,100 (December 1996), 11,193 (1995 average), 11,000 (October 1994) | Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Tran Duc LUONG (since 24 September 1997) and Vice President Nguyen Thi BINH (since NA October 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Phan Van KHAI (since 25 September 1997); First Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 29 September 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Nguyen Cong TAN (since 29 September 1997), Nguyen Manh CAM (since 29 September 1997), and Pham Gia KHIEM (since 29 September 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister and ratification of the National Assembly elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for a five-year term; election last held 25 September 1997 (next to be held when National Assembly meets following legislative elections in NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister election results: Tran Duc LUONG elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA% |
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3 February 2004) cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008) election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote - NA |
Exports | $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes | fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999) |
Exports - partners | China, Japan, Germany, Australia, US, France, Singapore, UK, Taiwan | Denmark 31%, UK 27.4%, Norway 10.3%, Nigeria 9.5%, Netherlands 5.6% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center | white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $154.4 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
25% industry: 35% services: 40% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 27%
industry: 11% services: 62% (1999) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,950 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.5% (2000 est.) | 2.4% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 16 00 N, 106 00 E | 62 00 N, 7 00 W |
Geography - note | - | archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands |
Highways | total:
93,300 km paved: 23,418 km unpaved: 69,882 km (1996) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
3.5% highest 10%: 29% (1993) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | minor producer of opium poppy with 2,100 hectares cultivated in 1999, capable of producing 11 metric tons of opium; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems | - |
Imports | $15.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | 4,580 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles | consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%, machinery and transport equipment 29%, fuels, fish, salt (1999) |
Imports - partners | Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, US, Sweden | Denmark 52.6%, Norway 20.7%, Iceland 6.1%, Sweden 4.3% (2006) |
Independence | 2 September 1945 (from France) | none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) |
Industrial production growth rate | 10.7% (2000 est.) | 8% (1999 est.) |
Industries | food processing, garments, shoes, machine building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper | fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts |
Infant mortality rate | 30.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 6.01 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -0.6% (2000 est.) | 1.8% (2005) |
International organization participation | ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) | Arctic Council, IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 5 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 18,600 sq km (1993 est.) | 0 sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president) | none |
Labor force | 38.2 million (1998 est.) | 24,250 (October 2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 67%, industry and services 33% (1997 est.) | agriculture: 33%
industry: 33% services: 34% (October 2000) |
Land boundaries | total:
4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land:
17% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 30% other: 48% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 2.14%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2005) |
Languages | Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) | Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish |
Legal system | based on communist legal theory and French civil law system | the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (450 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - CPV 92%, other 8% (the 8% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for election); seats by party - CPV or CPV-approved 450 |
unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (33 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 19 January 2008 (next to be held no later than January 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 21%, Social Democratic Party 19.4%, Republican Party 23.3%, People's Party 20.1%, Center Party 8.4%, Self-Government Party 7.2%, other 0.6%; seats by party - Republican Party 8, Union Party 7, Social Democratic Party 6, People's Party 7, Center Party 3, Independence Party 2 note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 13 November 2007 (next to be held no later than November 2011); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, Union Party 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
69.56 years male: 67.12 years female: 72.19 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 79.49 years
male: 76.06 years female: 82.93 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.7% male: 96.5% female: 91.2% (1995 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: probably 100%, the same as Denmark proper |
Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia | Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | 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 |
territorial sea: 3 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line |
Merchant marine | total:
143 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 705,388 GRT/1,071,902 DWT ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 108, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 2, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 3 (2000 est.) |
total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 92,454 GRT/63,291 DWT
by type: cargo 10, container 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 8 (Iceland 4, Norway 4) (2007) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Denmark |
Military branches | People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes Ground Forces, Navy, and Air Force), Coast Guard | no regular military forces |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $650 million (FY98) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.5% (FY98) | NA |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
21,704,588 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
13,673,438 (2001 est.) |
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Military manpower - military age | 17 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
961,124 (2001 est.) |
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National holiday | Independence Day, 2 September (1945) | Olaifest (Olavasoka), 29 July |
Nationality | noun:
Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese |
noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective: Faroese |
Natural hazards | occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding | NA |
Natural resources | phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower | fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas |
Net migration rate | -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | petroleum products 150 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Le Kha PHIEU, general secretary] | Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Jorgen NICLASEN]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Leo JOHANNESEN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 79,939,014 (July 2001 est.) | 47,511 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 37% (1998 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.45% (2001 est.) | 0.543% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999) | AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 8.2 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total:
2,652 km standard gauge: 166 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,249 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 237 km NA-m gauges (three rails) (1998) |
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Religions | Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim | Evangelical Lutheran |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.996 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.115 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.045 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone 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) |
general assessment: good international communications; good domestic facilities
domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | 2.6 million (2000) | 23,000 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 730,155 (2000) | 50,000 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998) | 3 (plus 43 repeaters) (September 1995) |
Terrain | low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest | rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast |
Total fertility rate | 2.49 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 25% (1995 est.) | 2.1% (2006) |
Waterways | 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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