Compare Vietnam (2003) - Cook Islands (2004)

Compare Vietnam (2003) z Cook Islands (2004)

	Vietnam (2003)	Cook Islands (2004)

Administrative divisions	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	none
Age structure	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.)	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish	copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws, bananas, yams, taro, coffee; pigs, poultry
Airports	47 (2002)	9 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	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)	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	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)	total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 329,560 sq km land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km	total: 240 sq km land: 240 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than New Mexico	1.3 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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.	Named after Captain Cook, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965 residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are continuing problems.
Birth rate	19.58 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $5.3 billion expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.)	revenues: $28 million expenditures: $27 million, including capital expenditures of $3.3 million (FY00/01 est.)
Capital	Hanoi	Avarua
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)	tropical; moderated by trade winds
Coastline	3,444 km (excludes islands)	120 km
Constitution	15 April 1992	4 August 1965
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: Cook Islands former: Harvey Islands
Currency	dong (VND)	New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Death rate	6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$14.1 billion (2001)	$141 million (1996 est.)
Dependency status	-	self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense, in consultation with the Cook Islands
Diplomatic representation from 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	none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation in 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	none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
Disputes - international	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"	none
Economic aid - recipient	$2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000	$13.1 million; note - New Zealand continues to furnish the greater part (1995)
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 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.	Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture provides the economic base with major exports made up of copra and citrus fruit. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid, overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s, the country lived beyond its means, maintaining a bloated public service and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms, including the sale of state assets, the strengthening of economic management, the encouragement of tourism, and a debt restructuring agreement, have rekindled investment and growth.
Electricity - consumption	27.71 billion kWh (2001)	25.51 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	29.8 billion kWh (2001)	27.43 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 43.7% hydro: 56.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Te Manga 652 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups	Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European 7.7%, Polynesian and non-European 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%
Exchange rates	dong per US dollar - 15,325.8 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001), 14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999), 13,268 (1998)	New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999)
Executive branch	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%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Frederick GOODWIN (since 9 February 2001); New Zealand High Commissioner Kurt MEYER (since July 2001), representative of New Zealand head of government: Prime Minister Jim MARURAI (since 14 December 2004); Deputy Prime Minister SIR Geoffrey HENRY (since 14 December 2004) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister; collectively responsible to Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the UK representative is appointed by the monarch; the New Zealand high commissioner is appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes prime minister
Exports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes	copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee; fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing
Exports - partners	US 15.2%, Japan 14.9%, Australia 7.6%, China 6.6%, Germany 6.5%, Singapore 5.5%, UK 4.3% (2002)	Australia 34%, Japan 27%, New Zealand 25%, US 8% (2000)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag
GDP	purchasing power parity - $183.8 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $105 million (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 24% industry: 37% services: 39% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 17% industry: 7.8% services: 75.2% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	7% (2002 est.)	7.1% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	16 00 N, 106 00 E	21 14 S, 159 46 W
Geography - note	extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point	the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles where most of the populace lives
Highways	total: 93,300 km paved: 23,418 km unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.)	total: 320 km paved: 33 km unpaved: 287 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs	minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems	-
Imports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles	foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, capital goods
Imports - partners	South Korea 12.7%, China 12.2%, Japan 12.1%, Singapore 11.8%, Taiwan 10.6%, Thailand 5.4% (2002)	New Zealand 61%, Fiji 19%, US 9%, Australia 6%, Japan 2% (2000)
Independence	2 September 1945 (from France)	none (became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action)
Industrial production growth rate	10.2% (2002 est.)	1% (2002)
Industries	food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper	fruit processing, tourism, fishing, clothing, handicrafts
Infant mortality rate	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.)	total: NA male: NA female: NA (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.9% (2002 est.)	3.2% (2000 est.)
International organization participation	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)	ACP, AsDB, FAO, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFRCS, IOC, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	5 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	30,000 sq km (1998 est.)	NA 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)	High Court
Labor force	38.2 million (1998 est.)	8,000 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.)	agriculture 29%, industry 15%, services 56% note: shortage of skilled labor (1995)
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: 17.41% permanent crops: 4.71% other: 77.88% (1998 est.)	arable land: 17.39% permanent crops: 13.04% other: 69.57% (2001)
Languages	Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)	English (official), Maori
Legal system	based on communist legal theory and French civil law system	based on New Zealand law and English common law
Legislative branch	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	unicameral Parliament (25 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 7 September 2004 (next to be held by 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CIP 10, DAP 9, Demo Tumu 4, independent 1; note - one seat undecided pending by-election note: the House of Ariki (chiefs) advises on traditional matters and maintains considerable influence, but has no legislative powers
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 70.05 years male: 67.58 years female: 72.7 years (2003 est.)	total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 94% male: 95.8% female: 92.3% (2003 est.)	definition: NA total population: 95% male: NA female: NA
Location	Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia	Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references	Southeast Asia	Oceania
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: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine	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.)	total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,074 GRT/7,520 DWT by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Australia 1, United Kingdom 1 (2004 est.)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request
Military branches	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: 22,888,109 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 14,366,732 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - military age	17 years of age (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 871,036 (2003 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 2 September (1945)	Constitution Day, first Monday in August (1965)
Nationality	noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural) adjective: Vietnamese	noun: Cook Islander(s) adjective: Cook Islander
Natural hazards	occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta	typhoons (November to March)
Natural resources	phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower	NEGL
Net migration rate	-0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-
Pipelines	condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206 km (2003)	-
Political parties and leaders	only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH, general secretary]	Cook Islands People's Party or CIP [Geoffrey HENRY]; Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Terepai MAOATE]; New Alliance Party or NAP [Norman GEORGE]; Cook Islands National Party or CIN [Teariki HEATHER]; Demo Party Tumu [Robert WOONTON]
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	NA
Population	81,624,716 (July 2003 est.)	21,200 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	37% (1998 est.)	NA
Population growth rate	1.29% (2003 est.)	NA (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau	Avarua, Avatiu
Radio broadcast stations	AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)	AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways	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	Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim	Christian (majority of populace are members of the Cook Islands Christian Church)
Sex ratio	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.)	NA (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	NA years of age; universal adult
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: Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex domestic: the individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable international: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	2.6 million (2000)	6,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	730,155 (2000)	1,500 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)	1 (outer islands receive satellite broadcasts) (2004)
Terrain	low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest	low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Total fertility rate	2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)	NA children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	25% (1995 est.)	13% (1996)
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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