Vietnam (2004) | Turks and Caicos Islands (2001) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thu do, singular and plural)
provinces: 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, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, 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 municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 29.4% (male 12,524,098; female 11,807,763)
15-64 years: 65% (male 26,475,156; female 27,239,543) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 1,928,568; female 2,714,390) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years:
32.58% (male 2,996; female 2,908) 15-64 years: 63.51% (male 6,050; female 5,459) 65 years and over: 3.91% (male 316; female 393) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs, fish | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish |
Airports | 19 (2003 est.) | 8 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 16
over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 (2003 est.) |
total:
4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
total:
4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 329,560 sq km
land: 325,360 sq km water: 4,200 sq km |
total:
430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than New Mexico | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. 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. Despite the return of peace, for over two decades the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have committed to economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to experience protests from the Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands over loss of land to Vietnamese settlers and religious persecution. | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British overseas territory. |
Birth rate | 19.58 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 24.89 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $8.689 billion
expenditures: $9.718 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (2003 est.) |
revenues:
$47 million expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-1998 est.) |
Capital | Hanoi | Cockburn Town (on Grand Turk) |
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; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
Coastline | 3,444 km (excludes islands) | 389 km |
Constitution | 15 April 1992 | introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988 |
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: Turks and Caicos Islands |
Currency | dong (VND) | US dollar (USD) |
Death rate | 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $14.69 billion (2003) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael W. MARINE
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 (overseas territory of the UK) |
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 (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | demarcation of the land boundary with China continues, but maritime boundary and joint fishing zone agreement remains unimplemented; Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed encroachments along border; China occupies Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $2.8 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000 (2004) | $4.1 million (1997) |
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. Since the Party elected new leadership in 2001, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and 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. | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US was the leading source of tourists in 1996, accounting for more than half of the 87,000 visitors; tourist arrivals had risen to 93,000 by 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. |
Electricity - consumption | 27.71 billion kWh (2001) | 4.6 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 29.8 billion kWh (2001) | 5 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 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 | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups | black |
Exchange rates | dong per US dollar - 15,279.5 (2003), 15,279.5 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001), 14,167.7 (2000), 13,943.2 (1999) | the US dollar is used |
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 (8 August 2002) 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 1953), represented by Governor Mervyn JONES (since 27 January 2000) head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January 1995) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor |
Exports | NA (2001) | $4.7 million (1993) |
Exports - commodities | crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells |
Exports - partners | US 21.9%, Japan 13.8%, Australia 6.8%, China 6.5%, Germany 5.8%, Singapore 4.6%, UK 4.4% (2003) | US, UK |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $203.7 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $128 million (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 21.8%
industry: 39.7% services: 38.5% (2003 est.) |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 7.2% (2003 est.) | 8.7% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 16 00 N, 106 00 E | 21 45 N, 71 35 W |
Geography - note | extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point | 30 islands (eight inhabited) |
Highways | total: 93,300 km
paved: 23,418 km unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.) |
total:
121 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 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 | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA (2001) | $46.6 million (1993) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials |
Imports - partners | China 13.7%, Taiwan 11.4%, Japan 11.3%, South Korea 11%, Singapore 10.4%, US 5.7%, Thailand 5.4%, Hong Kong 4.2% (2003) | US, UK |
Independence | 2 September 1945 (from France) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 16% (2003 est.) | NA% |
Industries | food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper | tourism, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | total: 29.88 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
18.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.1% (2003 est.) | 4% (1995) |
International organization participation | ACCT (observer), APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 14 (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) | Supreme Court |
Labor force | 45.74 million (2003 est.) | 4,848 (1990 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.) | about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997 est.) |
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: 19.97%
permanent crops: 5.95% other: 74.08% (2001) |
arable land:
2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 98% (1993 est.) |
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) |
Legal system | based on communist legal theory and French civil law system | based on laws of England and Wales, with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas |
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 Legislative Council (19 seats, of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 4 March 1999 (next to be held by NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 52.2%, PNP 40.9%, independent 6.9%; seats by party - PDM 9, PNP 4 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 70.35 years
male: 67.86 years female: 73.02 years (2004 est.) |
total population:
73.52 years male: 71.37 years female: 75.77 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.3% male: 93.9% female: 86.9% (2002) |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 194 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,170,621 GRT/1,798,376 DWT
by type: bulk 16, cargo 135, chemical tanker 1, container 8, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: Cambodia 1, Germany 1, Japan 2, South Korea 1, United Kingdom 3 registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.) |
none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | People's Army of Vietnam: 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: 23,438,858 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 14,694,574 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 853,197 (2004 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 2 September (1945) | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) |
Nationality | noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)
adjective: Vietnamese |
noun:
none adjective: none |
Natural hazards | occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta | frequent hurricanes |
Natural resources | phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower | spiny lobster, conch |
Net migration rate | -0.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 13.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206 km (2004) | - |
Political parties and leaders | only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc Manh, general secretary] | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 82,689,518 (July 2004 est.) | 18,122 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 37% (1998 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.3% (2004 est.) | 3.41% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau | Grand Turk, Providenciales |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999) | AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 8,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 2,600 km
standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (2003) |
0 km |
Religions | Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim | Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980) |
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 (2004 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 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; main lines have been substantially increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly international: country code - 84; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
general assessment:
fair cable and radiotelephone services domestic: NA international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 4.402 million (2003) | 3,000 (1994) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2.742 million (2003) | 0 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998) | 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997) |
Terrain | low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps |
Total fertility rate | 2.22 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 3.22 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6.1% (2003 est.) | 10% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | 17,702 km (5,000 km navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft) (2004) | none |