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2 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Vietnam
n 1: a communist state in Indochina on the South China Sea;
achieved independence from France in 1945 [syn: {Socialist
Republic of Vietnam}, {Viet Nam}, {Annam}]
2: a prolonged war (1954-1975) between the communist armies of
North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the
non-communist armies of South Vietnam who were supported
by the United States [syn: {Vietnam War}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Vietnam
Introduction Vietnam
--------------------
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armed forces were withdrawn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.
Geography Vietnam
-----------------
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the
Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin,
and South China Sea, alongside
China, Laos, and Cambodia
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 106 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area: total: 329,560 sq km
land: 325,360 sq km
water: 4,200 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: total: 4,639 km
border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km,
China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Coastline: 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the
edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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)
Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north;
central highlands; hilly,
mountainous in far north and
northwest
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Ngoc Linh 3,143 m
Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese,
bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and
gas deposits, forests, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 17.41%
permanent crops: 4.71%
other: 77.87% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 30,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons (May to January)
with extensive flooding, especially
in the Mekong River delta
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
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: 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
Geography - note: extending 1,650 km north to south,
the country is only 50 km across at
its narrowest point
People Vietnam
--------------
Population: 81,098,416 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 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.)
Population growth rate: 1.43% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 20.89 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: 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.)
Infant mortality rate: 29.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.86 years
female: 72.5 years (2002 est.)
male: 67.4 years
Total fertility rate: 2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.24% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 100,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 2,500 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Vietnamese (singular and
plural)
adjective: Vietnamese
Ethnic groups: Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong,
Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups
Religions: Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai,
Christian (predominantly Roman
Catholic, some Protestant),
indigenous beliefs, Muslim
Languages: Vietnamese (official), English
(increasingly favored as a second
language), some French, Chinese, and
Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-
Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 93.7%
male: 96.5%
female: 91.2% (1995 est.)
Government Vietnam
------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Socialist
Republic of Vietnam
conventional short form: Vietnam
local short form: Viet Nam
abbreviation: SRV
local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu
Nghia Viet Nam
Government type: Communist state
Capital: Hanoi
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
Independence: 2 September 1945 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Constitution: 15 April 1992
Legal system: based on communist legal theory and
French civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Tran Duc
LUONG (since 24 September 1997)
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
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
election results: Tran Duc LUONG
elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - NA%
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
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)
Political parties and leaders: only party - Communist Party of
Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH,
general secretary]
Political pressure groups and none
leaders:
International organization ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC,
participation: 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)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen
Tam CHIEN
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917
telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737
chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite
400, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond
US: 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
Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed
star in the center
Economy Vietnam
---------------
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 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $168.1
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,100
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25%
industry: 35%
services: 40% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 37% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 3.6%
percentage share: highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini 36.1 (1998)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.3% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 38.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 67%, industry and
services 33% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1995 est.)
Budget: revenues: $5.3 billion
expenditures: $5.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$1.8 billion (1999 est.)
Industries: food processing, garments, shoes,
machine building, mining, cement,
chemical fertilizer, glass, tires,
oil, coal, steel, paper
Industrial production growth rate: 10.4% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 25.775 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 40.74%
hydro: 59.26%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 23.97 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber,
soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas,
sugar; poultry, pigs; fish
Exports: $15.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: crude oil, marine products, rice,
coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners: Japan 18.1%, China 10.6%, Australia
8.8%, Singapore 6.1%, Taiwan 5.2%,
Germany 5.1%, US 5.1% (2000)
Imports: $15.3 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum
products, fertilizer, steel
products, raw cotton, grain, cement,
motorcycles
Imports - partners: Singapore 17.7%, Japan 14.4%, Taiwan
12.1%, South Korea 11.1%, China
9.1%, Thailand 5.2%, Hong Kong 3.9%
(2000)
Debt - external: $13.2 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $2.1 billion in credits and grants
pledged by international donors for
2000
Currency: dong (VND)
Currency code: VND
Exchange rates: dong per US dollar - 15,085 (January
2002), 14,725 (2001), 14,168 (2000),
13,943 (1999), 13,268 (1998), 11,683
(1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Vietnam
----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 2.6 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 730,155 (2000)
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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
Radios: 8.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters)
(1998)
Televisions: 3.57 million (1997)
Internet country code: .vn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2000)
Internet users: 160,000 (2001)
Transportation Vietnam
----------------------
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
(2001)
Highways: total: 93,300 km
paved: 23,418 km
unpaved: 69,882 km (1996)
Waterways: 17,702 km
note: more than 5,149 km are
navigable at all times by vessels up
to 1.8 m draft
Pipelines: petroleum products 150 km
Ports and harbors: Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi
Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha
Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Merchant marine: total: 153 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 782,912 GRT/1,173,186 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Cambodia 1, Japan 1,
Singapore 1, United Kingdom 2 (2002
est.)
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 113,
chemical tanker 1, combination bulk
1, container 5, liquefied gas 2,
petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated
cargo 2
Airports: 34 (2001)
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 (2001)
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 (2001)
Military Vietnam
----------------
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 manpower - military age: 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 22,220,891 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 13,978,653 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 961,124 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $650 million (FY98)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.5% (FY98)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Vietnam
----------------------------
Disputes - international: 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
Illicit drugs: minor producer of opium poppy with
2,300 hectares cultivated in 2001,
capable of producing 15 metric tons
of opium; probable minor transit
point for Southeast Asian heroin;
domestic opium/heroin/
methamphetamine addiction problems
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