________________VIETNAM

Country Info

GENERAL INFORMATION

Official Name Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam (Socialist Republic of Vietnam)
Capital Hanoi

Flag

An early version of the Vietnamese flag was used by Ho Chi Minh’s soldiers when they fought against the Japanese during World War II (1939-1945). It became the flag of North Vietnam in 1954 and was slightly modified the following year. When North Vietnam defeated South Vietnam in 1975, the flag was adopted by the whole of Vietnam. The yellow star and red field represent the Communist revolution.

Anthem “Quoc Ca” / (“Vietnamese National Anthem”)

LAND

Area 331,690 sq km (128,066 sq mi)
Highest Point Fan Si Pan 3,143 m (10,312 ft) above sea level
Lowest Point Sea level along the coast

CLIMATE

Average Temperatures

Average Annual Precipitation
Hanoi 1,680 mm (66 in)
Ho Chi Minh City 1,980 mm (78 in)

POPULATION

Population 78,349,503 (2000 estimate)
Population Density 236 persons/sq km (612 persons/sq mi) (2000 estimate)

Urban/Rural Breakdown
20% Urban
80% Rural
(1998 estimate)

Largest Cities
Ho Chi Minh City - 3,924,435
Hanoi - 3,056,146
Haiphong - 1,447,523

(1989 census)

Ethnic Groups
90% Vietnamese
10% Other
including ethnic Chinese, Khmer, and Cham

Languages
Official Language Vietnamese
Other Languages Chinese, Khmer, Cham, and other minority languages

Religions
55% Mahayana Buddhism
45% Other
including Roman Catholicism, Theravada Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Hoa Hao, and Cao Dai

ECONOMY

Gross Domestic Product $27.2 billion (1998 estimate)
Chief Economic Products

Agriculture
Rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, coffee, tea, soybeans, natural rubber, livestock, sugarcane

Fishing
Fish, shrimp and prawns, mollusks, crab, other shellfish

Mining
Petroleum, coal, iron, phosphate rock, zinc, chromite, gypsum, tin, antimony

Manufacturing
Paper, cement, textiles, food products, fertilizers, electronics

Employment Breakdown
71% Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
19% Services
10% Industry

Major Exports
Petroleum, unprocessed agricultural and marine products (including rice), coal, clothing, footwear, ceramics, gemstones, silk

Major Imports
Petroleum products, steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals, medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain

Major Trading Partners
Exports: Japan, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, France, South Africa
Imports: Singapore, South Korea, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan

Currency New dông
Exchange Rate 11,359 new dông = U.S.$1 (1998 average)

GOVERNMENT

Form of Government Socialist republic
Head of State President
Elected by the legislature to a five-year term
Head of Government Prime minister
Appointed by the president with the approval of the legislature
Legislature Unicameral legislature
National Assembly 450 members
Voting Qualifications
Universal suffrage for all citizens age 18 and over
Highest Court Supreme People’s Court
Armed Services Army, Navy, Air Force 484,000 troops; men aged 18 to 35 are conscripted for 24 months; specialists must serve an additional 12 months

Political Divisions

57 provinces
4 municipalities: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Haiphong, Da Nang

EDUCATION

Major Universities and Colleges
University of Hanoi Hanoi
University of Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City

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