Leaders: Chief of State—Chairman of the Council of State Vo Chi CONG (since 18 June 1987);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) Do MUOI (since 22 June 1988)
Political parties and leaders: only party— Vietnam Communist Party
(VCP), Nguyen Van Linh
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly—last held 19 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results—VCP is the only party; seats—(496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496
Communists: nearly 2 million
Member of: ADB, CEMA, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBEC,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, IRC, ITU, Mekong
Committee, NAM, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
- Economy Overview: This is a centrally planned, developing economy with extensive government ownership and control of productive facilities. The economy is primarily agricultural, employing about 65% of the labor force and accounting for almost half of GNP. Rice is the staple crop; substantial amounts of maize, sorghum, cassava, and sweet potatoes are also grown. The government permits sale of surplus grain on the open market. Most of the mineral resources are located in the north, including coal, which is an important export item. Following the end of the war in 1975, heavy handed government measures undermined efforts at an efficient merger of the agricultural resources of the south and the industrial resources of the north. The economy remains heavily dependent on foreign aid and has received assistance from Communist countries, Sweden, and UN agencies. Inflation, although down from recent triple-digit levels, is still a major weakness, and per capita output is among the world's lowest. Since early 1989 the government has sponsored a broad reform program that seeks to turn more economic activity over to the private sector.