:Vietnam Government

Long-form name:
Socialist Republic of Vietnam; abbreviated SRV
Type:
Communist state
Capital:
Hanoi
Administrative divisions:
50 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thanh pho,
singular and plural); An Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Bac Thai, Ben Tre, Binh
Dinh, Binh Thuan, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Las, Dong Nai, Dong Tay, Gia Lai,
Ha Bac, Ha Giang, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Hung, Hai Phong*, Ho Chi
Minh*, Hoa Binh, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang
Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Minh Hai, Nam Ha, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu
Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam-Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc
Trang, Son La, Song Be, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien, Tien
Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phu, Yen Bai; note -
diacritical marks are not included
Independence:
2 September 1945 (from France)
Constitution:
18 December 1980; new Constitution to be approved Spring 1992
Legal system:
based on Communist legal theory and French civil law system
National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi)
Judicial branch:
Supreme People's Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Vo Chi CONG (since 18 June 1987)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Vo Van KIET (since 9 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Phan
Van KHAI (since 10 August 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
only party - Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), DO MUOI
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
National Assembly:
last held 19 April 1987 (next to be held 19 July 1992); results - VCP is the
only party; seats - (496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496; note - number of
seats under new government 395
Communists:
nearly 2 million
Member of:
ACCT, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IIB,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
none
Flag:
red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center

:Vietnam Economy

Overview:
This is a formerly centrally planned, developing economy with extensive
government ownership and control of productive facilities. The economy is
primarily agricultural; the sector employs about 70% of the labor force and
accounts for 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. Oil was discovered off the southern coast in 1986 with
production reaching 70,000 barrels per day in 1991 and expected to increase
in the years ahead. 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 UN agencies, France, Australia, Sweden, and Communist
countries. Inflation, although down from recent triple-digit levels, is
still a major weakness and is showing signs of accelerating upwards again.
Per capita output is among the world's lowest. Since late 1986 the
government has sponsored a broad reform program that seeks to turn more
economic activity over to the private sector.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - $15 billion, per capita $220; real growth rate
2.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
80% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $551 million; expenditures $830 million, including capital
expenditures of $58 million (1990)
Exports:
$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
agricultural and handicraft products, coal, minerals, crude petroleum, ores,
seafood
partners:
Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Eastern Europe, USSR
Imports:
$1.9 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities:
petroleum products, steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals,
medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain
partners:
Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Eastern Europe, USSR
External debt:
$16.8 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate -3.6% (1989); accounts for 30% of GNP
Electricity:
3,300,000 kW capacity; 9,200 million kWh produced, 140 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
food processing, textiles, machine building, mining, cement, chemical
fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, fishing
Agriculture:
accounts for half of GNP; paddy rice, corn, potatoes make up 50% of farm
output; commercial crops (rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas) and animal
products other 50%; since 1989 self-sufficient in food staple rice; fish
catch of 943,100 metric tons (1989 est.)

:Vietnam Economy

Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-74), $3.1 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.9 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $61 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $12.0
billion
Currency:
new dong (plural - new dong); 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
Exchange rates:
new dong (D) per US$1 - 11,100 (May 1992), 8,100 (July 1991), 7,280
(December 1990), 3,996 (March 1990), 2,047 (1988), 225 (1987); note -
1985-89 figures are end of year
Fiscal year:
calendar year

:Vietnam Communications

Railroads:
3,059 km total; 2,454 1.000-meter gauge, 151 km 1.435-meter (standard)
gauge, 230 km dual gauge (three rails), and 224 km not restored to service
after war damage
Highways:
about 85,000 km total; 9,400 km paved, 48,700 km gravel or improved earth,
26,900 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
about 17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable at all times by
vessels up to 1.8 meter draft
Pipelines:
petroleum products 150 km
Ports:
Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City
Merchant marine:
89 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 400,430 GRT/643,877 DWT; includes 73
cargo 4 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 8 petroleum tanker, 3 bulk;
note - Vietnam owns 11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 134,719 DWT
under the registries of Panama and Malta
Civil air:
controlled by military
Airports:
100 total, 100 usable; 50 with permanent-surface runways; 10 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 20 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
25 telephones per 10,000 persons (1991); broadcast stations - 16 AM, 1 FM, 2
TV; 2,300,000 TV sets; 6,000,000 radio receivers; 3 satellite earth stations

:Vietnam Defense Forces

Branches:
Ground, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 16,839,400; 10,739,128 fit for military service; 787,026 reach
military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GNP