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:
1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
Exchange rates:
new dong (D) per US$1 - 10,800 (November 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:
85,000 km total; 9,400 km paved, 48,700 km gravel or improved earth, 26,900
km unimproved earth (est.)
Inland waterways:
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:
99 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 460,712 GRT/739,246 DWT; includes 84
cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 8 oil tanker, 3 bulk
Airports:
total:
100
usable:
100
with permanent-surface runways:
50
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
10
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
20
Telecommunications:
the inadequacies of the obsolete switching equipment and cable system is a
serious constraint on the business sector and on economic growth, and
restricts access to the international links that Vietnam has established
with most major countries; the telephone system is not generally available
for private use (25 telephones for each 10,000 persons); 3 satellite earth
stations; broadcast stations - NA AM, 288 FM; 36 (77 repeaters) TV; about
2,500,000 TV receivers and 7,000,000 radio receivers in use (1991)
*Vietnam, Defense Forces
Branches:
Ground, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 17,835,536; fit for military service 11,338,880; reach
military age (17) annually 771,792 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GNP
*Virgin Islands, Header
Affiliation: (territory of the US)
*Virgin Islands, Geography
Location:
in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 110 km east and southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area:
352 km2
land area:
349 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
188 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 m or depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
subtropical, tempered by easterly tradewinds, relatively low humidity,
little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
Terrain:
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Natural resources:
sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use:
arable land:
15%
permanent crops:
6%
meadows and pastures:
26%
forest and woodland:
6%
other:
47%
Irrigated land:
NA km2
Environment:
rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts, floods,
earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater resources
Note:
important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the
Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in
the Caribbean
*Virgin Islands, People