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 agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands signed, but not ratified: 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: 31.6% (male 13,259,152; female 12,392,089) 15-64 years: (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.)