68,964,018 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
29 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
47 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
63 years male, 67 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Vietnamese (singular and plural); adjective - Vietnamese
Ethnic divisions:
predominantly Vietnamese 85-90%; Chinese 3%; ethnic minorities include
Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham; other mountain tribes
Religions:
Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic,
Protestant
Languages:
Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal languages
(Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy:
88% (male 92%, female 84%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
32.7 million; agricultural 65%, industrial and service 35% (1990 est.)
Organized labor:
reportedly over 90% of wage and salary earners are members of the Vietnam
Federation of Trade Unions (VFTU)
: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
:Virgin Islands Geography
Total area:
352 km2
Land area:
349 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
188 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
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%
Environment:
rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts, floods,
earthquakes; lack of natural freshwater resources
Note:
important location 1,770 km southeast of Miami and 65 km east of Puerto
Rico, 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
Population:
98,942 (July 1992), growth rate -1.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
21 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-26 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
13 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
74 years male, 77 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Virgin Islander(s); adjective - Virgin Islander; US citizens
Ethnic divisions:
West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in the
West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%, other 8%; black 80%,
white 15%, other 5%; Hispanic origin 14%
Religions:
Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Languages:
English (official), but Spanish and Creole are widely spoken
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
45,500 (1988)
Organized labor:
90% of the government labor force
:Virgin Islands Government
Long-form name:
Virgin Islands of the United States
Type:
organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Office of
Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Capital:
Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US)
Independence:
none (territory of the US)
Constitution:
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Legal system:
based on US
National holiday:
Transfer Day (from Denmark to US), 31 March (1917)
Executive branch:
US president, popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor
Legislative branch:
unicameral Senate
Judicial branch:
US District Court handles civil matters over $50,000, felonies (persons 15
years of age and over), and federal cases; Territorial Court handles civil
matters up to $50,000 small claims, juvenile, domestic, misdemeanors, and
traffic cases
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Governor Alexander A.
FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant Governor Derek M. HODGE (since 5
January 1987)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON; Independent Citizens' Movement (ICM),
Virdin C. BROWN; Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Governor:
last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results -
Governor Alexander FARRELLY (Democratic Party) 56.5% defeated Juan LUIS
(independent) 38.5%
Senate:
last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) number of seats by party NA
US House of Representatives:
last held 6 November 1990 (next to be held 3 November 1992); results - Ron
DE LUGO reelected as nonvoting delegate seats - (1 total); seat by party NA;
note - the Virgin Islands elects one nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives
Member of:
ECLAC (associate), IOC, applied for associate membership in OECS in February
1990
Diplomatic representation:
none (territory of the US)
Flag:
white with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue
initials V and I; the coat of arms shows an eagle holding an olive branch in
one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of
vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel
:Virgin Islands Economy
Overview:
Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of
GDP and 70% of employment. The manufacturing sector consists of textile,
electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly plants. The agricultural
sector is small, most food being imported. International business and
financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. The
world's largest petroleum refinery is at Saint Croix.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $1.2 billion, per capita $11,000; real growth
rate NA% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
2.0% (1990)
Budget:
revenues $364.4 million; expenditures $364.4 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY90)
Exports:
$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
commodities:
refined petroleum products
partners:
US, Puerto Rico
Imports:
$3.7 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
commodities:
crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
partners:
US, Puerto Rico
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate 12%
Electricity:
358,000 kW capacity; 532 million kWh produced, 5,360 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction,
pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Agriculture:
truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum, Senepol cattle
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $42
million
Currency:
US currency is used
Exchange rates:
US currency is used
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
:Virgin Islands Communications
Highways:
856 km total
Ports:
Saint Croix - Christiansted, Frederiksted; Saint Thomas - Long Bay, Crown
Bay, Red Hook; Saint John - Cruz Bay
Airports:
2 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m;
international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix
Telecommunications:
44,280 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 8 FM, 4 TV; modern system
using fiber-optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and satellite
facilities; 98,000 radios; 63,000 TV (1988)
:Virgin Islands Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
:Wake Island Geography
Total area:
6.5 km2
Land area:
6.5 km2
Comparative area:
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
19.3 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano; central
lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim; average elevation less
than four meters
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
subject to occasional typhoons
Note:
strategic location 3,700 km west of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean,
about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands;
emergency landing location for transpacific flights
:Wake Island People
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants; 381 temporary population (US Air Force personnel,
civilian weather service personnel, and US and Thai contractors) (January
1992); note - population peaked about 1970 with over 1,600 persons during
the Vietnam conflict
:Wake Island Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force (under
an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June 1972
Capital:
none; administered from Washington, DC
Flag:
the US flag is used
:Wake Island Economy
Overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military personnel
and contractors located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must
be imported.
Electricity:
supplied by US military
:Wake Island Communications
Ports:
none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore anchorages for large
ships
Airports:
1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications:
underwater cables to Guam and through Midway to Honolulu; 1 Autovon circuit
off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS); Armed Forces Radio/Television
Service (AFRTS) radio and television service provided by satellite;
broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV
Note:
formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used only by US military
and some commercial cargo planes
:Wake Island Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
:Wallis and Futuna Geography
Total area:
274 km2
Land area:
274 km2; includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile
Alofi, and 20 islets
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
129 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to
October)
Terrain:
volcanic origin; low hills
Natural resources:
negligible
Land use:
arable land 5%; permanent crops 20%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 75%
Environment:
both island groups have fringing reefs
Note:
located 4,600 km southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
:Wallis and Futuna People
Population:
17,095 (July 1992), growth rate 3.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
8 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
29 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
70 years male, 71 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders; adjective -
Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander
Ethnic divisions:
almost entirely Polynesian
Religions:
largely Roman Catholic
Languages:
French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)
Literacy:
50% (male 50%, female 51%) at all ages can read and write (1969)
Labor force:
NA
Organized labor:
NA
:Wallis and Futuna Government
Long-form name:
Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
Type:
overseas territory of France
Capital:
Mata Utu (on Ile Uvea)
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of France)
Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
French
National holiday:
Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch:
French president, chief administrator; note - there are three traditional
kings with limited powers
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly (Assemblee Territoriale)
Judicial branch:
none; justice generally administered under French law by the chief
administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and
there is a magistrate in Mata Utu
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Head of Government:
Chief Administrator Robert POMMIES (since 26 September 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
Rally for the Republic (RPR); Union Populaire Locale (UPL); Union Pour la
Democratie Francaise (UDF); Lua kae tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement des
Radicaux de Gauche (MRG)
Suffrage:
universal adult at age 18
Elections:
Territorial Assembly:
last held 15 March 1987 (next to be held NA March 1992); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (20 total) RPR 7, UPL 5, UDF 4, UNF 4
French Senate:
last held NA September 1989 (next to be held by NA September 1992); results
- percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPR 1
French National Assembly:
last held 12 June 1988 (next to be held by NA September 1992); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) MRG 1
Member of:
FZ, SPC
Diplomatic representation:
as an overseas territory of France, local interests are represented in the
US by France
Flag:
the flag of France is used
:Wallis and Futuna Economy
Overview:
The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about
80% of the labor force earning its livelihood from agriculture (coconuts and
vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the
population is employed in government. Revenues come from French Government
subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import
taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia. Wallis and
Futuna imports food, fuel, clothing, machinery, and transport equipment, but
its exports are negligible, consisting of copra and handicrafts.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $25 million, per capita $1,500; real growth rate
NA% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $2.7 million; expenditures $2.7 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1983)
Exports:
negligible
commodities:
copra, handicrafts
partners:
NA
Imports:
$13.3 million (c.i.f., 1984)
commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, transportation equipment, fuel
partners:
France, Australia, New Zealand
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
1,200 kW capacity; 1 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber
Agriculture:
dominated by coconut production, with subsistence crops of yams, taro,
bananas, and herds of pigs and goats
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
$118 million
Currency:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural - francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF)
= 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 102.53 (March
1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.0 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27
(1987); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year:
NA
:Wallis and Futuna Communications
Highways:
100 km on Ile Uvea, 16 km sealed; 20 km earth surface on Ile Futuna
Inland waterways:
none
Ports:
Mata-Utu, Leava
Airports:
2 total; 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
225 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV
:Wallis and Futuna Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of France
:West Bank Header
Note:
The war between Israel and the Arab states in June 1967 ended with Israel in
control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, and the Golan
Heights. As stated in the 1978 Camp David Accords and reaffirmed by
President Bush's post-Gulf crisis peace initiative, the final status of the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip, their relationship with their neighbors, and a
peace treaty between Israel and Jordan are to be negotiated among the
concerned parties. Camp David further specifies that these negotiations will
resolve the respective boundaries. Pending the completion of this process,
it is US policy that the final status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
has yet to be determined. In the view of the US, the term West Bank
describes all of the area west of the Jordan River under Jordanian
administration before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. However, with respect to
negotiations envisaged in the framework agreement, it is US policy that a
distinction must be made between Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank
because of the city's special status and circumstances. Therefore, a
negotiated solution for the final status of Jerusalem could be different in
character from that of the rest of the West Bank.
:West Bank Geography