chief of state: President Tran Duc LUONG (since 24 September 1997)
and Vice President Nguyen Thi BINH (since NA October 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Phan Van KHAI (since 25 September
1997); First Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 29
September 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Nguyen Cong TAN (since 29
September 1997), Ngo Xuan LOC (since 29 September 1997), Nguyen Manh
CAM (since 29 September 1997), and Pham Gia KHIEM (since 29
September 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the proposal of the
prime minister and ratification of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its
members for a five-year term; election last held 25 September 1997
(next to be held when National Assembly meets following legislative
elections in NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president
from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime
ministers appointed by the prime minister
election results: Tran Duc LUONG elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote--NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (450
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 July 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party--CPV 92%, other 8% (the 8%
are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for
election); seats by party--CPV or CPV-approved 450
Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court, chief justice is elected
for a five-year term by the National Assembly on the recommendation
of the president
Political parties and leaders: only party--Communist Party of
International organization participation: ACCT, APEC, AsDB,
ASEAN, CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador LE VAN BANG
chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, Suite 400
consulate(s) general: San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas B. "Pete" Peterson
embassy: 7 Lang Ha Road, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002
consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City
Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star in
the center
Economy
Economy--overview: Vietnam is a poor, densely populated country
that has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of
financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a
centrally planned economy. Substantial progress has been achieved
over the past 10 years in moving forward from an extremely low
starting point, though the regional downturn is now limiting that
progress. GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 4% in 1998. These
numbers masked some major difficulties that are emerging in economic
performance. Many domestic industries, including coal, cement,
steel, and paper, have reported large stockpiles of inventory and
tough competition from more efficient foreign producers, giving
Vietnam a trade deficit of $3.3 billion in 1997. While disbursements
of aid and foreign direct investment have risen, they are not large
enough to finance the rapid increase in imports; and it is widely
believed that Vietnam may be using short-term trade credits to
bridge the gap--a risky strategy that could result in a foreign
exchange crunch. Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities continue to move
slowly toward implementing the structural reforms needed to
revitalize the economy and produce more competitive, export-driven
industries. Privatization of state enterprises remains bogged down
in political controversy, while the country's dynamic private sector
is denied both financing and access to markets. Reform of the
banking sector is proceeding slowly, raising concerns that the
country will be unable to tap sufficient domestic savings to
maintain current high levels of growth. Administrative and legal
barriers are also causing costly delays for foreign investors and
are raising similar doubts about Vietnam's ability to maintain the
inflow of foreign capital. Ideological bias in favor of state
intervention and control of the economy is slowing progress toward a
more liberalized investment environment.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$134.8 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 4% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,770 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 28%
industry: 30%
services: 42% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: 50.9% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 29% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1998)
Labor force: 32.7 million
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry and services
35% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $5.6 billion
expenditures: $6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.7
billion (1996 est.)
Industries: food processing, garments, shoes, machine building,
mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel,
paper
Industrial production growth rate: 12% (1998 est.)
Electricity--production: 14.88 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 12.1%
hydro: 84%
nuclear: 0%
other: 3.9% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 14.88 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber,
soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas; poultry, pigs; fish
Exports: $9.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee,
rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports--partners: Japan, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong,
France, South Korea
Imports: $11.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products,
fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports--partners: Singapore, South Korea, Japan, France, Hong
Kong, Taiwan
Debt--external: $7.3 billion Western countries; $4.5 billion CEMA
debts primarily to Russia; $9 billion to $18 billion nonconvertible
debt (former CEMA, Iraq, Iran)
Economic aid--recipient: $2.2 billion in credits and grants
pledged by international donors for 1999
Currency: 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
Exchange rates: new dong (D) per US$1--13,900 (December 1998),
11,100 (December 1996), 11,193 (1995 average), 11,000 (October
1994), 10,800 (November 1993), 8,100 (July 1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 800,000 (1995 est.)
Telephone system: while Vietnam's telecommunication sector lags
far behind other countries in Southeast Asia, Hanoi has made
considerable progress since 1991 in upgrading the system; Vietnam
has digitized all provincial switch boards, while fiber-optic and
microwave transmission systems have been extended from Hanoi, Da
Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City to all provinces; the density of
telephone receivers nationwide doubled from 1993 to 1995, but is
still far behind other countries in the region; Vietnam's
telecommunications strategy aims to increase telephone density to 30
per 1,000 inhabitants by the year 2000 and authorities estimate that
approximately $2.7 billion will be spent on telecommunications
upgrades through the end of the decade
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations--2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean
region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM 228, shortwave 0
Radios: 7.215 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: 2.9 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,835 km (in addition, there are 224 km not restored to
service after war damage)
standard gauge: 151 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,454 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 230 km NA-m gauges (three rails)
Highways:
total: 93,300 km
paved: 23,418 km
unpaved: 69,882 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable at
all times by vessels up to 1.8 m draft
Pipelines: petroleum products 150 km
Ports and harbors: Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City,
Hong Gai, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang
Merchant marine:
total: 123 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 527,920 GRT/820,515 DWT
ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 98, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk
1, oil tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 4 (1998 est.)
Airports: 48 (1994 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 7 (1994 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 5 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes
Ground Forces, Navy, and Air Force), Coast Guard
Military manpower--military age: 17 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 20,492,806 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 12,933,945 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 877,714 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $650 million (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 9.3% (1997)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: maritime boundary with Cambodia not
defined; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with
China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; maritime
boundary with Thailand resolved, August 1997; maritime boundary
dispute with China in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied
by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; offshore islands and
sections of boundary with Cambodia are in dispute; sections of land
border with China are indefinite
Illicit drugs: minor producer of opium poppy with 3,000 hectares
cultivated in 1998, capable of producing 20 metric tons of opium;
probably minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin destined for
the US and Europe; growing opium/heroin addiction; possible
small-scale heroin production
======================================================================
@Virgin Islands
--------------
Geography
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 18 20 N, 64 50 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 352 sq km
land: 349 sq km
water: 3 sq km
Area--comparative: twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 188 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds,
relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation;
rainy season May to November
Terrain: mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level
land
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use:
arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: 26%
forests and woodland: 6%
other: 47% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and
severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes
Environment--current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--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
People
Population: 119,827 (July 1999 est.)
note: 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%
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 17,454; female 16,585)
15-64 years: 63% (male 34,712; female 41,325)
65 years and over: 9% (male 4,237; female 5,514) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.19% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 17.08 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.34 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 10.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.74 years
male: 74.04 years
female: 81.67 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.42 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander
Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 15%, other 5%
Religions: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%,
other 7%
Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole
Literacy: NA
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Virgin Islands of the United States
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies
Data code: VQ
Dependency status: organized, unincorporated territory of the US;
administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the
Interior
Government type: NA
Capital: Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions: none (territory of the US); there are
no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint
Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
National holiday: Transfer Day, 31 March (1917) (from Denmark to
US)
Constitution: Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Legal system: based on US laws
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; note--indigenous inhabitants
are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON of the US (since
20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January
1993)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5
January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Gerald LUZ James II (since 5
January 1999)
cabinet: NA
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same
ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 November
1998 (next to be held NA November 2002)
election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL elected governor;
percent of vote--Dr. Charles W. TURNBULL (Democrat) 58.9%, former
Governor Roy L. SCHNEIDER (ICM) 41.1%
Legislative branch: unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--Democratic Party 6, independents 5, Republican Party 2,
Independent Citizens Movement 2
note: the Virgin Islands elect one representative to the US House of
Representatives; election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held
NA November 2000); results--Dr. Donna GREEN (Democrat) 80%, Victor O.
FRAZER (ICM) 20%
Judicial branch: US District Court (judges are appointed by the
president); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [James O'BRYON
International organization participation: ECLAC (associate),
Interpol (subbureau), IOC
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of the US)
Flag description: white, with a modified US coat of arms in the
center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms
shows a yellow 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
Economy
Economy--overview: Tourism is the primary economic activity,
accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The
islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The number of US
tourists in the first five months of 1996 was down by 55% from the
same period in 1995, the lingering result of the fierce hurricanes
of 1995. Unemployment rose sharply in 1996. The manufacturing sector
consists of textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly
plants. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being
imported. International business and financial services are a small
but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest
petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. A major economic problem at
the beginning of 1997 was the more than $1 billion in governmental
arrears, income tax refunds, payments to vendors, and overdue wages.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.2 billion (1987 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: NA%
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$12,500 (1987 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: 47,443 (1990 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services
62%, other 17% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 6.2% (March 1994)
Budget:
revenues: $364.4 million
expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1990 est.)
Industries: tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum
distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 1.02 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 1.02 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: truck garden products, fruit, vegetables,
sorghum; Senepol cattle
Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Exports--commodities: refined petroleum products
Exports--partners: US, Puerto Rico
Imports: $2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
Imports--commodities: crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods,
building materials
Imports--partners: US, Puerto Rico
Debt--external: $NA
Economic aid--recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October--30 September
Communications
Telephones: 60,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
international: submarine cable and satellite communications;
satellite earth stations--NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 8, shortwave 0 (1988)
Radios: 105,000 (1994 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1997)
Televisions: 66,000 (1994 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 856 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay,
Port Alucroix
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 2
note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix; there
is an airfield on St. John (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Wake Atoll
----------
Geography
Location: Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands
Geographic coordinates: 19 17 N, 166 36 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: about 11 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 19.3 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 6 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998)
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons
Environment--current issues: NA
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean;
emergency landing location for transpacific flights
People
Population: no indigenous inhabitants
note: US military personnel have left the island, but some civilian
personnel remain (1999 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Wake Atoll
Data code: WQ
Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US;
administered from Washington, DC by the Department of the Interior;
occasional activities on the island are managed by the US Army under
a US Air Force contract
Legal system: NA
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
Economy
Economy--overview: Economic activity is limited to providing
services to contractors located on the island. All food and
manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity--production: NA kWh
note: electricity supplied by the US military
Electricity--consumption: NA kWh
Communications
Telephone system: satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the
Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service
provided by satellite
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; two offshore anchorages for large ships
Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Transportation--note: formerly an important commercial aviation
base, now occasionally used by US military, some commercial cargo
planes, and for emergency landings
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: claimed by Marshall Islands
======================================================================
@Wallis and Futuna
-----------------
Geography
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 13 18 S, 176 12 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 274 sq km
land: 274 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island),
Ile Alofi, and 20 islets
Area--comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 129 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool,
dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80%
humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C
Terrain: volcanic origin; low hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m
Natural resources: NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 20%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 75% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: deforestation (only small portions of
the original forests remain) largely as a result of the continued
use of wood as the main fuel source; as a consequence of cutting
down the forests, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly
prone to erosion; there are no permanent settlements on Alofi
because of the lack of natural fresh water resources
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: both island groups have fringing reefs
People
Population: 15,129 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA%
65 years and over: NA%
Population growth rate: 1.04% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.34 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.66 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -7.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)