noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan
Ethnic groups: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African,
indigenous people
Religions: nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Languages: Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.1%
male: 91.8%
female: 90.3% (1995 est.)
@Venezuela:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela
local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
local short form: Venezuela
Data code: VE
Government type: federal republic
Capital: Caracas
Administrative divisions: 23 states (estados, singular - estado),1
federal district* (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependency**
(dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas,
Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**,
Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas,
Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy,
Zulia
note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled
island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Independence: 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution: 30 December 1999
Legal system: based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial
court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held 28 May 2000 under
new constitution)
election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias elected president; percent of vote
- 57%
note: government coalition - Patriotic Pole or Polo Patriotico
consists of MVR, MAS, and PPT
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional;
under the 1999 constitution, the bicameral Congress of the Republic
has been replaced by a unicameral National Assembly; the total number
of seats in the new National Assembly has not yet been determined, but
members will be elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms;
three seats will be reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela
elections: election for deputies to the new National Assembly are
scheduled to be held in May 2000
election results: NA; elections to be held in May 2000
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de
Justicia, magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a
single 12-year term
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Action or AD ;
Fifth Republic Movement or MVR ; Homeland for All or PPT
; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS ; National
Convergence or Convergencia ; Radical Cause or La Causa R
; Social Christian Party or COPEI
Political pressure groups and leaders: FEDECAMARAS, a conservative
business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or
CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
International organization participation: CAN, Caricom (observer),
CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G- 3, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alfredo TORO Hardy
chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: (202) 342-2214
FAX: (202) 342-6820
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John Francis MAISTO
embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas
1060
mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037
telephone: (2) 975-6411
FAX: (2) 975-6710
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue,
and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and
an arc of seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band
@Venezuela:Economy
Economy - overview: Venezuelan officials estimate the economy
contracted 7.2% in 1999. A steep downturn in international oil prices
during the first half of the year fueled the recession, and spurred
the CHAVEZ administration to abide by OPEC-led production cuts in an
effort to raise world oil prices. The petroleum sector dominates the
economy, accounting for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of export
earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues. Higher
oil prices during the second half 1999 took pressure off the budget
and currency; the bolivar is widely believed to be overvalued by as
much as 50%. Despite higher oil prices, the economy remains in the
doldrums, possibly due to investor uncertainty over President CHAVEZ's
reform agenda. Implementing legislation for the new constitution will
not be passed until the second half of 2000, after a new legislature
is elected. With the president's economic cabinet attempting to
reconcile a wide range of views, the country's economic reform program
has largely stalled. The government is seeking international
assistance to finance reconstruction after massive flooding and
landslides in December 1999 caused an estimated $15 billion to $20
billion in damage.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $182.8 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -7.2% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 63%
services: 33% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 67% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.5%
highest 10%: 35.6% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1999)
Labor force: 9.9 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture
13% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 18% (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $26.4 billion
expenditures: $27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000
est.)
Industries: petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food
processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1995 est.)
Electricity - production: 70.39 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 25.46%
hydro: 74.54%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 65.463 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas,
vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Exports: $20.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel,
chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures (1998)
Exports - partners: US and Puerto Rico 57%, Colombia, Brazil, Japan,
Germany, Netherlands, Italy (1999)
Imports: $11.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities: raw materials, machinery and equipment,
transport equipment, construction materials (1999)
Imports - partners: US 53%, Japan, Colombia, Italy, Germany, France,
Brazil, Canada (1999)
Debt - external: $32 billion (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: $35 million with more assistance likely as a
result of flooding (1999)
Currency: 1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 652.333 (January 2000),
605.717 (1999), 547.556 (1998), 488.635 (1997), 417.333 (1996),
176.843 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Venezuela:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 2.6 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2 million (1998)
Telephone system: modern and expanding
domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
installation of a national inter-urban fiber-optic network capable of
digital multimedia services
international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations -
1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an
international fiber-optic network
Radio broadcast stations: AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11
(1998)
Radios: 10.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 4.1 million (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 11 (1999)
@Venezuela:Transportation
Railways:
total: 584 km (248 km privately owned)
standard gauge: 584 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways:
total: 96,155 km
paved: 32,308 km
unpaved: 63,847 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: 7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept
oceangoing vessels
Pipelines: crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas
4,010 km
Ports and harbors: Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La
Salina, Maracaibo, Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz,
Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon
Merchant marine:
total: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 488,584 GRT/888,764 DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 10, combination bulk 1, liquified gas 2,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 7, roll-on/roll-off 7, short-sea
passenger 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 366 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 122
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 32
914 to 1,523 m: 58
under 914 m: 17 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 244
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 93
under 914 m: 141 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)
@Venezuela:Military
Military branches: National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales
or FAN) includes Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or
Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada), Air Force
(Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National
Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,398,169 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,612,754 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 244,350 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $934 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.9% (FY99)
@Venezuela:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo
River; maritime boundary dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium for the international drug
trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine and
heroin transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe;
important money-laundering hub; active eradication program primarily
targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by
Colombian insurgents on border
______________________________________________________________________
VIETNAM
@Vietnam:Introduction
Background: France occupied all of Vietnam by 1884. Independence was
declared after World War II, but the French continued to rule until
1954 when they were defeated by communist forces under HO Chi Minh,
who took control of the north. US economic and military aid to South
Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the
government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire
agreement in 1973. Two years later North Vietnamese forces overran the
south. Economic reconstruction of the reunited country has proven
difficult as aging Communist Party leaders have only grudgingly
initiated reforms necessary for a free market.
@Vietnam:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of
Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 106 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 329,560 sq km
land: 325,360 sq km
water: 4,200 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 4,639 km
border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Coastline: 3,444 km (excludes islands)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season
(mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to
mid-March)
Terrain: low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly,
mountainous in far north and northwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Ngoc Linh 3,143 m
Natural resources: phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate,
offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 17%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 30%
other: 48% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 18,600 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive
flooding
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: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test
Ban
@Vietnam:People
Population: 78,773,873 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 13,353,828; female 12,516,289)
15-64 years: 62% (male 23,691,412; female 24,951,397)
65 years and over: 5% (male 1,696,708; female 2,564,239) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.49% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 21.62 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 31.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.27 years
male: 66.84 years
female: 71.87 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.53 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)
adjective: Vietnamese
Ethnic groups: Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese 3%, Muong, Tai, Meo, Khmer,
Man, Cham
Religions: Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs,
Muslim, Protestant, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao
Languages: Vietnamese (official), Chinese, English, French, Khmer,
tribal languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7%
male: 96.5%
female: 91.2% (1995 est.)
@Vietnam:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
conventional short form: Vietnam
local long form: Cong Hoa Chu Nghia Viet Nam
local short form: Viet Nam
abbreviation: SRV
Data code: VM
Government type: Communist state
Capital: Hanoi
Administrative divisions: 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3
municipalities* (thu do, singular and plural); An Giang, Bac Giang,
Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh
Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Lac, Da
Nang, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Hai Phong*,
Ha Nam, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh, Ho Chi Minh*, Hung Yen,
Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai,
Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen,
Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang,
Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue,
Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai
Independence: 2 September 1945 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Constitution: 15 April 1992
Legal system: based on communist legal theory and French civil law
system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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), 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 Vietnam
or CPV
International organization participation: ACCT, APEC, AsDB, ASEAN,
CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, 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
telephone: (202) 861-0737
FAX: (202) 861-0917
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
telephone: (4) 8431500
FAX: (4) 8350484
consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City
Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the
center
@Vietnam: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 was achieved from 1986 to 1996
in moving forward from an extremely low starting point - growth
averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian
financial crisis highlighted the problems existing in the Vietnamese
economy but, rather than prompting reform, reaffirmed the government's
belief that shifting to a market oriented economy leads to disaster.
GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 4% in 1998 and rose slightly to an
estimated 4.8% in 1999. 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. Foreign direct investment has fallen dramatically,
from $8.3 billion in 1996 to about $1.6 billion in 1999. Meanwhile,
Vietnamese authorities have slowed implementation of 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 - considered one of the riskiest in the world -
is proceeding slowly, raising concerns that the country will be unable
to tap sufficient domestic savings to finance growth. Administrative
and legal barriers are also causing costly delays for foreign
investors and are raising similar doubts about Vietnam's ability to
attract additional foreign capital.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $143.1 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,850 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 33%
services: 41% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line: 37% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 29% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 38.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 67%, industry and services
33% (1997 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: 10.3% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 20.62 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 12.95%
hydro: 87.05%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 19.177 billion kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans,
coffee, tea, bananas; poultry, pigs; fish
Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee,
rubber, tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners: Japan, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong,
France, South Korea, US, China
Imports: $11.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 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, Thailand, Sweden
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 billion in credits and grants pledged by
international donors for 1999 and again for 2000
Currency: 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
Exchange rates: new dong (D) per US$1 - 14,020 (January 2000), 13,900
(December 1998), 11,100 (December 1996), 11,193 (1995 average), 11,000
(October 1994), 10,800 (November 1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Vietnam:Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 775,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 178,000 (1998)