September 1997) elections: president elected by the National Assembly
from among its members for a five-year term; election last held 24
September 1997 (next to be held when National Assembly meets following
legislative elections in May 2002); prime minister appointed by the
president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy
prime ministers appointed by the prime minister 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 Vu KHOAN (since NA) 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 election results:
Tran Duc LUONG elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections:
last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007) election results: percent
of vote by party - CPV 90%, other 10% (the 10% are not CPV members but
are approved by the CPV to stand for election); seats by party - CPV 447,
CPV-approved 51
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 [Nong Duc MANH, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders: none
International organization participation: ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN,
CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen
Tam CHIEN consulate(s) general: San
[1] (202) 861-0737 chancery:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Raymond F. BURGHARDT embassy: 7 Lang Ha Road, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: [84]
(4) 772-1500 FAX: [84] (4) 772-1510 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City
Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
Economy Vietnam
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 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 6% in 1998
and 5% in 1999. Growth then rose to 6.8% in 2000 and dropped back to
4.7% in 2001 against the background of global recession. These numbers
mask some major difficulties 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. Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities have moved slowly
in implementing the structural reforms needed to revitalize the economy
and produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The US-Vietnam
Bilateral Trade Agreement entered into force near the end of 2001 and is
expected to significantly increase Vietnam's exports to the US. The US
is assisting Vietnam with implementing the legal and structural reforms
called for in the agreement.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $168.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 25% industry: 35% services:
40% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 37% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 36.1 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.3% (2001 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: $5.3 billion expenditures: $5.6 billion, including
capital expenditures of $1.8 billion (1999 est.)
Industries: food processing, garments, shoes, machine building, mining,
cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper
Industrial production growth rate: 10.4% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 25.775 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 40.74% hydro: 59.26%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 23.97 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans,
coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish
Exports: $15.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber,
tea, garments, shoes
Exports - partners: Japan 18.1%, China 10.6%, Australia 8.8%, Singapore
6.1%, Taiwan 5.2%, Germany 5.1%, US 5.1% (2000)
Imports: $15.3 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products,
fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports - partners: Singapore 17.7%, Japan 14.4%, Taiwan 12.1%, South
Korea 11.1%, China 9.1%, Thailand 5.2%, Hong Kong 3.9% (2000)
Debt - external: $13.2 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged
by international donors for 2000
Currency: dong (VND)
Currency code: VND
Exchange rates: dong per US dollar - 15,085 (January 2002), 14,725
(2001), 14,168 (2000), 13,943 (1999), 13,268 (1998), 11,683 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Vietnam
Telephones - main lines in use: 2.6 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 730,155 (2000)
Telephone system: general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable
effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication
system, but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more
modern neighbors domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized
and connected to Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic
cable or microwave radio relay networks; since 1991, main lines in use
have been substantially increased and the use of mobile telephones is
growing rapidly international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik
(Indian Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
Radios: 8.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)
Televisions: 3.57 million (1997)
Internet country code: .vn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2000)
Internet users: 160,000 (2001)
Transportation Vietnam
Railways: 209 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges
(2001)
Highways: total: 93,300 km paved: 23,418 km unpaved: 69,882 km (1996)
Waterways: 17,702 km note: more than 5,149 km are 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,
Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Merchant marine: total: 153 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 782,912
GRT/1,173,186 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered
here as a flag of convenience: Cambodia 1, Japan 1, Singapore 1, United
Kingdom 2 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 113, chemical tanker
1, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 20,
refrigerated cargo 2
Airports: 34 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047
m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to
2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 8 (2001)
Military Vietnam
Military branches: People's Army of Vietnam (includes Ground Forces,
People's Navy Command [including Naval Infantry], Air and Air Defense
Force, Coast Guard)
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 22,220,891 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 13,978,653
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 961,124
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $650 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.5% (FY98)
Transnational Issues Vietnam
Disputes - international: Vietnam disputes several offshore islands
with Cambodia, preventing delimitation of a maritime boundary; Cambodia
accuses Vietnam of territorial encroachments and initiating armed border
incidents in seven provinces; demarcation of boundaries with Laos is
nearing completion, but Laos protests Vietnamese squatters; involved
in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia,
Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; maritime boundary with China in
the Gulf of Tonkin still awaits ratification; Paracel Islands occupied
by China but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; demarcation of the land
boundary with China has commenced, but details of the alignment have
not been made public
Illicit drugs: minor producer of opium poppy with 2,300 hectares
cultivated in 2001, capable of producing 15 metric tons of opium;
probable minor transit point for Southeast Asian heroin; domestic
opium/heroin/methamphetamine addiction problems
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Virgin Islands
Introduction
Virgin Islands
Background: During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into
two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane,
produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th
and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion,
which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
Geography Virgin Islands
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 water: 3 sq km land: 349 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% other: 79% (1998 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
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 Virgin Islands
Population: 123,498 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.7% (male 16,926; female 16,012) 15-64
years: 64.2% (male 35,801; female 43,443) 65 years and over: 9.1%
(male 4,851; female 6,465) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.04% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 15.85 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 5.58 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 9.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 82.53 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.24 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander
Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 15%, other 5% 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%
Religions: Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Languages: English (official), Spanish, Creole
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Virgin Islands
Country name: conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies
Dependency status: organized, unincorporated territory of the US
with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the
jurisdiction of 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 (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
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 George W. BUSH of the US
(since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20
January 2001) 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% elections: US president and
vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor
and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for
four-year terms; election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held
NA November 2002) head of government: Governor Gererd LUZ James II
(since 5 January 1999) cabinet: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: last held 7 November 2000
(next to be held NA November 2002) election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 6, ICM 2, independents 4,
no party affiliation 3 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting
representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held
7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); results - Donna
M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) elected
Judicial branch: US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third
Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor
for 10-year terms)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON];
Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party
[Gary SPRAUVE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
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 Virgin Islands
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 manufacturing sector consists of
petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch
assembly. 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. The islands are subject to substantial damage from
storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, support
construction projects in the private sector, expand tourist facilities,
reduce crime, and protect the environment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.8 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: NA%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 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: 48,356 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79%
(1990 est.)
Unemployment rate: 4.9% (March 1999)
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 (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(1999) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 948.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Exports: $NA
Exports - commodities: refined petroleum products
Exports - partners: US, Puerto Rico
Imports: $NA
Imports - commodities: crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building
materials
Imports - partners: US, Puerto Rico
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid - recipient: $NA
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Currency code: USD
Exchange rates: the US dollar is used
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications Virgin Islands
Telephones - main lines in use: 62,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,000 (1992)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: modern, uses
fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: submarine
cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)
Radios: 107,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (2002)
Televisions: 68,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .vi
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 50 (2000)
Internet users: 12,000 (2000)
Transportation Virgin Islands
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 856 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2000)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port
Alucroix
Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)
Airports: 2 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2001)
Military Virgin Islands
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues Virgin Islands
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
========================================================================
Holy See (Vatican City)
Introduction Holy See (Vatican City)
Background: Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian
peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century,
when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of
Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome
itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and
Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established
the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism
special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See
and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including
the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present
concerns of the Holy See include the failing health of Pope John Paul II,
interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the adjustment of church
doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion
people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
Geography Holy See (Vatican City)
Location: Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)
Geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 0.44 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 0.44 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: total: 3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot,
dry summers (May to September)
Terrain: low hill
Elevation extremes: lowest point: unnamed location 19 m highest point:
unnamed location 75 m
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area)
(1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Geography - note: urban; landlocked; enclave
of Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13
buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence)
enjoy extraterritorial rights
People Holy See (Vatican City)
Population: 900 (July 2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.15% (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: none adjective: none
Ethnic groups: Italians, Swiss, other
Religions: Roman Catholic
Languages: Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Literacy: definition: NA total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Holy See (Vatican City)
Country name: conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican
City) conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local short form:
Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della
Citta del Vaticano)
Government type: ecclesiastical
Capital: Vatican City
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 11 February 1929 (from Italy)
National holiday: Coronation Day of Pope JOHN PAUL II, 22 October (1978)
Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968)
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Executive branch: chief of state: Pope JOHN PAUL II (since 16 October
1978) head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo SODANO
(since 2 December
Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope elections: 16 October 1978
(next to be held after the death of the current pope);
secretary of state appointed by the pope election results: Karol WOJTYLA
elected pope
Legislative branch: unicameral Pontifical Commission
Judicial branch: there are three tribunals responsible for civil and
criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on
issues pertaining to the Holy See note: judicial duties were established
by the Motu Proprio of Pius XII on 1 May 1946
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: none (exclusive of influence
exercised by church officers)
International organization participation: CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM
(observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer),
UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WHO (observer), WIPO, WToO (observer), WTrO (observer)