Vietnam
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi (Ha Noi)
History
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. 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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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 reuniting the country under communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The communist leaders, however, maintain control on political expression and have resisted outside calls to improve human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups - the vast majority connected to land-use issues, calls for increased political space, and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
331,210
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
4,639
km
|
| Border Countries |
Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km |
| Coastline |
3,444
km
|
| Terrain |
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
3,144
m
|
| Climate |
tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March) |
| Natural Resources |
phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
19.64% |
| Permanent Crops |
11.18% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$114.6 billion |
| Export Items |
clothes, shoes, electronics, seafood, crude oil, rice, coffee, wooden products, machinery |
| Export Partners |
US 18%, China 11%, Japan 11%, Germany 3.7% (2011 est.) |
| Imports |
$114.3 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, steel products, raw materials for the clothing and shoe industries, electronics, plastics, automobiles |
| Import Partners |
China 22%, South Korea 13.2%, Japan 10.4%, Taiwan 8.6%, Thailand 6.4%, Singapore 6.4% (2011 est.) |
People
| Population |
92,477,857 |
| Population Growth |
1.03% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Kinh (Viet) 85.7%, Tay 1.9%, Thai 1.8%, Muong 1.5%, Khmer 1.5%, Mong 1.2%, Nung 1.1%, others 5.3% (1999 census) |
| Religion |
Buddhist 9.3%, Catholic 6.7%, Hoa Hao 1.5%, Cao Dai 1.1%, Protestant 0.5%, Muslim 0.1%, none 80.8% (1999 census) |
| Life Expectancy |
72.65 years |
| Infant Mortality |
1 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
3 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
