Capital
City: Hanoi
Population:
aprx. 79.939.014
Flag:
Location: Southeastern Asia; bordering the
Gulf of Thailand; Gulf of Tonkin; and South
China Sea; alongside China; Laos; and Cambodia
Area: 330.900 km2
Terrain: low; flat delta in south and north;
central highlands; hilly; mountainous in far
north and northwest
Telephone Codes: country code 84; Hanoi city
code 4; Ho Chi Minh City code 8
Time Zone: 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean
Time (+7 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed
Climate: In the North of the country; it has
four seasons: Spring (February-May); Summer
(June-August); Fall (September-November) and
Winter (December - January).
In Fall and Winter, temperatures are relatively
mild and nights are cool (highs around 88 F/31
C; lows around 71 F/22 C) so take along a sweater
or a jacket during this time of the year. January-March
is foggy and drizzly in the north. The mountains
can be quite cold in winter; with occasional
snowfall at higher elevations.
In the South, it has 2 seasons: dry and rainy
seasons. May-September is the hot; humid monsoon
season in the south; when temperatures reach
92 F/33 C and fall to only about 76 F/24 C.
But do not worry; a lot of beautiful beaches
along the countries provide you an excellent
relax.
Geography: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
a sovereign and reunified independent country;
has a high percentage of territorial waters.
Looking at the map; Vietnam is located in the
center of the Southeast Asia; and is shaped
like the letter 'S'. The country lies in the
eastern part of the Indochina peninsula; bordered
by China to the north; Laos and Cambodia to
the west; and the East Sea and Pacific Ocean
to the southeast. Vietnam's coast line is 3.260
km long and its inland border measures 4.510
km.
The country's total length; from the northernmost
point to the southernmost point; is 1.650 km.
Its width; stretching from east to west; is
600 km at the widest point in the north; 400
km in the south; and 50 km at the narrowest
part in the Quang Binh province on the central
coast. Vietnam is also a transport junction
from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
Language: Vietnamese is a tonal language that
uses the Roman alphabet together with tone marks.
Much of the language is Sino/ Vietnamese; though
influences from French and English are also
apparent. Today; English is widely spoken in
major cities.
English and French; Japanese and Chinese can
be communicated in many shops; restaurants;
hotels; and resorts.
Religion in Viet Nam: Approximately 60% of
the population adheres to some form of Buddhism
while Catholics account for about 8%. The majority
of Vietnamese have no specific religion. They
just worship their ancestors. The family temple
is the last place for worshipping the most ancient
ancestors from at least 9 generations. The early
meeting at the family temple helps to familiarize
people of the same family tree and prevent them
from marrying each other by mistake. Buddhism
is relatively popular since it has a long-established
history in Viet Nam. In history; some Vietnamese
kings used to be Buddhist monks. Additionally;
other religious beliefs include such as Catholicism;
Protestantism; Islam; Hinduism; Taoism; and
especially Caodaism that worship Buddha; Jesus;
Confucius; Laotse; Victor Hugo; Nguyen Binh
Khiem; and Sun Yat Sen?
National Holidays: The most important holiday
is the Lunar New Year or Tet which usually takes
place in February and is celebrated for five
days. Visitors should be aware that actually
no business is supposed to be run during this
period and international and domestic flights
are fully booked as overseas Vietnamese return
to visit their family and friends. There are
also many other festivals that take place in
temples and villages during and after Tet. Other
significant public holidays include April 30
(Liberation Day); May 1 (International Worker's
Day); May 19 (Anniversary of the birth of Ho
Chi Minh) and September 2 (National Day).
Business Hours: Vietnamese offices work 5 days
a week; Saturday and Sunday are off. Offices
usually open at 7:30; close at 4:30; 1 1/2 hour
for lunch break. Taking a nap is popular after
lunch at most offices. Traditionally Vietnamese
open business such as cafeterias or shops when
they wake up and close before bedtime. Major
shops open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Markets
open from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Official school
time is from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. In the
afternoon; it goes from 1:00 pm to 5:00 p.m.
Museums are closed on Monday
Food: Visitors delight in the cuisine of Vietnam.
Some specialties, to name just a few, include
Pho (noodle soup), Bun (a kind of vermicelli),
Banh cuon (thin steamed rolled rice pancakes),
Banh Chung, Banh Day (two kinds of cakes made
from glutinous rice), Banh Xeo (rice pancakes),
Cha ca (fried fish), Nem (spring rolls), Gio
Lua (silky lean meat paste). Wonderful fruits
abound: Chuoi (banana), Cam (orange), Quyt (mandarin),
Buoi (grapefruit), Dua (pineapple), Na (custard-apple),
Vai Thieu (Thieu litchi), Chom Chom (rambutan),
Nhan (longan), Xoai (mango), Mang Cut (mangosteen),
Vu Sua (star apple)...
Arts and Culture: Traditional and popular Vietnamese
stage performances include Cheo (folk operettas),
Tuong (classical court dramas), Cai Luong (early
20th C dramas), and Water Puppet performances.
“Quan Ho” (love duets from Bac Ninh province),
“Chau Van” (traditional trance songs), “Xam”
(strolling blind street musicians), Then and
Ca Hue (folk music from Hue) are typical of
various Vietnamese ethnic groups.
Our famous crafts include basketry, woodwork,
lacquer ware, marble sculpture, jewelry, mother-of-pearl
inlaying, embroidery, ceramics, and ceramics.
Vietnam is especially renowned for its finely
crafted lacquer objects. Both beautiful and
durable, they include wall paintings, vases,
jewelry boxes, trays, chessboards, and folding
screens. Along with our fine ceramics and delicately
embroidered fabrics, they have captured the
imagination of our visitors from abroad.
Sights: Travel opportunities within Vietnam
are plentiful. Within Hanoi itself, cultural
and historical remnants reveal a rich past replete
with heroic legends. World famous Halong Bay
in Quang Ninh province is a short 2 hours from
the city; its jade waters hold 1,969 islands.
Halong Bay has been recognized by UNESCO as
a World Natural Heritage site. Hue Imperial
City, Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Site in
Quang Nam province have each been declared by
UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage sites. Visitors
may also enjoy the natural phenomenon of the
Phong Nha Caves in Quang Binh province.
VIETNAM
ECONOMY
|
Economy
|
Vietnam |
|
Economy
- overview: |
Vietnam
is 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 would lead
to disaster. GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997
fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth
then rose to 6% to 7% in 2000-02 even
against the background of global recession.
Since the Party elected new leadership
in 2001, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed
commitment to economic liberalization
and have moved to implement the structural
reforms needed to modernize the economy
and to 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 - $203.7 billion (2003) |
|
GDP
- real growth rate: |
7.2%
(2003) |
|
GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $2,500 (2003) |
|
GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
21.8% industry: 39.7% services: 38.5%
(2003) |
|
Investment
(gross fixed): |
33%
of GDP (2003) |
|
Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3.1%
(2003) |
|
Labor
force: |
45.74
million (2003) |
|
Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture
63%, industry and services 37% (2000)
|
|
Unemployment
rate: |
6.1%
(2003) |
|
Agriculture
- products: |
paddy
rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans,
coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry,
pigs, fish |
|
Industries:
|
food
processing, garments, shoes, machine-building,
mining, cement, chemical fertilizer, glass,
tires, oil, coal, steel, paper |
|
Industrial
production growth rate: |
16%
(2003) |
|
Current
account balance: |
$-1.781
billion (2003) |
|
Exports:
|
$19.88
billion f.o.b. (2003) |
|
Exports
- commodities: |
crude
oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber,
tea, garments, shoes |
|
Exports
– partners: |
US
20.9%, Japan 13.2%, Australia 6.9%, China
6.2%, Germany 5.5%, Taiwan 4.8%, Singapore
4.4%, UK 4.2% (2003 ) |
|
Imports: |
$22.5
billion f.o.b. (2003) |
|
Imports
– commodities: |
machinery
and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer,
steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement,
motorcycles |
|
Imports
– partners: |
China
13.6%, Taiwan 11.9%, Japan 11.2%, South
Korea 10.8%, Singapore 10.3%, US 5.7%,
Thailand 5.4%, Hong Kong 4.2% (2003 )
|
|
Economic
aid – recipient: |
$2.8
billion in credits and grants pledged
by international donors for 2000 (2004)
|
|
Currency: |
dong
(VND) |
|
Currency
code: |
VND
|
|
Exchange
rates: |
dong
per US dollar - 15,770 (2004), |
|
Fiscal
year: |
calendar
year |
IMPORT & EXPORT STATISTIC
YEAR 2004
(SOURCE: MINISTRY OF TRADE)
Unit : Mil USD
| Items |
To
Aug. 2004 |
Same
period of Year 2003 |
Estimation
of Year 2004 |
Year
2004 vs Year 2003 |
| ::
Export |
16.796 |
125.7% |
24.150 |
119.7% |
| ::
Import |
19.687 |
119.9% |
28.800 |
114.2% |
