Background:
 
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military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973.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.

Country name:
 
conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
conventional short form: Vietnam
local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
local short form: Viet Nam
abbreviation: SRV
 

Government type:

Communist state
 

Capital:

name: Hanoi (Ha Noi)
geographic coordinates: 21 02 N, 105 51 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
 

Administrative divisions:

58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thanh pho, singular and plural)
provinces: 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, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, 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
municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
 

Independence:

2 September 1945 (from France)
 

National holiday:

Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
 

Constitution:

several previous; latest adopted 15 April 1992, effective 1 January 1995; amended 2001, 2013 (2014)
 

Legal system:

civil law system; note - the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law
 

International law organization participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
 

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal
 

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Truong Tan SANG (since 25 July 2011); Vice President Nguyen Thi DOAN (since 25 July 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 27 June 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc DAM (since 13 November 2013), Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung HAI (since 2 August 2007), Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh MINH (since 13 November 2013), Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van NINH (since 3 August 2011), and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan PHUC (since 3 August 2011)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president based on proposal of prime minister and confirmed by National Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its members for five-year term; last election held 25 July 2011 (next to be held in July 2016); prime minister appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the prime minister; appointment of prime minister and deputy prime ministers confirmed by National Assembly
election results: Truong Tan SANG elected president, percent of National Assembly vote - 97%; Nguyen Tan DUNG elected prime minister, percent of National Assembly vote - 94%
 

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Quoc Hoi (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 22 May 2011 (next to be held in May 2016)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPV 458, non-party CPV-approved 38, self-nominated 4; note - 500 candidates were elected; the 496 CPV and non-party CPV-approved delegates were members of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front and were vetted prior to the election
 

Judicial branch:

highest court(s): Supreme People's Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 judges)
judge selection and term of office: chief justice elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president for a 5-year, renewable term; other judges appointed by the president for 5-year terms
subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; administrative, civil, criminal, economic, and labor courts; Central Military Court; People's Special Courts; note - the National Assembly can establish special tribunals
 

Political parties and leaders:

Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nguyen Phu TRONG]
note: other parties proscribed
 

Political pressure groups and leaders:

8406 Bloc
Democratic Party of Vietnam or DPV
People's Democratic Party Vietnam or PDP-VN
Alliance for Democracy
note: these groups advocate democracy but are not recognized by the government
 

International organization participation:

ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
 

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Quoc CUONG (since 2 May 2011)
chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 861-0737
FAX: [1] (202) 861-0917
consulate(s) general: Houston, New York, San Francisco
consulate: New York
 

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador David B. SHEAR (since 4 August 2011)
embassy: Rose Garden Building, 170 Ngoc Khanh St., Hanoi
mailing address: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi; 4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550
telephone: [84] (4) 3850-5000
FAX: [84] (4) 3850-5010
consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City
 

Flag description:

red field with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center; red symbolizes revolution and blood, the five-pointed star represents the five elements of the populace - peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers - that unite to build socialism
 

National symbol(s):

yellow, five-pointed star on red field; lotus blossom
 

National anthem:

name: 'Tien quan ca' (The Song of the Marching Troops)

lyrics/music: Nguyen Van CAO
note: adopted as the national anthem of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945; it became the national anthem of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976; although it consists of two verses, only the first is used as the official anthem

Location:
 
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, as well as China, Laos, and Cambodia
 

Geographic coordinates:

16 10 N, 107 50 E
 

Map references:

Southeast Asia
 

Area:

total: 331,210 sq km
country comparison to the world: 66
land: 310,070 sq km
water: 21,140 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:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
 

Climate:

tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to 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: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
 

Natural resources:

phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower
 

Land use:

arable land: 19.64%
permanent crops: 11.18%
other: 69.18% (2011)
 

Irrigated land:

45,850 sq km (2005)
 

Total renewable water resources:

884.1 cu km (2011)
 

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 82.03 cu km/yr (1%/4%/95%)
per capita: 965 cu m/yr (2005)
 

Natural hazards:

occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding, especially in the Mekong River delta
 

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
 

Geography - note:

extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across at its narrowest point

Nationality:
 
noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)
adjective: Vietnamese
 

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)
 

Languages:

Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
 

Religions:

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)
 

Population:

93,421,835 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
 

Age structure:

0-14 years: 24.3% (male 11,946,656/female 10,800,602)
15-24 years: 17.8% (male 8,598,360/female 8,023,377)
25-54 years: 44.8% (male 20,983,638/female 20,861,243)
55-64 years: 7.4% (male 3,149,494/female 3,763,309)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male 2,034,721/female 3,260,435) (2014 est.)
population pyramid:  
 

Dependency ratios:

total dependency ratio: 41.3 %
youth dependency ratio: 31.9 %
elderly dependency ratio: 9.4 %
potential support ratio: 10.6 (2014 est.)
 

Median age:

total: 29.2 years
male: 28.1 years
female: 30.2 years (2014 est.)
 

Population growth rate:

1% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
 

Birth rate:

16.26 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
 

Death rate:

5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
 

Net migration rate:

-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
 

Urbanization:

urban population: 31% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 3.03% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
 

Major urban areas - population:

Ho Chi Minh City 6.405 million; HANOI (capital) 2.955 million; Haiphong 925,000; Da Nang 834,000 (2011)
 

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
 

Mother's mean age at first birth:

22.6
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2002 est.)
 

Maternal mortality rate:

59 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 101
 

Infant mortality rate:

total: 18.99 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 95
male: 19.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)
 

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 72.91 years
country comparison to the world: 129
male: 70.44 years
female: 75.65 years (2014 est.)
 

Total fertility rate:

1.85 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
 

Contraceptive prevalence rate:

77.8% (2010/11)
 

Health expenditures:

6.8% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 86
 

Physicians density:

1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
 

Hospital bed density:

2.2 beds/1,000 population (2010)
 

Drinking water source:

improved: 
urban: 98.2% of population
rural: 93.6% of population
total: 95% of population
unimproved: 
urban: 1.8% of population
rural: 6.4% of population
total: 5% of population (2012 est.)
 

Sanitation facility access:

improved: 
urban: 93.1% of population
rural: 66.6% of population
total: 75% of population
unimproved: 
urban: 6.9% of population
rural: 33.4% of population
total: 25% of population (2012 est.)
 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.4% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

259,200 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
 

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

11,700 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
 

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)
 

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:

1.7% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 186
 

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:

12% (2011)
country comparison to the world: 60
 

Education expenditures:

6.3% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 33
 

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.4%
male: 95.4%
female: 91.4% (2011 est.)
 

Child labor - children ages 5-14:

total number: 2,545,616
percentage: 16 % (2006 est.)
 

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:

total: 5.5%
country comparison to the world: 135
male: 4.6%
female: 6.5% (2012)

Economy - overview:
 
Vietnam is a densely-populated developing country that has been transitioning from the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy since 1986. Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic modernization in recent years. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in January 2007, which has promoted more competitive, export-driven industries. Vietnam became an official negotiating partner in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement in 2010. Agriculture's share of economic output has continued to shrink from about 25% in 2000 to less than 20% in 2013, while industry's share increased from 36% to more than 42% in the same period. State-owned enterprises account for about 40% of GDP. Poverty has declined significantly, and Vietnam is working to create jobs to meet the challenge of a labor force that is growing by more than one million people every year. The global recession hurt Vietnam's export-oriented economy, with GDP in 2013 growing at 5%, the slowest rate of growth since 1999. In 2013, however, exports increased by more than 12%, year-on-year; several administrative actions brought the trade deficit back into balance. Between 2008 and 2011, Vietnam's managed currency, the dong, was devalued in excess of 20%, but its value remained relatively stable in 2013. Hanoi has oscillated between promoting growth and emphasizing macroeconomic stability in recent years. In February 2011, the government shifted from policies aimed at achieving a high rate of economic growth, which had stoked inflation, to those aimed at stabilizing the economy, through tighter monetary and fiscal control. Although Vietnam unveiled a broad, "three pillar" economic reform program in early 2012, proposing the restructuring of public investment, state-owned enterprises, and the banking sector, little perceptible progress has been made. Vietnam's economy continues to face challenges from an undercapitalized banking sector. Non-performing loans weigh heavily on banks and businesses.
 

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$358.9 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
$340.8 billion (2012 est.)
$323.8 billion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
 

GDP (official exchange rate):

$170 billion (2013 est.)
 

GDP - real growth rate:

5.3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
5.2% (2012 est.)
6.2% (2011 est.)
 

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$4,000 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
$3,800 (2012 est.)
$3,700 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars
 

Gross national saving:

38.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
39% of GDP (2012 est.)
32.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
 

GDP - composition, by end use:

household consumption: 68.9%
government consumption: 6.8%
investment in fixed capital: 30.4%
investment in inventories: 3.1%
exports of goods and services: 84.7%
imports of goods and services: -93.9%
(2013 est.)
 

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

agriculture: 19.3%
industry: 38.5%
services: 42.2% (2013 est.)
 

Agriculture - products:

rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper, soybeans, cashews, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas; poultry; fish, seafood
 

Industries:

food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, mobile phones
 

Industrial production growth rate:

5% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
 

Labor force:

52.93 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
 

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 48%
industry: 21%
services: 31% (2012)
 

Unemployment rate:

1.3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
3.2% (2012 est.)
 

Population below poverty line:

11.3% (2012 est.)
 

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2008)
 

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

37.6 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 78
36.1 (1998)
 

Budget:

revenues: $42.82 billion
expenditures: $50 billion (2013 est.)
 

Taxes and other revenues:

25.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
 

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):

-4.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
 

Public debt:

48.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
48.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
note: official data; data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
 

Fiscal year:

calendar year
 

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

6.8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
9.1% (2012 est.)
 

Central bank discount rate:

9% (31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 11
15% (31 December 2011)
 

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

10.5% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
13.47% (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of narrow money:

$43.99 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
$40.34 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of broad money:

$184.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
$165.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of domestic credit:

$173.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
$163.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$38.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
$26 billion (31 December 2011)
$37 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
 

Current account balance:

$8.162 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
$9.062 billion (2012 est.)
 

Exports:

$128.9 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
$114.6 billion (2012 est.)
 

Exports - commodities:

clothes, shoes, electronics, seafood, crude oil, rice, coffee, wooden products, machinery
 

Exports - partners:

US 17.8%, Japan 11.8%, China 11.2%, South Korea 5%, Malaysia 4.1% (2012)
 

Imports:

$121.4 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$104.7 billion (2012 est.)
 

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, steel products, raw materials for the clothing and shoe industries, electronics, plastics, automobiles
 

Imports - partners:

China 25.8%, South Korea 13.9%, Japan 10.4%, Singapore 6%, Thailand 5.2%, US 4.3% (2012)
 

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$32.49 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$26.11 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Debt - external:

$68.38 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
$63.95 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$84.61 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
$73.71 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
 

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA (31 December 2009 est.)
$5.3 billion (31 December 2008)
 

Exchange rates:

dong (VND) per US dollar -
21,118 (2013 est.)
20,859 (2012 est.)
18,612.92 (2010 est.)
17,799.6 (2009)
16,548.3 (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use:
 
10.191 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 21
 

Telephones - mobile cellular:

134.066 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 8
 

Telephone system:

general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system
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; main lines have been increased, and the use of mobile telephones is growing rapidly
international: country code - 84; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3, the C2C, and Thailand-Vietnam-Hong Kong submarine cable systems; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable system, completed in 2009, provided new access links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2011)
 

Broadcast media:

government controls all broadcast media exercising oversight through the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC); government-controlled national TV provider, Vietnam Television (VTV), operates a network of 9 channels with several regional broadcasting centers; programming is relayed nationwide via a network of provincial and municipal TV stations; law limits access to satellite TV but many households are able to access foreign programming via home satellite equipment; government-controlled Voice of Vietnam, the national radio broadcaster, broadcasts on 6 channels and is repeated on AM, FM, and shortwave stations throughout Vietnam (2008)
 

Internet country code:

.vn
 

Internet hosts:

189,553 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 74
 

Internet users:

23.382 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 17

Airports:
 
45 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 96
 

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 38
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2013)
 

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 
3 (2013)
 

Heliports:

1 (2013)
 

Pipelines:

condensate 72 km; condensate/gas 398 km; gas 955 km; oil 128 km; oil/gas/water 33 km; refined products 206 km; water 13 km (2013)
 

Railways:

total: 2,632 km
country comparison to the world: 63
standard gauge: 527 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,105 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
 

Roadways:

total: 206,633 km
country comparison to the world: 24
paved: 148,338 km
unpaved: 47,130 km (2013)
 

Waterways:

47,130 km (30,831 km weight under 50 tons) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 4
 

Merchant marine:

total: 579
country comparison to the world: 20
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 142, cargo 335, chemical tanker 23, container 19, liquefied gas 7, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 86 (Cambodia 1, Kiribati 2, Mongolia 33, Panama 43, Taiwan 1, Tuvalu 6) (2010)
 

Ports and terminals:

major seaport(s): Cam Pha Port, Da Nang, Haiphong, Phu My, Quy Nhon
river port(s): Ho Chi Minh (Mekong)
container port(s) (TEUs): Haiphong (1,018,794), Saigon New Port (3,071,777)
 

Transportation - note:

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift

Electricity - production:
 
117 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
 

Electricity - consumption:

104 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
 

Electricity - exports:

964 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
 

Electricity - imports:

2.7 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
 

Electricity - installed generating capacity:

26.3 million kW (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
 

Electricity - from fossil fuels:

55% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
 

Electricity - from nuclear fuels:

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
 

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:

45% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
 

Electricity - from other renewable sources:

0.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
 

Crude oil - production:

363,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
 

Crude oil - exports:

188,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
 

Crude oil - imports:

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
 

Crude oil - proved reserves:

4.4 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
 

Refined petroleum products - production:

112,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
 

Refined petroleum products - consumption:

259,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
 

Refined petroleum products - exports:

37,050 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
 

Refined petroleum products - imports:

184,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
 

Natural gas - production:

9.3 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
 

Natural gas - consumption:

10.2 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
 

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
 

Natural gas - imports:

890 million cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
 

Natural gas - proved reserves:

699.4 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
 

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:

112.7 million Mt (2011 est.)

A total of 247 Realistic Export Opportunities (REOs) from South Africa to Vietnam are identified based on the North-West University’s (South Africa) TRADE Decision Support Model (DSM).

The methodology is a very useful instrument to identify market opportunities globally for one’s product and also provides a good reference for one to be able to prioritise marketing efforts based on the value and size of these opportunities.

The TRADE-DSM Navigator provides sound information that companies are able to use in developing their export marketing strategy and forms the basis and guidance for further research should this be required.

In total 247 of the products associated with import demand are identified as realistic export opportunities. The relative 'untapped' potential of the market opportunity is shown in the chart below:

A total 'untapped' potential from South Africa's perspective of approximately 2.54 (in million US dollar terms) based on the average value of the top 6 supplying countries (excluding South Africa) are associated with these specific product export opportunities.

The highest number of identified opportunities are associated with the economic sector of

Food (301-304) .

Not all sectors will be present, as not all economic sectors (some of which are based on economic activity while the REOs are based on traded products) are relevant for all products. However, various other sectors also do exhibit potential.

While the above examples are based on high level economic sectors, the information is available at a much more granular level on the HS 6-digit tariff code level. To demonstrate the following example of a product description is provided:

HS CHAPTER 84:
NUCLEAR REACTORS, BOILERS, MACHINERY AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES; PARTS THEREOF
Sub-heading 84.27:
Fork-lift trucks; other works trucks fitted with lifting or handling equipment:
HS 6-digit product code 8427.10:
Self-propelled trucks powered by an electric motor.

Research reports containing more detailed information related to these realistic export opportunities (down to product level as illustrated with the above product description) for each country are available from TIKZN.

Please contact us if you are interested in more detail by clicking here.

For an example of a more detailed country report please click here.

Please note that a more up-to-date version for the specific country report used in this example is available from TIKZN. This report is provided for demonstration purposes only and should not be used for any decision-making.

For more in-depth research you can also contact our NWU knowledge partners at
TRADE Research Advisory.

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Ref	Date Received	Officials Details	Nature of Enquiry
Ref	Date Received	Officials Details	Nature of Enquiry