Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.3%
male: 93.9%
female: 86.9% (2002)

Government Vietnam

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

Government type:
Communist state

Capital:
Hanoi

Administrative divisions:
59 provinces (tinh, singular and plural) and 5 municipalities (thu
do, 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, Dac Lak, Dac Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai,
Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Ha Nam, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh,
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, Hai Phong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh

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)
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 (8 August 2002) 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
elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its
members for a five-year term; election last held