namese

Ethnic groups: Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham,
mountain groups

Religions: Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman
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: 93.7% male: 96.5% female: 91.2% (1995 est.)

Government Vietnam

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

Government type: Communist state

Capital: Hanoi

Administrative divisions: 58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), and
3 municipalities* (thu do, singular and plural); 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, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Da
Nang, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Hai Phong*,
Ha Nam, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh, Ho Chi Minh*, 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

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) 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 K