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Vietnam at a glance
- Did you know?
- The narrow central strip of the country links the two main rice producing
areas making it look like rice baskets being carried on a bamboo pole
across the shoulders.
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- Region
- South-east Asia
- Population
- 82,262,356 (2007 estimate)
- Land
- Geography: flat, river deltas in north and south; hilly to mountainous
in central and north-west.
- Climate: Tropical monsoon
- People
- Religion: Buddhism, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christianity, Muslim and indigenous
beliefs
- Languages: Vietnamese; some English, French, Chinese, Khmer and local languages
- Economy
- GDP per person (PPP); $3,100
GDP by sector: Agriculture20.1%, Industry: 41.8%, Services: 38.1%
- Government
- Communist state
Land
Physical geography
Vietnam is an ‘S’ shaped country. A long, narrow coastal plain links the Red
River delta in the north and Mekong River delta in the south. It is 1,650 kilometres
from north to south but is only 50 kilometres across at its narrowest point.
The total area is 329,560 square kilometres. The mountain range stretching the
length of the country covers about two-thirds of the country. The highest peak
in Vietnam is Fan-si-Pan, 3143 metres, in the extreme north.
Climate
Due to variation in latitude and topography, climatic conditions in Vietnam
vary widely. The major regions are the tropical, southern lowlands, the wet,
temperate central highlands and the cool mountainous northern area. Typhoons
can affect the north and central areas between July and November.
Environment
The monsoonal climate leads to a rich and diverse vegetation. Population pressure,
chemical residues from the war and logging have impacted on the forested areas
and the wildlife dependent on them. Following the banning of unprocessed timber
exports, education programs, reforestation projects and declaration of a system
of national parks the situation has begun to improve.
Animals include elephants, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, black bear, snub-nosed
monkey, crocodile and turtle. A number of previously unknown species have recently
been discovered including the sao la, a cattle like animal. There are
more than 800 types of trees including ironwood, oak, teak and mahogany.
People
Most of Vietnam’s population of 85 million lives in the densely settled Red
River and Mekong River deltas. Only about 22% of the population live in urban
areas. The major cities are Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) with a population of 4
million, Hanoi, the capital city, with 3 million people and Haiphong 1.5 million
people. The ethnic minority groups, totalling over 8 million people, live mainly
in the mountainous areas and also the Mekong Delta (Khmer).
People
Culture and identity
Around 80% of Vietnam's population of 85 million are ethnic Vietnamese. They
are influenced by Confucianism, in particular the principle of respect for their
elders. There are also Chinese, Thai, Khmer, Cham people and about 53 ethnic
minority groups who are known as Montagnards as they live in the mountainous
areas. These minority groups follow their own customs and traditions and mostly
live a nomadic life.
Popular artistic forms include: silk painting, theatre, puppetry, music and
dance, lacquerware and ceramics.
Health
There is a state system of social security and the health care system is extensive and well planned. The average life expectancy is 71 years (male: 68.27 years, female: 74.08 years). Infant mortality rate is 24.3 per 1000 live births. The most common diseases affecting general health are malaria, tuberculosis, intestinal infections, diphtheria and chicken pox.
Around 85% of the population have access to safe water while only 61% have access to safe sanitation. Government health programs are improving hygiene habits and limiting the spread of disease. The contribution of traditional medicine practices, including acupuncture, is important in health care system. About 263,000 (0.5%) people are living with HIV/AIDS (mainly injecting drug users)
Religion and beliefs
The majority of Vietnamese are Buddhist. There are two sects developed from
Buddhism, Hoa Hoa and Cao Dai. Cao Dai is influenced by Confucianism, Taoism
and Christianity. Due to strong Chinese influence Confucianism and Taoism are
also followed. Christianity, predominantly Roman Catholic in the general community
and Protestantism in the Montagnard communities and Islam are also followed.
Animism, belief in spirits, is strong in rural and highland areas.
Food and shelter
Rice and noodles with vegetables and pork, poultry, beef, seafood or fish and
a variety of fresh herbs and fish sauce are the main ingredients. Large bowls
of noodle soup, pho, with vegetables and meat, are common. Fried or fresh rice
paper rolls are popular snacks. The French colonial influence is seen predominantly
through baguettes. Fruit is abundant and some of the unusual items include dragon
fruit, longan, mangosteen, pomelo, three-seed cherry and water apple. Meals
are cooked a small burners, placed on the table for everyone to select from
and are eaten with chopsticks. The elderly have first choice and parents use
their chopsticks to select food for small children.
Homes are generally small but vary greatly according to the
weather and the materials available. They may be made of cement or bricks with
a metal roof, or of bamboo or clay with a thatched roof. Boats and houses on
stilts with curved roofs are traditional in the delta regions. A room or corner
is often set aside for an altar for ancestor worship.
Economy
Wealth and poverty
There are marked income and consumption level differences with the top 10% of the population using nearly one third while the lowest 10% having just 3.6%. About one fifth of the population, mainly in rural areas, live below poverty line, but broad economic growth along with government programs such as ‘hunger eradication and poverty reduction’ which provides fee exemptions for education and health care to the poorest, and loans for income generation, have begun to improve the situation.
Education and work
In Vietnamese culture education is highly prized and respected. Education is compulsory at primary level and the number of students undertaking secondary and higher education is rapidly increasing. There is a high adult literacy rate of 94%, although the rate is much lower among ethnic minorities, especially women.
Half of the workforce is engaged in agriculture. The rapid growth has contributed to the unemployment rate of 2%.
Industries and products
Agricultural products, rice, rubber, coffee and tea are the main source of
income. The major industries are steel, coal, electricity, oil, food processing
and machinery, fertilizer, cement, paper, shoes and clothing manufacture.
Trade
Vietnam’s major exports include crude oil, fish and seafood, rice, coffee,
rubber, tea, clothes and shoes. The United States, Japan, Australia, Germany,
China and Singapore are the main countries receiving these goods.
Vietnam imports machinery, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products,
raw cotton, grain and cement and motorcycles mainly from Singapore, Japan,
South Korea, Taiwan, China and Thailand.
Achievements and challenges
The north and central areas of Vietnam are subjected to typhoons during the months of May to January. Extensive flooding occurs frequently in the Mekong River delta.
Recent education programs, policy changes and the development of national parks are addressing issues of deforestation from slash and burn agriculture and commercial logging.
Political and economic reforms, doi moi, beginning in 1986, led to improvements in the economy and human rights. Land reform, privatisation of land use, and the opening of the agricultural sector to market forces converted Vietnam from a country facing chronic food shortages in the early 1980s to the second-largest rice exporter in the world. Progress slowed in the late 1990s but further reforms have led to increased expansion of industry. Poverty is mainly in rural areas with minority groups and women suffering most.
Links with Australia
Australian troops were fighting against the communist North Vietnamese from 1962 - 1972. The results of the war led to three waves of migration from Vietnam to Australia. These were children orphaned during the war and wives of soldiers who arrived before 1975, refugees between 1975 and 1990 and family reunions since 1990.
The Vietnam-born community in Australia was 154,830 in the 2001 Census. New South Wales had the largest number with 63,020 followed by Victoria (56,680),Queensland (11,570) and South Australia (10,490).
Australia established diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1973. During the 1980s, when Vietnam was internationally isolated, Australia provided aid to Vietnam through multilateral organisations such as the United Nations Development Programme.
In 2005 Vietnam imported Australian goods worth $A668 million; exports to Australia totalled $A3.4 billion
There were nearly 13,400 Australian tourists to Vietnam in 2006. This has included many Vietnamese revisiting their former homeland.
Vietnam is one of the main recipients of aid from Australia. The objectives in 2003-07 programs include assisting Vietnam to develop policies, which will ensure that poor people will benefit from greater international trade; providing better access to clean water and sanitation, improving agricultural efficiency and access to markets for poor farmers. Tertiary study in Australia is also a major component of the cooperation program.
Main sources:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
http://www.sbs.com.au/
http://hdr.undp.org/
http://www.dfat.gov.au/
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