COUNTRY OVERVIEW

Chief of State: President Tran Duc Luong (since September 1997)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (since September 1997)
Independence: September 2, 1945 (from France)
Population (2003E): 81.6 million

Location/Size: Southeast Asia/127,545 square miles
Major Cities: Hanoi (capital), Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Da Nang, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Hue, Nam Dinh, Vung Tau
Languages: Vietnamese, French, Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal languages
Ethnic Groups: Vietnamese (85-90%), Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups
Religion: Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Muslim, Protestant

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW

Currency: Dong
Official Exchange Rate (5/28/04): US$1 = 15,715 Dong

Nominal Gross Domestic Product at Market Exchange Rate (2003E): $39 billion
Real GDP Growth Rate (2003E): 7.2% (2004F): 7.0%
Inflation Rate (2003): 3.1% (2004F): 4.5%
Merchandise Exports (2003E): $19.9 billion
Merchandise Imports (2003E): $25 billion
Merchandise Trade Balance (2003E): -$5.1 billion
Major Export Products: Crude oil, textiles and garments, fisheries products, footwear, rice, coffee, rubber, tea
Major Import Products: Petroleum products, machinery and equipment, tractors, tires, steel products, foodstuffs, fertilizer, cement, cotton, textiles, sugar
External Debt (2001E): $12.9 billion