Vietnam

Government: Communism
Population: 77,311,210 (July 2000 Estimate)
Climate: Tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot rainy season
Languages: Vietnamese, Chinese, English, French, Khmer, Tribal languages
Currency: 1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
Ethnic Divisions: Vietnamese, Chinese, Muong, Tai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham
Religions: Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, Indigenous beliefs, Islam, Protestant, Cao, Dai, Hoa Hao
Largest Cities: Ho Chi Minh City (3,169,135), Hanoi (1,088,862), Haiphong (456,049)
Economy: Vietnam is a poor, densely populated country that has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally planned economy.
Agriculture: The agriculture sector in Vietnam contributes 26.2% of the GDP and employs an estimated 71.6% of the labor force.
Major natural hazards in Vietnam include occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding.