Vietnam Country & Tourist Information

Location
South-East Asia.

Area
329,247 sq km (127,123 sq miles).

Population
83.6 million (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density
253.9 per sq km.

Capital
Hanoi.
Population: 3.2 million (official estimate 2005).

Government
Socialist republic since 1980. Gained independence from France in 1954. 
Recent history: Reforms have resulted in Vietnam having one of the fastest growing economies in the region during the last decade but there has been no parallel development in the country’s political environment: Vietnam is still a one-party communist state. The country is ruled by a triumvirate of a president, prime minister and the Secretary General of the Communist Party, the latter the most powerful man in the country. The current president and prime minister are both seen as economic reformers and both hail from southern Vietnam. In order to achieve continuing economic progress they will have to propose more privatization and deregulation and will have to fight Communist Party diehards in the process.

Language
Vietnamese is the official language. English, French, Chinese and occasionally Russian and German are spoken.

Religion
Buddhist majority. There are also Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaist and Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) minorities.

Time
GMT + 7.

Electricity
220/110 volts AC, 50Hz; two-pin flat plugs are in use.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung since 2006.

Head of State
President Nguyen Minh Triet since 2006.

Telephone
Country code: 84.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Coverage is available throughout large parts of the country.

Internet
Internet cafes are widely available throughout the country.

Media
The media is controlled by the Communist Party. Newspapers straying beyond restrictive government reporting guidelines are shut down. Internet access is tightly controlled. Web content is subject to government approval and sites deemed unacceptable are blocked.

Post
Postal services can be slow. Airmail to Europe can take up to three weeks. Post office hours: Daily 0700-2100.

Press
Daily and weekly newspapers in Vietnam include Lao Dong, Nhan Dan (The People) and Quan Doi Nhan Dan. The Vietnam Economic Times, Vietnam Investment Review, Saigon Times and Vietnam News are published in English. Le Courrier du Vietnam is published in French.

Radio
Voice of Vietnam (VoV) is state operated. VoV 5 broadcasts programs in English, French and Russian.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
18-20 Feb* Têt, Lunar New Year.
30 Apr Liberation of Saigon.
1 May May Day.
2 Sep National Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
7-9 Feb* Têt, Lunar New Year.
30 Apr Liberation of Saigon.
1 May May Day.
2 Sep National Day.

Note
*Check with the embassy for the exact date. Visitors may experience difficulties during this period as shops, restaurants and public services close and prices tend to go up in the few shops that remain open.

Contact Information:

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
80 Quan Su, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: (4) 942 3998.
Website: www.vietnamtourism.com

Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the UK
12 Victoria Road, London W8 5RD, UK
Tel: (020) 7937 1912.
Website: www.vietnamembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700; 0930-1230 (visa section).

Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the USA
1233 20th Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Tel: (202) 861 0737 or 2293 (consular section).
Website: www.vietnamembassy-usa.org


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