Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed in July 1976, after the forced unification of the Republic Democratic del Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Republic del Vietnam (South Vietnam). The national Constitution promulgated by the constituent national assembly elected in 1976, still in force, established the principle of dictatorship of the proletariat and the fundamental value of Marxism-Leninism. Its political institutions were modelled on the Soviet and Chinese style. The political system is run by the Communist whose influence is felt at every level of social and political life.
Vietnam has an area of 331,689sq km and a very young population of 90,531,497, density 272 people per /sq. km.. In 1989, 39% of the Vietnamese population was under 15. A main policy of the present government is to curb population growth. Life expectancy is about 70 years.
Ethnic origin of the population: 86.2% Vietnamese; 13.8% Chinese, Thai, Cambodian and other minorities living mainly in the mountainous area of the north. The main Vietnamese group (Kinh or Viet) is a homogenous social group with full control on the life of the country thanks to its traditional dominating cultural position and control of political and economic activities.
The country is divided into 8 administrative regions, with 59 provinces (Tinh) and 5 municipalities: Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh.
Vietnam, now a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations, is busy with reconstruction, following the economic market system, retaining however the Communist Marxist Party as the only political party in order to guarantee the power of the government.
Gross National Produce: 3,025 $ per head (124th on the world list). Unemployment: 3.96% (1999). Since 1986, to change its mainly agricultural economy, Vietnam has opened to foreign markets, also to give new impulse to its industry which would appear to have great potential similar to that of other Asian economies: Vietnam's economic growth rate in 2005 was 8.4%.
An abundant young labour force, high school attendance and Asian type discipline make Vietnam one of countries with the best prospects for economic growth in the next decade. The estimated literacy rate is about 82%, also official sources give a higher 95% percentage.
This high literacy rate is due to a great extent to the work of French Jesuit missionary Fr. Alexandre de Rhodes, who, towards the mid 18th century, transcribed Vietnamese into Latin script. Initially the Communist regime denied his great merit, always recognised by the people of Vietnam, but in December 1995, in an official colloquium, vice prime Minister Nguyen Khanh exalted national Vietnamese writing and at last acknowledged Alexandre de Rhodes as its principal artifice and creator. (PA) (4 - fine) (Agenzia Fides 26/6/2009 righe 41, parole 540)
