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Population & Population
Density:
Urban/Rural Breakdown &
Largest Cities:
- Ho Chi Minh City: 3,924,435
Ethnic Groups:
Languages:
Religions: Vietnam Minorities Peoples:
Population: The population of Viet Nam (1995 estimate) is about 73,811,000, yielding a population density of about 224 persons per sq km (about 580 per sq mi). The majority live in small villages, though the southern part of the country is more urbanized than the northern part. Most people live in the delta areas or along the coast. The population of Viet Nam is young: an estimated 37 percent of all Vietnamese people are less than 15 years of age, while 12 percent are over age 60. The population is increasing by about 2 percent annually. Principal Cities: Most of the larger urban centers are located in southern Viet Nam. Of the major cities, only the capital city of Hanoi (population, 1989, 3,056,146) is not located on the coast. Other large cities are Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon (3,924,435); Haiphong (1,447,523), Hanoi's port; and Da Nang (369,734), near the ancient city of Hue (260,489). The government has attempted to reverse the rural-to-urban migration stream by establishing new economic zones in the countryside and encouraging city residents to relocate to them. Languages: Vietnamese, the official language, is spoken by the majority of the population (see Austro-Asiatic Languages). The use of French, a remnant of colonial times, is declining. Some Vietnamese people who live in urban areas speak other languages, such as English and Russian. Khmer, Montagnard, and Cham are spoken primarily in the interior. With the exodus of the Chinese in the late 1980s, the once-common use of their language diminished. Religion: Viet Nam contains a rich mixture of religions, reflecting the influences of many cultures. Traditional Vietnamese religion included elements from Indian beliefs and three Chinese religious systems: Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. A majority of adherents today follow Buddhism, including a wide variety of sects. Other religions include relatively new sects such as Hoa Hao, associated with Buddhism, and Caodaism, a synthesis of Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Christianity, particularly the Roman Catholic church, claims as many as 6 million followers. Religious groups have often played important roles in the political development of Viet Nam. People: Population: 80,393,324 Age distrib. (%): <15: 39; 65+: 5 Pop. density: 585 per sq. mi. Urban: 21% Ethnic groups: Vietnamese 85–90%, Chinese 3% ... Principal languages: Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese Religions: Buddhist, Roman Catholic, Muslim ...
Communications: - Television sets: 1 per 28 persons Health: Life expectancy at birth (1995): 64 male; 68 female Births (per 1,000 pop.): 26 Deaths (per 1,000 pop.): 8 Natural increase: 1.90% Hospital beds: 1 per 329 persons Physicians: 1 per 2,617 persons Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births 2000): 45
Education: Literacy (2000): 90% |
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A country of southeast Asia in eastern Indochina of the
South China Sea. Ruled by China from 221 B.C. to A.D.
939 and from 1407 to 1428, it was occupied by the French
in the 19th century. After the fall of the French
garrison at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, it was partitioned
into North Viet Nam and South Viet Nam. The country was
reunited in April 30, 1975 after the end of the Viet Nam
War. Hanoi is the capital and Saigon the largest city.