VIETNAM, IDENTITY CARD

Vietnam is located in the central part of South Asia and is bordered on the north by China, to the west with Laos, south-west Cambodia and faces the South China Sea in the east and south. The area of the country amounts to 331,689 km ˛, with a coastline of 3,260 km.

Three quarters of the country is made up by not so high mountains and tropical forests, the plains cover one quarter of the total area of the country and there are of course located the most densely populated areas such as the Red River Delta (16,700 km2) to the north and the Mekong River Delta south (40,000 km2), at the two ends of the country. The climate is tropical in the south and central parts while to the north is temperate and is strongly influenced by the monsoons.

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam (north), while Ho Chi Minh City (south) is the most important city in terms of trade. Another major cities is Da Nang (in the centre), mainly due to the presence of a major port.

The Vietnamese population is estimated at about 86.2 million people with the density of population being 260 inhabitants / km, with higher concentrations in the south. Vietnam is a country with a high urbanization rate currently at 25% which is projected to reach 45% by 2020.

The average age stands at a low level, 60% of population under 25 years. The literacy rate is very high (90%) as is the level of education: an average 93.7% of students have a high school diploma and 1.5 million students attend the university. Most of the Vietnamese population are Buddhist, followed by Cao Dai Catholics and Protestants.

From the political point of view, the country has a socialist orientation and is led by the Communist Party. Every five years a congress is held by the National Congress (ANC) party, which determines the direction and strategies for the future of the country. The National Assembly is the legislative body and has the power to enact and amend the Constitution and the law. The President of Vietnam is the head of state and is elected by the National Assembly. Its the task of the President to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister and members of the Government on the basis of the deliberations of the National Assembly.

The Government is the executive body of the country and the Prime Minister is the head of the Government. As regards local government, the People's Councils are responsible for supervising the implementation of the law and policies, while the People's Committee is the executive arm of the People's Councils. The Vietnamese legal system is structured on three levels: Districts Courts, Provincial Courts and the Supreme People's Court.