Full country name: Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Area: 329,566 sq km

Population: 85.24 million (2005 est)

Capital City: Hanoi

Largest City: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

People: 84% ethnic Vietnamese, 2% ethnic Chinese, also Khmers, Chams (a remnant of the once-great Indianised Champa Kingdom) and members of over 50 ethnolinguistic groups (also known as Montagnards, 'highlanders' in French)

Language: Vietnamese, Russian, French, Chinese, English

Religion: Buddhism is the principal religion but there are also sizeable Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaists, Muslim and Christian minorities

Government: Socialist Republic

General Secrectary: Nong Duc Manh

Head of State: President Ngyen Minh Triet

Head of Government: Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung

GDP: US$251.8 billion (2005 est)

GDP per capita: US$3,025

Annual Growth: 8%

Major Industries: Rice, rubber, food processing, sugar, textiles, chemicals

Major Trading Partners: China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan