1. Vietnam as an investment location
Vietnam has emerged as one of the most popular investment destinations in Asia, offering advantages such as:
- A well-educated population, which offers potential as both a workforce and a consumer market;
- Under-exploited mineral resources;
- A central location from which to reach other markets in southern Asia;
- Continued inflows of foreign aid;
- A commitment by the Government to economic pragmatism; and Significant investment incentives for selected types of businesses.
2. Geography
Vietnam occupies the eastern coastline of the Southeast Asian peninsula and shares land borders with China to the north, and Laos and Cambodia to the west. Its coastline provides direct access to the Gulf of Thailand and the East Sea.
Vietnam has a land area of 325,360 square kilometers. Most of the country is hilly or mountainous, with flat land representing only about 20 percent. The primary topographical features in the north are the highlands and the Red River Delta and the south includes the central mountains, coastal lowlands and the Mekong River Delta.
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is located in the north of the country and Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in terms of population and economic activity, is situated in the south. Other major cities include Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho.
3. Population and Labor Force
As of 1 April 2009, Vietnam had an estimated population of 86 million, 25.6 million of those reside in urban areas accounting for 29.6% of total population and 60.4 million are in rural areas that covers 70.4% of total population. The annual average population growth rate for the period 1999 to 2009 is 1.2%. This population is predominantly young, with approximately 27% below the age of 15 and a median age of 25.9 years. The population density is 259 persons per square kilometer. The population is composed of nearly 90% ethnic Vietnamese, with Chinese,Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham and mountain groups forming the remainder.
4. Language
Vietnamese, a tonal language in the Austro-Asiatic language family, is the official language. The modern written language uses the Vietnamese alphabet, a Romanized representation of spoken Vietnamese. While English is increasingly favored as a second language, other languages used to a lesser extent in Vietnam are French, Russian, Chinese, Khmer and mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian). The literacy rate (percentage of the population aged 15 years or older who can read and write) was estimated at 90.3% as surveyed in 2005.
5. Government
Vietnam is a one-party state run by the collective leadership of the Communist Party Secretary-General, the Prime Minister (PM) and the President. Policy is set every five years by the Party congress and adjusted twice a year by plenary meetings of the Central Committee. The Government and other state organs are responsible for implementing policy.
6. Time
Vietnam local time is seven hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC. Business hours in Vietnam are generally from 7:30 a.m. to approximately 4:30 p.m., however international companies located in the urban areas operate from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Shops tend to be open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
7. Connectivity
Vietnam is served by several digital mobile phone networks using GSM 900 and CDMA 800 technology. ADSL, dial-up Internet services are available in the major cities. Recently, Vietnam has awarded licenses to the first 4 operators to offer high-speed 3G mobile phone services, promising millions of cellular phone users a better service. Vinaphone and MobiFone are the first 3G service providers in Vietnam.
8. Climate
Northern Vietnam has four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring is from January to March, summer is from April to end of July, autumn is from August to end of September and winter is the rest of the year. Autumn is the best and the most beautiful weather in the north with the average temperature on the day ranging from 27˚C to 32˚C and decreases to 24˚C or 27˚C at night. In contrast, Central Vietnam is subject to occasional typhoons. The South is generally warm with two seasons: dry and wet. During the hottest months at the end of the southern dry season, March through May, temperatures reach the low 30˚C. This period is followed by the May-October monsoon season.
9. Public holidays
National public holidays are listed below. Dates for the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) vary from year to year, because they are based on the lunar calendar:
- 1 January – New Year’s Day
- January or February – Tet. This is the most significant Vietnamese annual holiday and is celebrated from the last day of the old lunar year to the third day, or later, of the New Year according to the traditional lunar calendar
- 10th day of the 3rd lunar month – Kinh Hung’s death anniversary (Gio to Hung Vuong)
- 30 April – Liberation Day
- 1 May – Labor Day
- 2 September – National Day
10. Useful Contacts
For a list of useful addresses and other contact details in Vietnam, please refer to Glossary of Acronyms.
Useful Address and Contact Information:
Immigration Department |
89 Tran Hung Dao Street, HanoiTelephone: 4 3822 0579254 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3920 1701/3824 4074Facsimile: 8 3825 6829 |
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmenthttp://www.mard.gov.vn |
2 Ngoc Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3846 8161/3843 6171Facsimile: 4 3845 4319/3737 0752135 Pasteur Street, Ward 6, District 3Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3822 8471/3822 4106Facsimile: 8 3822 4776/3823 8241 |
Ministry of Constructionhttp://www.moc.gov.vn |
37 Le Dai Hanh Street, Hai Ba Trung District,HanoiTelephone: 4 3976 0271Facsimile: 4 3976 2153/3974 170914 Ky Dong Street, Ward 9, District 3,Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3843 8635 |
Ministry of Information and Communicationshttp://www.mic.gov.vn |
18 Nguyen Du Street, Hanoi, VietnamTelephone: 4 3943 5602Facsimile: 4 3826 347727 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, Da Kao Ward,District 1, Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3823 5404Facsimile: 8 3822 2988 |
Ministry of Defense |
1A Hoang Dieu Street, Ba Dinh District, HanoiTelephone: 69 388 2041/4 353 2090 |
Ministry of Education and Traininghttp://www.edu.net.vn |
49 Dai Co Viet StreetHai Ba Trung District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3869 2394/3869 4904/3869 4794Facsimile: 4 3869 40853 Quoc Te Square, District 3, HCMCTelephone: 8 3823 9022/3829 0396/3829 5501Facsimile: 8 3823 9021 |
Ministry of Financehttp://www.mof.gov.vn |
28 Tran Hung Dao Street,Hoan Kiem District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3220 2828Facsimile: 4 3220 8091138 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 3Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3930 3375/3930 5030/3930 3685Facsimile: 8 3930 3375 |
Ministry of Foreign Affairshttp://www.mofa.gov.vn |
1 Ton That Dam Street, Ba Dinh District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3199 2000/3199 3000Facsimile: 4 3823 1872 |
Ministry of Healthhttp://www.moh.gov.vn |
138A Giang Vo Street, Ba Dinh District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3844 3463/3846 4416/3846 4051Facsimile: 4 3846 0196/3846 219551 Pham Ngoc Thach Street, District 3Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3829 0433/3822 1382Facsimile: 8 3822 3500 |
Ministry of Industry and Tradehttp://www.moit.gov.vn |
54 Hai Ba Trung Street, HanoiTelephone: 4 3220 2222Facsimile: 4 3220 252545 Tran Cao Van Street, District 3Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3829 4631Facsimile: 8 3824 3273 |
Ministry of Justicehttp://www.moj.gov.vn |
56-58-60 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, HanoiTelephone: 43733 6213/3733 8068Facsimile: 4 3843 143130 Tran Cao Van Street, District 3Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3823 9046Facsimile: 8 3829 9277 |
Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairshttp://www.molisa.gov.vn |
12 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3826 4222/3826 9557Facsimile: 4 3824 803645 Pham Ngoc Thach Street, District 3Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3823 0853Facsimile: 8 3822 4115 |
Ministry of Marine Productshttp://www.mofi.gov.vn |
10 Nguyen Cong Hoan Street,Ba Dinh District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3771 8817/3771 6269Facsimile: 4 3771 670230 Ham Nghi Street, District 1Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3829 4864Facsimile: 8 3829 0067 |
Ministry of Planning and Investmenthttp://www.mpi.gov.vn |
2 Hoang Van Thu Street, Ba Dinh District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3845 5298Facsimile: 4 3823 4453289 Dien Bien Phu Street, District 3Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3930 7083 |
Ministry of Policehttp://www.moha.gov.vn |
44 Yet Kieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3694 2545Facsimile: 4 3942 0223258 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3837 5134Facsimile: 8 3920 2065/3920 0961 |
Ministry of Science, Technologyhttp://www.most.gov.vn |
39 Tran Hung Dao Street, HanoiTelephone: 4 3943 9731/3943 9734Facsimile: 4 3943 9733 |
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmenthttp://www.monre.gov.vn |
83 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Dong DaDistrict, HanoiTelephone: 4 3834 3911/3835 6419Facsimile: 4 3835 9211/3835 219142 Mac Dinh Chi Street, District 1,Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3827 4987Facsimile: 8 3825 8365 |
Ministry of Transporthttp://www.mt.gov.vn |
80 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoan Kiem District,HanoiTelephone: 4 3942 4015Facsimile: 4 3942 329192 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 1Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3829 5939/3821 8383Facsimile: 8 3822 4120 |
Ministry of Culture Sport and Tourism of Vietnamhttp://www.cinet.gov.vn |
51 Ngo Quyen Street, HanoiTelephone: 43943 6488/3943 8101Facsimile: 4 3945 4330170 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, District 1Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3930 6486/3930 3369Facsimile: 8 3930 5237 |
Office of Government |
1 Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Ba Dinh District,HanoiTelephone: 4 0804 3700Facsimile: 4 0804 41307 Le Duan Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3825 1763 |
State Bank of Vietnamhttp://www.sbv.gov.vn |
49 Ly Thai To Street, Hoan Kiem District, HanoiTelephone: 4 3824 153417 Ben Chuong Duong Street, District 1Ho Chi Minh CityTelephone: 8 3829 2157/3829 2158 |
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