Part 886

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Vietnam:Communications

Telephones: 800,000 (1995 est.)

Telephone system: while Vietnam's telecommunication sector lags far behind other countries in Southeast Asia, Hanoi has made considerable progress since 1991 in upgrading the system; Vietnam has digitized all provincial switch boards, while fiber-optic and microwave transmission systems have been extended from Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City to all provinces; the density of telephone receivers nationwide doubled from 1993 to 1995, but is still far behind other countries in the region; Vietnam's telecommunications strategy aims to increase telephone density to 30 per 1,000 inhabitants by the year 2000 and authorities estimate that approximately $2.7 billion will be spent on telecommunications upgrades through the end of the decade domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM 228, shortwave 0

Radios: 7.215 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 36 (repeaters 77)

Televisions: 2.9 million (1992 est.)

@Vietnam:Transportation

Railways: total : 2,835 km (in addition, there are 224 km not restored to service after war damage) standard gauge: 151 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,454 km 1.000-m gauge other gauge: 230 km NA-m dual gauge (three rails)

Highways: total : 106,048 km paved: 27,466 km unpaved: 78,582 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 m draft

Pipelines: petroleum products 150 km

Ports and harbors: Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Gai, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang

Merchant marine: total : 121 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 534,937 GRT/863,307 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 100, chemical tanker 1, oil tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 note: Vietnam owns an additional 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 107,592 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas, Honduras, Malta, Panama, and Vanuatu (1996 est.)

Airports: 48 (1994 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m : 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 7 (1994 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m : 5 under 914 m: 5 (1994 est.)

Military

Military branches: People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) (includes Ground Forces, Navy, and Air Force)

Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 19,172,473 (1996 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 12,123,118 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males : 802,154 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $544 million (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.7% (1995)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; unresolved maritime boundary with Thailand; maritime boundary dispute with China in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands in the South China Sea occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; offshore islands and sections of boundary with Cambodia are in dispute