Our Year Off
Country Facts:
Vietnam
Type of Government
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Single party socialist republic/ communist
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Have president 2nd, prime Minister 3rd and General Secretary 1st
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General Secretary is Nguyen Phu Trong since 2011
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The Communist party does not allow challenges to its leadership.
Religion
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8% Buddhist
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12% Christian
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Most people are not religious but follow traditions
Economy
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Exchange rate while we were there
23,000 Vietnamese Dong =$1.00 USD -
8.4 % lives under the poverty line (was 58% in 1993). Poverty line is about $150 / month household average income
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The unemployment rate is 1.89%.
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Ranked as 34th in GDP
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GDP per capita $2,300 US dollars in 2018 (was $100 in 1980)
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The largest industries are
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​Service industry/tourism
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Fishing
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Textiles
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Agriculture
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Freedom of Speech
Rights activists are watched and intimidated
Religious freedom is allowed
HIghly censored
Independent work unions not allowed
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Internet Freedom
0=best 100=worst
Overall - 76/100
Obstacles to Access - 14/25
Limits on Content - 28/35
Violation of User Rights - 34/40
LGBTQ
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Generally accepted
Adult Literacy: 96%
Education
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Secondary/hs graduation rate 94% however those living on the water in Ha Long Bay do not get any education
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Post Secondary 28%
Environment
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Plastic bottles everywhere, including floating in Ha Long Bay
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The country discharges 19,000 tonnes of rubbish, of which 16 per cent were plastic waste, every day. (vietnamnews.vn)
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Vietnam is one of 5 countries that discharges more waste into the ocean than the rest of the world combined.
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Building construction and destruction projects are left unfinished
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Garbage is buried or burned
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Lack of infrastructure for waste management