Cộng Hòa Xã Hội Chủ Nghĩa Việt Nam

Political Status: Communist republic originally proclaimed September 2, 1945; Democratic Republic of Vietnam established in the north on July 21, 1954; Republic of Vietnam established in the south on October 26, 1955; Socialist Republic of Vietnam proclaimed on July 2, 1976, following surrender of the southern government on April 30, 1975; present constitution adopted on April 15, 1992.

Area: 128,402 sq. mi. (332,561 sq. km).

Population: 90,939,819 (2012E—UN); 91,519,289 (2012E—U.S. Census).

Major Urban Centers (metropolitan areas, 2009C, preliminary): HANOI (6,448,837), Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon, 7,123,340), Haiphong (1,837,302), Can Tho (1,187,089), Da Nang (887,069).

Official Language: Vietnamese.

Monetary Unit: Dông (market rate November 5, 2012: 20,803.96 dông = $1US).

President: TRUONG TAN SANG; elected by the National Assembly on July ...