World Factbook
Vietnam
Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: red field with a five-pointed yellow star in the center meaning: red stands for revolution and blood, and the five-pointed star for the five elements of the populace -- peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers -- that unite to build socialism
Capital
name
Hanoi (Ha Noi)
etymology
the name means "inside the river," from the Vietnamese words ha (river) and noi (inside), and refers to its location in a bend of the Red River
time difference
UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
21 02 N, 105 51 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Vietnam
dual citizenship recognized
no
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
several previous; latest adopted 28 November 2013, effective 1 January 2014
amendment process
proposed by the president, by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee, or by at least two thirds of the National Assembly membership; a decision to draft an amendment requires approval by at least a two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership, followed by the formation of a constitutional drafting committee to write a draft and collect citizens’ opinions; passage requires at least two-thirds majority of the Assembly membership; the Assembly can opt to conduct a referendum
Country name
former
Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)
etymology
the name translates as "Viet south;" Viet is an ethnic term of unknown origin that dates back to ancient times, and nam (south) refers to the country's location
abbreviation
SRV
local long form
Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
local short form
Viet Nam
conventional long form
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
conventional short form
Vietnam
Independence
2 September 1945 (from France)
Legal system
civil law system with European influences
Government type
communist party-led state
Judicial branch
note
note: the National Assembly Standing Committee can establish special tribunals on the recommendation of the chief justice
highest court(s)
Supreme People's Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 judges)
subordinate courts
High Courts (administrative, civil, criminal, economic, labor, family, juvenile); provincial courts; district courts; Military Court
judge selection and term of office
chief justice elected by the National Assembly upon the recommendation of the president for a 5-year, renewable term; deputy chief justice appointed by the president from among the judges for a 5-year term; judges appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly for 5-year terms
Executive branch
note
note: in August 2024, To LAM was elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country’s most powerful position
cabinet
Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, confirmed by the National Assembly, and appointed by the president
chief of state
President Luong CUONG (since 21 Oct 2024)
head of government
Prime Minister Pham Minh CHINH (since 26 July 2021)
election/appointment process
president indirectly elected by the National Assembly from among its members for a single 5-year term; prime minister recommended by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly
National holiday
Independence Day (National Day), 2 September (1945)
National color(s)
red, yellow
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
9 (6 cultural, 2 natural, 1 mixed)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Complex of Hué Monuments (c); Ha Long Bay (n); Hoi An Ancient Town (c); My Son Sanctuary (c); Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (n); Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi (c); Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (c); Trang An Landscape Complex (m); Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes (c)
Political parties
Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV
note: other parties banned
Legislative branch
term in office
5 years
number of seats
500 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
legislature name
National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi)
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
5/23/2021
expected date of next election
March 2026
percentage of women in chamber
31.4%
parties elected and seats per party
Communist Party (485); Other (14)
National anthem(s)
title
"Tien quan ca" (The Song of the Marching Troops)
history
adopted as the national anthem of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945; it became the national anthem of the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976; only the first verse is used as the official anthem
lyrics/music
Nguyen Van CAO
National symbol(s)
five-pointed yellow star on a red field, lotus blossom
Administrative divisions
58 provinces ( tinh , singular and plural) and 5 municipalities ( thanh pho , singular and plural) provinces: An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Cao Bang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dien Bien, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong, Hau Giang, Hoa Binh, Hung Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai municipalities: Can Tho, Da Nang, Ha Noi (Hanoi), Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 861-0917
chancery
1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
telephone
[1] (202) 861-0737
consulate(s)
New York
chief of mission
Ambassador Nguyen Quoc DZUNG (since 19 April 2022)
consulate(s) general
Houston, San Francisco
email address and website
vanphong@vietnamembassy.us http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[84] (24) 3850-5010
embassy
7 Lang Ha Street, Hanoi
telephone
[84] (24) 3850-5000
mailing address
4550 Hanoi Place, Washington, DC 20521-4550
chief of mission
Ambassador Marc KNAPPER (since 11 February 2022)
consulate(s) general
Ho Chi Minh City
email address and website
ACShanoi@state.gov https://vn.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (2024)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt