Laos |
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Geography |
Location: Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
Areacomparative: slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries:
total: 5,083 km
border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 40% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: floods, droughts, and blight
Environmentcurrent issues: unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water
Environmentinternational agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geographynote:
People |
Population: 5,260,842 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 1,205,210; female 1,174,323)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,318,061; female 1,393,386)
65 years and over: 3% (male 77,388; female 92,474) (July
1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.76% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 40.58 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 12.97 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female (1998
est.)
Infant mortality rate: 91.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.7 years
male: 52.13 years
female: 55.34 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.66 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian
Ethnic groups: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religions: Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%
Languages: Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.6%
male: 69.4%
female: 44.4% (1995 est.)
Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos
local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
local
short form: none
Data code: LA
Government type: Communist state
National capital: Vientiane
Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone** (khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1975) (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic)
Constitution: promulgated 14 August 1991
Legal system: based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President KHAMTAI Siphandon (elected 26 February 1998 by the National People's Assembly to succeed NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN who retired); Vice President OUDOM Khattiya (since
26 February 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister SISAVAT Keobounphan (since 26 February 1998); Deputy Prime Ministers KHAMPHOUI Keoboualapha (since 15 August 1991), BOUNGNANG Volachit
(since 20 April 1996), CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 26 February 1998), SOMSAVAT Lengsavad (since 26 February 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the
National Assembly
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed by
the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term
election results: KHAMTAI Siphandon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (99 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; noteby presidential decree, on 27 October 1997, the number of seats increased from 85 to 99)
elections: last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by partyNA; seats by partyLPRP or LPRP-approved (independent,
non-party members) 99; notethe distribution of seats as of January 1998 is as followsLPRP 98, independents 1
Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court, the president of the People's Supreme Court is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the National Assembly Standing Committee, the vice president of the People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National Assembly Standing Committee
Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders: noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
International organization participation: ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador-designate VANG Lattanavong
chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416
FAX: [1]
(202) 332-4923
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Wendy Jean CHAMBERLIN
embassy: Rue Bartholonie, B.P. 114, Vientiane
mailing address: American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96546
telephone: [856] (21) 212581, 212582, 212585
FAX: [856] (21) 212584
Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band
Economy |
Economyoverview: The government of Laosone of the few remaining official communist stateshas been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise since 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, have been striking - growth averaged 7% in 1988-96. Because Laos depends heavily on its trade with Thailand, it fell victim to the financial crisis in the region in 1997, when growth was a mere 1.5%. Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure. It has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The predominant crop is glutinous rice. In non-drought years, Laos is self-sufficient overall in food, but each year flood, pests, and localized drought cause shortages in various parts of the country. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend on aid from the IMF and other international sources; Japan is currently the largest bilateral aid donor; aid from the former USSR/Eastern Europe has been cut sharply. As in many developing countries, deforestation and soil erosion will hamper efforts to regain a high rate of GDP growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity$5.9 billion (1997 est.)
GDPreal growth rate: 1.5% (1997 est.)
GDPper capita: purchasing power parity$1,150 (1997 est.)
GDPcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 56%
industry: 19%
services: 25% (1997 est.)
Inflation rateconsumer price index: 16% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
1 million-1.5 million
by occupation: agriculture 80% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.7% overall; 4.5% in urban areas (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $230.2 million
expenditures: $365.9 million, including capital expenditures of $317 million (1996)
Industries: tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricitycapacity: 217,000 kW (1997)
Electricityproduction: 1.2 billion kWh (1996)
Electricityconsumption per capita: 60 kWh (1995)
Agricultureproducts: sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry; tobacco
Exports:
total value: $313.1 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin
partners: Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, France
Imports:
total value: $678 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel
partners: Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, China, Singapore
Debtexternal: $1.2 billion (1996)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $212.2 million
Currency: 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at
Exchange rates:
new kips (NK) per US$12,500 (January 1998), 1,256.73 (1997), 921.14 (1996), 804.69 (1995), 717.67 (1994), 716.25 (1993)
note: as of September 1995, a floating exchange rate
policy was adopted
Fiscal year: 1 October30 September
Communications |
Telephones: 19,333 (1996)
Telephone system:
service to general public is poor but improving, with over 19,000 telephones currently in service and 86,000 expected to be installed by 2000; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to
communicate with remote areas
domestic: radiotelephone communications
international: satellite earth station1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 560,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2
Televisions: 32,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation |
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 22,321 km
paved: 3,502 km
unpaved: 18,819 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
Pipelines: petroleum products 136 km
Ports and harbors: none
Merchant marine:
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT (1997 est.)
Airports: 52 (1997 est.)
Airportswith paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1997 est.)
Airportswith unpaved runways:
total: 43
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 25 (1997 est.)
Military |
Military branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; includes militia element), Lao People's Navy (LPN; includes riverine element), Air Force, National Police Department
Military manpowermilitary age: 18 years of age
Military manpoweravailability:
males age 15-49: 1,161,497 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerfit for military service:
males: 626,880 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerreaching military age annually:
males: 55,903 (1998 est.)
Military expendituresdollar figure: $105 million (FY92/93)
Military expenditurespercent of GDP: 8.1% (FY92/93)
Transnational Issues |
Disputesinternational: parts of the border with Thailand are indefinite
Illicit drugs: world's third largest opium producer (cultivation in 199728,150 hectares, an 11% increase over 1996; potential production210 metric tons, a 5% increase over 1996); heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and amphetamines produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis