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Introduction | Laos

Background: | Laos was under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government, ending a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.

Geography | Laos

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
Area - comparative: | 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: 3.8% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 95.85% (2001)
Irrigated land: | 1,640 sq km note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | floods, droughts
Environment - current issues: | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand

People | Laos

Population: | 6,217,141 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 41.6% (male 1,300,094/female 1,289,227) 15-64 years: 55.2% (male 1,693,494/female 1,737,196) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 88,744/female 108,386) (2005 est.)
Median age: | total: 18.74 years male: 18.42 years female: 19.08 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.42% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: | 35.99 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: | 11.83 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 85.22 deaths/1,000 live births male: 95.04 deaths/1,000 live births female: 75.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 55.08 years male: 53.07 years female: 57.17 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1,700 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 200 (2003 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 and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religions: | Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Languages: | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 66.4% male: 77.4% female: 55.5% (2002)

Government | Laos

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
Government type: | Communist state
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, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Independence: | 19 July 1949 (from France)
National holiday: | Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
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 Gen. KHAMTAI Siphadon (since 26 February 1998) and Vice President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 27 March 2001) head of government: Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit (since 27 March 2001); First Deputy Prime Minister Bouasone BOUPHAVANH (since 3 October 2003) Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Deputy Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisolit (since 27 March 2001), and Deputy Prime Minister SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (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 24 February 2002 (next to be held in 2007); prime minister appointed by the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term election results: KHAMTAI Siphadon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%
Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly (109 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - total number of seats increased from 99 to 109 for the 2002 election) elections: last held 24 February 2002 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 109
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 or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphadon, 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, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador PHANTHONG Phommahaxay 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 Patricia M. HASLACH embassy: 19 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 | Laos

Economy - overview: | The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official Communist states - began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% in 1988-2004 except during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis beginning in 1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains a country with a primitive infrastructure; it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications. The government has sponsored major improvements in the road system. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid from the IMF and other international sources and from new foreign investment in food processing and mining. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on their exports; this may help spur growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $11.28 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 49.5% industry: 27.5% services: 23% (2004 est.)
Labor force: | 2.6 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 80% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 5.7% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: | 40% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 37 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 12.3% (2004 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $284.3 million expenditures: $416.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Industries: | tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: | 9.7% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: | 3.56 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 1.4% hydro: 98.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 3.036 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: | 400 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: | 125 million kWh (2002)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 2,750 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA
Oil - imports: | NA
Current account balance: | $-80.76 million (2004 est.)
Exports: | $365.5 million (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: | garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin
Exports - partners: | Thailand 19.3%, Vietnam 13.4%, France 8%, Germany 5.3%, UK 5% (2004)
Imports: | $579.5 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners: | Thailand 60.5%, China 10.3%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $193.1 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external: | $2.49 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: | $243 million (2001 est.)
Currency (code): | kip (LAK)
Currency code: | LAK
Exchange rates: | kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001), 7,887.6 (2000)
Fiscal year: | 1 October - 30 September

Communications | Laos

Telephones - main lines in use: | 61,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 55,200 (2002)
Telephone system: | general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving with over 20,000 telephones currently in service and an additional 48,000 expected by 2001; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas domestic: radiotelephone communications international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: | 730,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 4 (1999)
Televisions: | 52,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .la
Internet hosts: | 937 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)
Internet users: | 15,000 (2002)

Transportation | Laos

Highways: | total: 21,716 km paved: 9,664 km unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: | 4,600 km note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2003)
Pipelines: | refined products 540 km (2004)
Merchant marine: | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2005)
Airports: | 44 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Military | Laos

Military branches: | Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force
Military service age and obligation: | 15 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - minimum 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,500,625 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 954,816 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males: 73,167 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $10.7 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.5% (2004)
Military - note: | Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on the Lao-Burma border (2005)

Transnational Issues | Laos

Disputes - international: | Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Laos and Thailand pledge to complete demarcation of boundaries in 2005, while ongoing disputes over squatters and boundary encroachment by Thailand including Mekong River islets persist; in 2004 Cambodian-Laotian boundary commission agrees to re-erect missing markers in two adjoining provinces; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Illicit drugs: | estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease from 2003; estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons, a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005)

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005