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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 54 usable: 41 with permanent-surface runways: 8 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 15

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

about 27,527 km total; 1,856 km bituminous or bituminous treated; 7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 18,220 km unimproved earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 136 km

Ports [time series]

none

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

none

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

service to general public practically non-existant; radio communications network provides generally erratic service to government users; 7,390 telephones (1986); broadcast stations - 10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Lao People's Army (LPA; including naval, aviation, and militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 980,274; fit for military service 528,450; reach military age (18) annually 43,849 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force; subsistence farming predominates; normally self-sufficient in nondrought years; principal crops - rice (80% of cultivated land), sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; livestock - buffaloes, hogs, cattle, poultry

Budget [time series]

revenues $83 million; expenditures $188.5 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 new kip (NK) = 100 at

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $605 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $995 million

Electricity [time series]

226,000 kW capacity; 990 million kWh produced, 220 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

new kips (NK) per US$1 - 710 (May 1992), 710 (December 1991), 700 (September 1990), 576 (1989), 385 (1988), 200 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$72 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: electricity, wood products, coffee, tin partners: Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, USSR, US, China

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.1 billion (1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of cannabis, opium poppy for the international drug trade, third-largest opium producer

Imports [time series]

$238 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.) commodities: food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures partners: Thailand, USSR, Japan, France, Vietnam, China

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 12% (1991 est.); accounts for about 18% of GDP (1991 est.)

Industries [time series]

tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

10% (1991)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $900 million (1991)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$200 (1991)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

4% (1991)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has had a Communist centrally planned economy with government ownership and control of productive enterprises of any size. In recent years, however, the government has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise. Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure; that is, it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited external and internal telecommunications, and electricity available in only a limited area. Subsistence agriculture is the main occupation, accounting for over 60% of GDP and providing about 85-90% of total employment. The predominant crop is rice. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend for its survival on foreign aid from the IMF and other international sources; aid from the former USSR and Eastern Europe has been cut sharply.

Unemployment rate [time series]

21% (1989 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 236,800 km2 land area: 230,800 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Utah

Climate [time series]

tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

boundary dispute with Thailand

Irrigated land [time series]

1,200 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 5,083 km, Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 4% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 58% other: 35%

Location [time series]

Southeast Asia, between Vietnam and Thailand

Map references [time series]

Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

none; landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Note [time series]

landlocked

Terrain [time series]

mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng, nakhon, singular and Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane, Vientiane*, Xaignabouri,, Xiangkhoang

Capital [time series]

Vientiane

Constitution [time series]

promulgated August 1991

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador HIEM Phommachanh chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-6416 or 6417

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Third National Assembly: last held on 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (85 total) number of seats by party NA

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister and two deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band

Independence [time series]

19 July 1949 (from France)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme People's Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President NOUHAK Phoumsavan (since 25 November 1992) Head of Government: Prime Minister Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 15 August 1991)

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

National Assembly

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT (associate), AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 2 December (1975) (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

non-Communist political groups moribund; most leaders fled the country in 1975

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president; includes Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC); other parties moribund

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

Communist state

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Charles B. SALMON, Jr. embassy: Rue Bartholonie, Vientiane mailing address: B. P. 114, Vientiane, or AMEMB, Box V, APO AP 96546 telephone: (856) 2220, 2357, 2384 FAX: (856) 4675

People

Birth rate [time series]

43.82 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

15.22 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Lao 50%, Phoutheung (Kha) 15%, tribal Thai 20%, Meo, Hmong, Yao, and other 15%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

104.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

1-1.5 million by occupation: agriculture 85-90% (est.)

Languages [time series]

Lao (official), French, English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 51.18 years male: 49.67 years female: 52.77 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15-45 can read and write (1985) total population: 84% male: 92% female: 76%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

4,569,327 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.86% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Buddhist 85%, animist and other 15%

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.16 children born/woman (1993 est.)