Laos

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $105 million, 8.1% of GDP (FY92/93)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 1,087,264 males fit for military service: 586,664 males reach military age (18) annually: 53,250 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 10, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

560,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

service to general public very poor; radiotelephone communications network provides generally erratic service to government users domestic: radiotelephone communications international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Telephones

6,600 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

2

Televisions

32,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry

Budget

revenues: $198 million expenditures: $351 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

Currency

1 new kip (NK) = 100 at

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview

The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official communist states - has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise since 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, have been striking - growth has averaged 7.5% annually since 1988. Even so, 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 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; aid from the former USSR/Eastern Europe has been cut sharply. As in many developing countries, deforestation and soil erosion will hamper efforts to maintain the high rate of GDP growth.

Electricity

capacity: 260,000 kW production: 870 million kWh consumption per capita: 44 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

new kips (NK) per US$1 - 920 (1995), 717 (1994 est.), 720 (July 1993), 710 (May 1992), 710 (December 1991), 700 (September 1990), 576 (1989)

Exports

$278 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: electricity, wood products, coffee, tin, garments partners: Thailand, Japan, France, Germany, Netherlands

External debt

$2 billion (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP

purchasing power parity - $5.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 50% industry: 17% services: 33% (1993)

GDP per capita

$1,100 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

8% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

world's third largest opium producer (180 metric tons from nearly 20,000 hectares in 1995); heroin producer; increasingly used as transshipment point for heroin produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis

Imports

$486 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures partners: Thailand, China, Japan, France, US

Industrial production growth rate

7.5% (1992 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

20% (1995 est.)

Labor force

1 million-1.5 million by occupation: agriculture 80% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

21% (1992 est.)

Area

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

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water natural hazards: floods, droughts, and blight international agreements: party to - Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

18 00 N, 105 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

International disputes

boundary dispute with Thailand

Irrigated land

1,554 sq km (1992 est.)

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

Land use

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

Location

Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m

Administrative divisions

16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xekong, Xiangkhoang

Capital

Vientiane

Constitution

promulgated 14 August 1991

Data code

LA

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador HIEM PHOMMACHANH chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416, 6417

Executive branch

chief of state: President NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN (since 25 November 1992) was elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly head of government: Prime Minister Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since 15 August 1991) was appointed for a five-year term by the president with the approval of the National Assembly; Deputy Prime Minister KHAMPHOUI KEOBOUALAPHA (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly

FAX

[1] (202) 332-4923

FAX

[856] (21) 212584

Flag

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

Independence

19 July 1949 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

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

Legal system

based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

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

National Assembly

members elected for five-year terms; elections last held 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (85 total) LPRP 85

National holiday

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

Other political or pressure groups

noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975

Political parties and leaders

Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president; other parties proscribed

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

Communist state

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Victor L. TOMSETH embassy: Rue Bartholonie, B.P. 114, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] (21) 212581, 212582, 212585

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 1,142,825; female 1,114,628) 15-64 years: 51% (male 1,237,660; female 1,316,591) 65 years and over: 4% (male 75,748; female 88,320) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

41.94 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

13.83 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Infant mortality rate

96.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 52.69 years male: 51.14 years female: 54.31 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 56.6% male: 69.4% female: 44.4%

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

4,975,772 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.81% (1996 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.87 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 39 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 5 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 with paved runways under 914 m: 16 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 13 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 14,130 km paved: 2,261 km unpaved: 11,869 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT (1995 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 136 km

Ports

none

Railways

0 km

Waterways

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