Compare Bahamas, The (2002) - Laos (2004)

Compare Bahamas, The (2002) z Laos (2004)

	Bahamas, The (2002)	Laos (2004)

Administrative divisions	21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay	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, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun*, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Age structure	0-14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female 43,250) 15-64 years: 64.7% (male 95,508; female 98,859) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 7,948; female 11,000) (2002 est.)	0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,277,152; female 1,265,761) 15-64 years: 54.9% (male 1,642,895; female 1,688,175) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,995; female 106,139) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	citrus, vegetables; poultry	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports	67 (2001)	46 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 30 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 2 (2002)	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: 34 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 3 23 (2002)	total: 35 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	slightly larger than Utah
Background	Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.	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.
Birth rate	18.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	36.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $918.5 million expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00)	revenues: $298.5 million expenditures: $429.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital	Nassau	Vientiane
Climate	tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline	3,542 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	10 July 1973	promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas	conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none
Currency	Bahamian dollar (BSD)	kip (LAK)
Death rate	7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	12.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$381.9 million (2000)	$2.49 billion (2001)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador J. Richard BLANKENSHIP embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; stateside address: American Embassy Nassau, P. O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222	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
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York	chief of mission: Ambassador PHANTHONG Phommahaxay chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
Disputes - international	none	demarcation of boundaries with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam is largely complete, but with Thailand several areas including Mekong River islets remain in dispute; ongoing disputes with Thailand and Vietnam over squatters; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Economic aid - recipient	$9.8 million (1995)	$243 million (2001 est.)
Economy - overview	The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs almost half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of the majority of tourist visitors.	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 7% in 1988-2001 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. 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.
Electricity - consumption	1.432 billion kWh (2000)	824.7 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	400 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	1.54 billion kWh (2000)	1.317 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues	coral reef decay; solid waste disposal	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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups	black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%	Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Exchange rates	Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar)	kips per US dollar - 10,443 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.58 (2001), 7,887.64 (2000), 7,102.02 (1999)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister	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 Siphandon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%
Exports	$535.8 million (2000)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables (1999)	garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin
Exports - partners	US 28.2%, France 16.5%, Germany 14.1%, UK 12.4% (2000)	Thailand 20.7%, Vietnam 15.9%, France 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Belgium 4% (2003)
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June	1 October - 30 September
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side	three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $10.32 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (1999 est.)	agriculture: 49.4% industry: 24.5% services: 26.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2000 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3.5% (2001)	5.5% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 15 N, 76 00 W	18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited	landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Heliports	1 (2002)	-
Highways	total: 2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1997)	total: 21,716 km paved: 9,664 km unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center	world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 2003 - 18,900 hectares, a 19% decrease over 2002; estimated potential production in 2003 - 200 metric tons, a 11% increase from 2002); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis; growing methamphetamine abuse problem
Imports	$1.88 billion (2000)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals (1999)	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners	US 31.6%, South Korea 18.2%, Italy 17.4%, Japan 5.8% (2000)	Thailand 59.4%, China 12.8%, Vietnam 10.2% (2003)
Independence	10 July 1973 (from UK)	19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	9.7% (2001 est.)
Industries	tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe	tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Infant mortality rate	17.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 87.06 deaths/1,000 live births male: 97.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 76.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.5% (2001 est.)	15.3% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)	ACCT, 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)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	19 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	NA sq km	1,640 sq km note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts	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)
Labor force	156,000 (1999)	2.6 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.)	agriculture 80% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	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: 0.6% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 99% (1998 est.)	arable land: 3.8% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 95.85% (2001)
Languages	English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system	based on English common law	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4	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
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 69.87 years male: 66.32 years female: 73.49 years (2002 est.)	total population: 54.69 years male: 52.71 years female: 56.75 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 66.4% male: 77.4% female: 55.5% (2002)
Location	Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 1,076 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,309,187 GRT/45,859,485 DWT ships by type: bulk 159, cargo 246, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 13, combination ore/oil 22, container 80, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 8, passenger 88, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 178, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 120, roll on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 16, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 22 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 4, Belgium 18, Bermuda 1, Canada 5, Chile 1, China 3, Croatia 2, Cuba 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 27, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2, Finland 9, France 15, Germany 26, Greece 173, Hong Kong 6, India 2, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 9, Jamaica 1, Japan 32, Kenya 3, Malaysia 10, Malta 2, Monaco 67, Netherlands 32, New Zealand 2, Norway 237, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, South Korea 2, Spain 7, Sweden 12, Switzerland 8, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Turkey 2, Ukraine 2, United Arab Emirates 10, United Kingdom 107, United States 159, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.)	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2004 est.)
Military branches	Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force	Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$20 million (FY95/96)	$10.9 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.7% (FY99)	0.5% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 1,456,500 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 783,800 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 68,563 (2004 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 10 July (1973)	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality	noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards	hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage	floods, droughts
Natural resources	salt, aragonite, timber, arable land	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate	-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	-	refined products 540 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]	Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Population	300,529 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)	6,068,117 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate	0.86% (2002 est.)	2.44% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau	none
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios	215,000 (1997)	-
Railways	0 km	-
Religions	Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)	at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: modern facilities domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)	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)
Telephones - main lines in use	96,000 (1997)	61,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	6,152 (1997)	55,200 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	4 (1999)
Terrain	long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate	2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.)	4.86 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	6.9% (2001 est.)	5.7% (1997 est.)
Waterways	none	4,600 km note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2003)

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