| Burundi (2003) | Laos (2006) | |
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| Administrative divisions | 16 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi | 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 | 
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 46.7% (male 1,438,759; female 1,409,567) 
 15-64 years: 50.6% (male 1,516,833; female 1,564,513) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 66,355; female 100,129) (2003 est.)  | 
				0-14 years: 41.4% (male 1,324,207/female 1,313,454) 
 15-64 years: 55.4% (male 1,744,206/female 1,786,139) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 89,451/female 111,024) (2006 est.)  | 
				
| Agriculture - products | coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry | 
| Airports | 7 (2002) | 44 (2006) | 
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1 
 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)  | 
				total: 9 
 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)  | 
				
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 6 
 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2002)  | 
				total: 35 
 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2006)  | 
				
| Area | total: 27,830 sq km 
 land: 25,650 sq km water: 2,180 sq km  | 
				total: 236,800 sq km 
 land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km  | 
				
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly larger than Utah | 
| Background | Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only four months in office. Since then, some 200,000 Burundians have perished in widespread, often intense ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring countries. Burundi troops, seeking to secure their borders, intervened in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1998. More recently, many of these troops have been redeployed back to Burundi to deal with periodic upsurges in rebel activity. A new transitional government, inaugurated on 1 November 2001, was to be the first step toward holding national elections in three years. While the Government of Burundi signed a cease-fire agreement in December 2002 with three of Burundi's four Hutu rebel groups, implementation of the agreement has been problematic and one rebel group refuses to sign on, clouding prospects for a sustainable peace. | Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three hundred years Lan Xang included large parts of present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came 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 and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997. | 
| Birth rate | 39.72 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 35.49 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 
| Budget | revenues: $125 million 
 expenditures: $176 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)  | 
				revenues: $319.3 million 
 expenditures: $434.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)  | 
				
| Capital | Bujumbura | name: Vientiane 
 geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)  | 
				
| Climate | equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; wet seasons from February to May and September to November, and dry seasons from June to August and December to January | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | 
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) | 
| Constitution | 13 March 1992; provided for establishment of a plural political system; supplanted on 6 June 1998 by a Transitional Constitution which enlarged the National Assembly and created two vice presidents | promulgated 14 August 1991 | 
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Burundi 
 conventional short form: Burundi local long form: Republika y'u Burundi local short form: Burundi former: Urundi  | 
				conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic 
 conventional short form: Laos PDR or Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none  | 
				
| Currency | Burundi franc (BIF) | - | 
| Death rate | 17.8 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 11.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 
| Debt - external | $1.14 billion (2001) | $2.49 billion (2001) | 
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador James Howard YELLIN 
 embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura telephone: [257] 223454 FAX: [257] 222926  | 
				chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH 
 embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, Box V, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] 21-26 7000 FAX: [856] 21-26 7074  | 
				
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Antoine NTAMOBWA 
 chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574 FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578  | 
				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 | Tutsi, Hutu, and other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to gain control over populated and natural resource areas; government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts | Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over several areas along Mekong River and Thai squatters; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels | 
| Economic aid - recipient | $92.7 million (2000) | $243 million (2001 est.) | 
| Economy - overview | Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural with roughly 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the population. Since October 1993 an ethnic-based war has resulted in the death of over 200,000 persons, sent 800,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 525,000 others internally. Doubts about the prospects for sustainable peace continue to impede development. Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in ten adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. | 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, though the government is sponsoring major improvements in the road system with possible support from Japan. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid by the IMF and other international sources and from new foreign investment in food processing and mining. Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on exports. This new status may help spur growth. In addition, the European Union has agreed to provide $1 million to the Lao Government for technical assistance in preparations for WTO membership. If the avian flu worsens and spreads in the region, however, prospects for tourism could dim. | 
| Electricity - consumption | 177.5 million kWh (2001) | 3.298 billion kWh (2003) | 
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 435 million kWh (2003) | 
| Electricity - imports | 33 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2001) | 230 million kWh (2003) | 
| Electricity - production | 155.4 million kWh (2001) | 3.767 billion kWh (2003) | 
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 0.6% 
 hydro: 99.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)  | 
				- | 
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m 
 highest point: Mount Heha 2,670 m  | 
				lowest point: Mekong River 70 m 
 highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m  | 
				
| Environment - current issues | soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations | 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, Ozone Layer Protection 
 signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban  | 
				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 | Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000 | Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% | 
| Exchange rates | Burundi francs per US dollar - NA (2002), 830.35 (2001), 720.67 (2000), 563.56 (1999), 447.77 (1998) | kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001) | 
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE (since 30 April 2003); note - NDAYIZEYE, a Hutu, was sworn in as president for the second half of the three-year transitional government inaugurated on 1 November 2001; Vice President Alphonse KADEGE (since 30 April 2003); note - from the Tutsi minority 
 head of government: President Domitien NDAYIZEYE (since 30 April 2003); note - NDAYIZEYE, a Hutu, was sworn in as president for the second half of the three-year transitional government inaugurated on 1 November 2001; Vice President Alphonse KADEGE (since 30 April 2003); note - from the Tutsi minority cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president elections: NA; current president assumed power on 30 April 2003 as part of the transitional government established by the 2000 Arusha Accord  | 
				chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006) and Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006) 
 head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit [since 8 June 2006], Deputy Prime Minister SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and Deputy Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisolit (since 27 March 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 97%  | 
				
| Exports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day | 
| Exports - commodities | coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides | garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin | 
| Exports - partners | Switzerland 28.8%, Germany 20.2%, Belgium 9.4%, Kenya 7.8%, Rwanda 6.5%, Netherlands 4.6% (2002) | Thailand 29.6%, Vietnam 12%, France 6.1%, Germany 4.6% (2005) | 
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 October - 30 September | 
| Flag description | divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below) | 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 - $3.146 billion (2002 est.) | - | 
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 50% 
 industry: 19% services: 31% (2002 est.)  | 
				agriculture: 45.5% 
 industry: 28.7% services: 25.8% (2005 est.)  | 
				
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $500 (2002 est.) | - | 
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.5% (2002 est.) | 7.3% (2005 est.) | 
| Geographic coordinates | 3 30 S, 30 00 E | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | 
| Geography - note | landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile | landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand | 
| Highways | total: 14,480 km 
 paved: 1,028 km unpaved: 13,452 km (1999 est.)  | 
				- | 
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 1.8% 
 highest 10%: 32.9% (1998)  | 
				lowest 10%: 3.2% 
 highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)  | 
				
| 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) | 
| Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day | 
| Imports - commodities | capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods | 
| Imports - partners | Belgium 12.4%, Saudi Arabia 12.3%, Tanzania 9.3%, Kenya 7.7%, France 7.4%, India 4.5% (2002) | Thailand 66.1%, China 9%, Vietnam 6.7% (2005) | 
| Independence | 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration) | 19 July 1949 (from France) | 
| Industrial production growth rate | 18% (2001) | 13% (2005 est.) | 
| Industries | light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing | copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement | 
| Infant mortality rate | total: 71.54 deaths/1,000 live births 
 male: 78.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 64.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)  | 
				total: 83.31 deaths/1,000 live births 
 male: 92.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)  | 
				
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 12% (2002 est.) | 7% (2005 est.) | 
| International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) | 
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - | 
| Irrigated land | 740 sq km (1998 est.) | 1,750 sq km (2003) | 
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal (there are three in separate locations); Tribunals of First Instance (17 at the province level and 123 small local tribunals) | 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 | 3.7 million (2000) | 2.8 million (2002 est.) | 
| Labor force - by occupation | NA | agriculture: 80% 
 industry and services: 20% (1997 est.)  | 
				
| Land boundaries | total: 974 km 
 border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 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: 29.98% 
 permanent crops: 12.85% other: 57.17% (1998 est.)  | 
				arable land: 4.01% 
 permanent crops: 0.34% other: 95.65% (2005)  | 
				
| Languages | Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area) | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages | 
| Legal system | based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice | 
| Legislative branch | bicameral, consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (expanded from 121 to approximately 140 seats under the transitional government inaugurated 1 November 2001; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; term length is undefined, the current senators will likely serve out the three-year transition period) 
 elections: last held 29 June 1993 (next was scheduled to be held in 1998, but was suspended by presidential decree in 1996; elections are planned to follow the completion of the three-year transitional government) election results: percent of vote by party - FRODEBU 71.04%, UPRONA 21.4%, other 7.56%; seats by party - FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16, civilians 27, other parties 13  | 
				unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) 
 elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 113, independents 2  | 
				
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 43.2 years 
 male: 42.54 years female: 43.88 years (2003 est.)  | 
				total population: 55.49 years 
 male: 53.45 years female: 57.61 years (2006 est.)  | 
				
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write 
 total population: 51.6% male: 58.5% female: 45.2% (2003 est.)  | 
				definition: age 15 and over can read and write 
 total population: 66.4% male: 77.4% female: 55.5% (2002)  | 
				
| Location | Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | 
| Map references | Africa | Southeast Asia | 
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) | 
| Merchant marine | - | total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT 
 by type: cargo 1 (2006)  | 
				
| 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) | 
| Military branches | Army (including naval and air units), Gendarmerie | Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force | 
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $42.13 million (FY02) | $11.04 million (2005 est.) | 
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.3% (FY02) | 0.4% (2005 est.) | 
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,375,900 (2003 est.) | - | 
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 723,516 (2003 est.) | - | 
| Military manpower - military age | 16 years of age (2003 est.) | - | 
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 79,462 (2003 est.) | - | 
| National holiday | Independence Day, 1 July (1962) | Republic Day, 2 December (1975) | 
| Nationality | noun: Burundian(s) 
 adjective: Burundian  | 
				noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) 
 adjective: Lao or Laotian  | 
				
| Natural hazards | flooding, landslides, drought | floods, droughts | 
| Natural resources | nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium, arable land, hydropower | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | 
| Net migration rate | -0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 
| Pipelines | - | refined products 540 km (2006) | 
| Political parties and leaders | the two national, mainstream, governing parties are: Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Alphonse KADEGE, president]; Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Jean MINANI, president] 
 note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: Burundi African Alliance for the Salvation or ABASA [Terrence NSANZE]; Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development or RADDES [Joseph NZEYIMANA]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]; People's Reconciliation Party or PRP [Mathias HITIMANA]  | 
				Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALY Sayasone]; other parties proscribed | 
| Political pressure groups and leaders | loosely organized Hutu and Tutsi militias, often affiliated with Hutu and Tutsi extremist parties or subordinate to government security forces | noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975 | 
| Population | 6,096,156 
 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 2003 est.)  | 
				6,368,481 (July 2006 est.) | 
| Population below poverty line | 70% (2002 est.) | 34% (2005 est.) | 
| Population growth rate | 2.18% (2003 est.) | 2.39% (2006 est.) | 
| Ports and harbors | Bujumbura | - | 
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006) | 
| Railways | 0 km | - | 
| Religions | Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10% | Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) | 
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 
 under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)  | 
				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: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)  | 
				
| Suffrage | NA years of age; universal adult | 18 years of age; universal | 
| Telephone system | general assessment: primitive system 
 domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)  | 
				general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving; 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 | 18,000 (2002) | 90,067 (2006) | 
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 30,000 (2002) | 520,546 (2006) | 
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (2001) | 7; note - including one station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi (2006) | 
| Terrain | hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | 
| Total fertility rate | 5.99 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 4.68 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 
| Unemployment rate | NA% | 2.4% (2005 est.) | 
| Waterways | Lake Tanganyika | 4,600 km 
 note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2005)  |