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Compare Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) - Laos (2001)

Compare Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) z Laos (2001)

 Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006)Laos (2001)
 Cocos (Keeling) IslandsLaos
Administrative divisions none (territory of Australia) 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, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Age structure 0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA (2006 est.)
0-14 years:
42.75% (male 1,212,577; female 1,196,795)

15-64 years:
53.94% (male 1,494,927; female 1,544,851)

65 years and over:
3.31% (male 85,632; female 101,185) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports 1 (2006) 51 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
total:
8

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
5

914 to 1,523 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
43

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
17

under 914 m:
25 (2000 est.)
Area total: 14 sq km


land: 14 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island
total:
236,800 sq km

land:
230,800 sq km

water:
6,000 sq km
Area - comparative about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC slightly larger than Utah
Background There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. 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, an easing of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.
Birth rate NA 37.84 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues:
$211 million

expenditures:
$462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.)
Capital name: West Island


geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E


time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Vientiane
Climate tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline 26 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands


conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional long form:
Lao People's Democratic Republic

conventional short form:
Laos

local long form:
Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao

local short form:
none
Currency - kip (LAK)
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 13.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external - $2.46 billion (1998 est.)
Dependency status non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territory of Australia) chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Karen Brevard STEWART

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 none (territory of Australia) chief of mission:
Ambassador VANG Rattanavong

chancery:
2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 332-6416

FAX:
[1] (202) 332-4923
Disputes - international none parts of the border with Thailand are indefinite
Economic aid - recipient $NA $345 million (1999 est.)
Economy - overview Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. 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% during 1988-97. Reform efforts subsequently slowed, and GDP growth dropped an average of 3 percentage points. Because Laos depends heavily on its trade with Thailand, it was damaged by the regional financial crisis beginning in 1997. Government mismanagement deepened the crisis, and from June 1997 to June 1999 the Lao kip lost 87% of its value. Laos' foreign exchange problems peaked in September 1999 when the kip fell from 3,500 kip to the dollar to 9,000 kip to the dollar in a matter of weeks. Now that the currency has stabilized, however, the government seems content to let the current situation persist, despite limited government revenue and foreign exchange reserves. A landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure, Laos 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. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend on aid from the IMF and other international sources; Japan is currently the largest bilateral aid donor; aid from the former USSR/Eastern Europe has been cut sharply.
Electricity - consumption - 173.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 705 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 142 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production - 792 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
2.78%

hydro:
97.22%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 5 m
lowest point:
Mekong River 70 m

highest point:
Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water
Environment - international agreements - party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Europeans, Cocos Malays Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) kips per US dollar - 7,578.00 (December 2000), 7,102.03 (1999), 3,298.33 (1998), 1,259.98 (1997), 921.02 (1996)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general


head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
chief of state:
President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 26 February 1998) and Vice President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since NA March 2001)

head of government:
Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit (since NA March 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers THONGLOUN Sisolit (since NA March 2001), 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 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); 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 $NA $323 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities copra wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin
Exports - partners Australia (2004) Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, France, Belgium
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June 1 October - 30 September
Flag description the flag of Australia is used 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 - $9 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture:
51%

industry:
22%

services:
27% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 12 30 S, 96 50 E 18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation landlocked
Highways - total:
14,000 km

paved:
3,360 km

unpaved:
10,640 km (1991)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%:
4.2%

highest 10%:
26.4% (1992)
Illicit drugs - world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 1999 - 21,800 hectares, a 16% decrease over 1998; estimated potential production in 1999 - 140 metric tons, about the same as in 1998); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis
Imports $NA $540 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel
Imports - partners Australia (2004) Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Hong Kong
Independence none (territory of Australia) 19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate - 7.5% (1999 est.)
Industries copra products and tourism tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
92.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 33% (2000 est.)
International organization participation none ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)

note:
rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court 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 NA 1 million - 1.5 million
Labor force - by occupation note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others 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%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
arable land:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
3%

forests and woodland:
54%

other:
40% (1993 est.)
Languages Malay (Cocos dialect), English Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system based upon the laws of Australia and local laws based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice
Legislative branch unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)


elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007)
unicameral National Assembly (99 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - by presidential decree, on 27 October 1997, the number of seats increased from 85 to 99)

elections:
last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 99
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total population:
53.48 years

male:
51.58 years

female:
55.44 years (2001 est.)
Literacy NA definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
57%

male:
70%

female:
44% (1999 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references Southeast Asia Southeast Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine - total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT

ships by type:
cargo 1 (2000 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force -
Military branches - Lao People's Army (LPA; includes riverine element), Air Force, National Police Department
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $55 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 4.2% (FY96/97)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
1,319,537 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
710,627 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
64,437 (2001 est.)
National holiday Australia Day, 26 January (1788) Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality noun: Cocos Islander(s)


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

adjective:
Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards cyclone season is October to April floods, droughts, and blight
Natural resources fish timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate NA 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - petroleum products 136 km
Political parties and leaders none Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders none noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Population 574 (July 2006 est.) 5,635,967 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line - 46.1% (1993 est.)
Population growth rate 0% (2006 est.) 2.48% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors - none
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios - 730,000 (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%
Sex ratio - at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.85 male(s)/female

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage NA 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system


domestic: NA


international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station
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:
satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 287 (1992) 25,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular note - analog cellular service available 4,915 (1997)
Television broadcast stations NA 4 (1999)
Terrain flat, low-lying coral atolls mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate NA 5.12 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 60% (2000 est.) 5.7% (1997 est.)
Waterways - 4,587 km approximately

note:
primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
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