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Compare Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) - Laos (2005)

Compare Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) z Laos (2005)

 Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006)Laos (2005)
 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, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, 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: 41.6% (male 1,300,094/female 1,289,227)


15-64 years: 55.2% (male 1,693,494/female 1,737,196)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 88,744/female 108,386) (2005 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) 44 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
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: 35


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 21 (2004 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. 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 NA 35.99 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues: $284.3 million


expenditures: $416.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 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
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 11.83 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external - $2.49 billion (2001)
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 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 none (territory of Australia) 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 Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Laos and Thailand pledge to complete demarcation of boundaries in 2005, while ongoing disputes over squatters and boundary encroachment by Thailand including Mekong River islets persist; in 2004 Cambodian-Laotian boundary commission agrees to re-erect missing markers in two adjoining provinces; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Economic aid - recipient $NA $243 million (2001 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 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. The government has sponsored major improvements in the road system. 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. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on their exports; this may help spur growth.
Electricity - consumption - 3.036 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports - 400 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports - 125 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production - 3.56 billion kWh (2002)
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; 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, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, 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 and the Yao 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 - 10,820 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001), 7,887.6 (2000)
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 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 Siphadon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%
Exports $NA NA
Exports - commodities copra garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin
Exports - partners Australia (2004) Thailand 19.3%, Vietnam 13.4%, France 8%, Germany 5.3%, UK 5% (2004)
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 - composition by sector - agriculture: 49.5%


industry: 27.5%


services: 23% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 6% (2004 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; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Highways - total: 21,716 km


paved: 9,664 km


unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - 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 NA
Imports - commodities foodstuffs machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners Australia (2004) Thailand 60.5%, China 10.3%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4% (2004)
Independence none (territory of Australia) 19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate - 9.7% (2001 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
total: 85.22 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 95.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 75.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 12.3% (2004 est.)
International organization participation none ACCT, APT, 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)
Irrigated land NA 1,640 sq km


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 2.6 million (2001 est.)
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: 3.8%


permanent crops: 0.35%


other: 95.85% (2001)
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 (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: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total population: 55.08 years


male: 53.07 years


female: 57.17 years (2005 est.)
Literacy NA definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 66.4%


male: 77.4%


female: 55.5% (2002)
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) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT


by type: cargo 1 (2005)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force 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 - Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $10.7 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.5% (2004)
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
Natural resources fish timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate NA 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines - refined products 540 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders none Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphadon, 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.) 6,217,141 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line - 40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate 0% (2006 est.) 2.42% (2005 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Religions Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Sex ratio - 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: 0.82 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 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: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 287 (1992) 61,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular note - analog cellular service available 55,200 (2002)
Television broadcast stations NA 4 (1999)
Terrain flat, low-lying coral atolls mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate NA 4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 60% (2000 est.) 5.7% (1997 est.)
Waterways - 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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