Compare Comoros (2004) - Laos (2002)

Compare Comoros (2004) z Laos (2002)

	Comoros (2004)	Laos (2002)

Administrative divisions	3 islands; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali); note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou	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: 42.8% (male 140,083; female 139,245) 15-64 years: 54.2% (male 174,216; female 179,050) 65 years and over: 3% (male 9,136; female 10,171) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 42.5% (male 1,233,659; female 1,219,872) 15-64 years: 54.2% (male 1,543,246; female 1,591,419) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 86,375; female 102,609) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca)	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports	4 (2003 est.)	51 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.)	total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 42 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 26 (2002)
Area	total: 2,170 sq km land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly larger than Utah
Background	Unstable Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared their independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union president was sworn in on 26 May 2002.	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	38 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	37.39 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: $27.6 million expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2001 est.)	revenues: $211 million expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.)
Capital	Moroni	Vientiane
Climate	tropical marine; rainy season (November to May)	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline	340 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	23 December 2001 note: a Transitional National Unity Government (GUNT) was formed on 20 January 2002 following the passing of the new constitution; the GUNT governed until the presidential elections on 14 April 2002	promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name	conventional long form: Union of the Comoros conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores	conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none
Currency	Comoran franc (KMF)	kip (LAK)
Death rate	8.63 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	12.71 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	$232 million (2000 est.)	$2.53 billion (1999)
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros	chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas A. HARTWICK 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 Mahmoud M. ABOUD (ambassador to the US and Canada and permanent representative to the UN) chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Union of the Comoros to the United Nations, 420 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010 and 223-2711 FAX: [1] (212) 983-4712 and 715-0699	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	claims French-administered Mayotte	demarcation of boundaries with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam is nearing completion, but with Thailand, several areas including Mekong River islets, remain in dispute; ongoing disputes with Thailand and Vietnam over squatters
Economic aid - recipient	$10 million (2001 est.)	$345 million (1999 est.)
Economy - overview	One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three islands that have inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government - which is hampered by internal political disputes - is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, to privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, to improve health services, to diversify exports, to promote tourism, and to reduce the high population growth rate. Increased foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP growth is to be met. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP.	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	19.78 million kWh (2001)	690.6 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	400 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	142 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production	21.27 million kWh (2001)	1.02 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 2% hydro: 98% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues	soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation	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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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	Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava	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	Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 435.9 (2003), 522.741 (2002), 549.779 (2001), 533.982 (2000), 461.775 (1999) note: prior to January 1999, the official rate was pegged to the French franc at 75 Comoran francs per French franc; since 1 January 1999, the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro	kips per US dollar - 9,467.00 (December 2001), 8,954.58 (2001), 7,887.64 (2000), 7,102.03 (1999), 3,298.33 (1998), 1,259.98 (1997)
Executive branch	chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; note - AZALI has not appointed a Prime Minister since he was sworn into office in May 2002 election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected president with 75% of the vote	chief of state: President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (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 Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since NA 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 NA 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	NA (2001)	$325 million (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities	vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra	wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin
Exports - partners	France 46.9%, Germany 18.8%, US 12.5% (2003)	Thailand 20%, France 7.5%, Germany 5.9%, UK 4.1%, Belgium 4% (2000)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 October - 30 September
Flag description	four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam	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 - $441 million (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 40% industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 53% industry: 22% services: 25% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,630 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	2% (2002 est.)	5% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	12 10 S, 44 15 E	18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note	important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel	landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Highways	total: 880 km paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999 est)	total: 14,000 km paved: 3,360 km unpaved: 10,640 km (1991)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 31% (1997)
Illicit drugs	-	world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 2002 - 23,200 hectares, a 5% increase over 2001; estimated potential production in 2002 - 180 metric tons, a 10% decrease from 2001); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis; growing methamphetamine abuse problem
Imports	NA (2001)	$540 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities	rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel
Imports - partners	France 31.6%, Japan 13.7%, South Africa 10.3%, Kenya 5.1%, UAE 5.1%, Thailand 4.3% (2003)	Thailand 52%, Singapore 3.9%, Japan 1.6%, Hong Kong 1.5%, China 0.8% (2000)
Independence	6 July 1975 (from France)	19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	-2% (1999 est.)	7.5% (1999 est.)
Industries	tourism, perfume distillation	tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 77.22 deaths/1,000 live births male: 85.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	90.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.5% (2001 est.)	10% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO	ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, 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 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 or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of the republic)	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	144,500 (1996 est.)	2.4 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 80%	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: 35.87% permanent crops: 23.32% other: 40.81% (2001)	arable land: 3.47% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 96.3% (1998 est.)
Languages	Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic)	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system	French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice
Legislative branch	unicameral Assembly of the Union (30 seats; half the deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the other half by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years); note - elections for the former legislature, the Federal Assembly (dissolved in 1999) were held on 1 and 8 December 1996; the next elections for the Assembly of the Union were scheduled to be held on 18 and 25 April 2004	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 NA 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: 61.57 years male: 59.29 years female: 63.91 years (2004 est.)	total population: 53.88 years male: 51.95 years female: 55.87 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57% male: 70% female: 44% (1999 est.)
Location	Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references	Africa	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 62 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 452,801 GRT/681,343 DWT by type: bulk 9, cargo 31, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 2, specialized tanker 4 foreign-owned: Bahamas 1, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1, Greece 7, Honduras 1, India 1, Kenya 1, Lebanon 7, Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 3, Pakistan 4, Panama 2, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Syria 4, Turkey 21, United Kingdom 1, United States 1, Yemen 2 (2004 est.)	total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Comoran Security Force	Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force, National Police Department
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$6 million (2003)	$55 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	3% (2003)	4.2% (FY96/97)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 154,843 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 1,365,027 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 91,825 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 734,945 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 64,437 (2002 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 6 July (1975)	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality	noun: Comoran(s) adjective: Comoran	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards	cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano	floods, droughts
Natural resources	NEGL	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines	-	petroleum products 136 km
Political parties and leaders	Forces pour l'Action Republicaine or FAR [Col. Abdourazak ABDULHAMID]; Forum pour la Redressement National or FRN (alliance of 12 parties); Front Democratique or FD [Moustoifa Said CHEIKH]; Front National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed RACHID]; Movement des Citoyens pour la Republique or MCR [Mahamoud MRADABI]; Mouvement Populaire Anjouanais or MPA (Anjouan separatist movement) [leader NA]; Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Movement pour le Socialisme et la Democratie or MSD (splinter group of FD) [Abdou SOEFOU]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND (party of the government) [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]	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	651,901 (July 2004 est.)	5,777,180 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	60% (2002 est.)	40% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate	2.94% (2004 est.)	2.47% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou	none
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001)	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios	-	730,000 (1997)
Railways	-	0 km (2001)
Religions	Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2%	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	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: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion	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	13,200 (2003)	25,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	2,000 (2003)	4,915 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	NA	4 (1999)
Terrain	volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate	5.15 children born/woman (2004 est.)	5.03 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	20% (1996 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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