Compare Dominica (2004) - Laos (2007)

Compare Dominica (2004) z Laos (2007)

	Dominica (2004)	Laos (2007)

Administrative divisions	10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter	15 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Age structure	0-14 years: 27.3% (male 9,563; female 9,349) 15-64 years: 64.8% (male 23,097; female 21,804) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 2,209; female 3,256) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 41.2% (male 1,349,352/female 1,338,252) 15-64 years: 55.7% (male 1,795,029/female 1,835,168) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 90,188/female 114,009) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports	2 (2003 est.)	42 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.)	total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Area	total: 754 sq km land: 754 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 four times the size of Washington, DC	slightly larger than Utah
Background	Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans, due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.	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	16.25 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	34.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $73.9 million expenditures: $84.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2001)	revenues: $392.3 million expenditures: $541.3 million (2006 est.)
Capital	Roseau	name: Vientiane geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline	148 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	3 November 1978	promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica conventional short form: Dominica	conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none
Currency	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	-
Death rate	6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	11.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$161.5 million (2001)	$3.179 billion (2006)
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to Dominica	chief of mission: Ambassador Ravic R. HUSO embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] 21-26-7000 FAX: [856] 21-26-7190
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Swinburne LESTRADE chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York	chief of mission: Ambassador PHIANE Philakone chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
Disputes - international	joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea	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 islands in the Mekong River; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Economic aid - recipient	$22.8 million (2003 est.)	$379 million (2006 est.)
Economy - overview	The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Production of bananas dropped precipitously in 2003, a major reason for the 1% decline in GDP. Tourism increased in 2003 as the government sought to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the island's production base the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island.	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% per year in 1988-2006 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 hydropower and mining. Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. Several policy changes since 2004 may help spur growth. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to benefit from lower tariffs on exports. Laos is taking steps to join the World Trade Organization in the next few years; the resulting trade policy reforms will improve the business environment. On the fiscal side, a value-added tax (VAT) regime, slated to begin in 2008, will streamline the government's inefficient tax system.
Electricity - consumption	67.35 million kWh (2001)	1.193 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	728 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	326 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	72.41 million kWh (2001)	1.715 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues	NA	unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling 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, mixed black and European, European, Syrian, Carib Amerindian	Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Exchange rates	East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999)	kips per US dollar - 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004); note - assumed post after death of Prime Minister Pierre CHARLES cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held NA October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA	chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006); Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006) head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit (since 8 June 2006), SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 27 March 2001) cabinet: Ministers appointed by president, approved by National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by president and elected by National Assembly for 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	bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges	garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin
Exports - partners	UK 20%, Jamaica 18.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 7.7%, US 7.7%, Guyana 6.2%, Japan 6.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.6% (2003)	Thailand 41%, Vietnam 9.7%, China 4.1%, Malaysia 4% (2006)
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June	1 October - 30 September
Flag description	green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes)	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 - $380 million (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 42.7% industry: 31% services: 26.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	-1% (2003 est.)	8.3% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	15 25 N, 61 20 W	18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note	known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world	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: 780 km paved: 393 km unpaved: 387 km (1999 est.)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak, making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering	estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2005 was 5,600 hectares, about a 45% decrease from 2004; estimated potential opium production in 2005 was 28 metric tons, a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem
Imports	NA (2001)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners	US 18.5%, China 18%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.6%, Japan 6.3%, South Korea 5.4%, UK 5.4% (2003)	Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.5% (2006)
Independence	3 November 1978 (from UK)	19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	-10% (1997 est.)	15.7% (2006 est.)
Industries	soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes	copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement
Infant mortality rate	total: 14.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.49 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	total: 81.44 deaths/1,000 live births male: 90.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 71.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1% (2001 est.)	6.8% (2006 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	1,750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)	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	25,000 (1999 est.)	2.1 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 40%, industry and commerce 32%, services 28%	agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2005 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: 6.67% permanent crops: 20% other: 73.33% (2001)	arable land: 4.01% permanent crops: 0.34% other: 95.65% (2005)
Languages	English (official), French patois	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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats, 9 appointed senators, 21 elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 31 January 2000 (next to be held by 17 July 2005); note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament (17 April 2000) plus a 90 day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DLP 10, UWP 9, DFP 2	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: 74.38 years male: 71.48 years female: 77.43 years (2004 est.)	total population: 55.89 years male: 53.82 years female: 58.04 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68.7% male: 77% female: 60.9% (2001 est.)
Location	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 13,771 GRT/19,736 DWT by type: cargo 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Bahamas 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 1, Greece 1, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2004 est.)	total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2007)
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	no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (including Coast Guard)	Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	NA	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	0.5% (2006)
National holiday	Independence Day, 3 November (1978)	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality	noun: Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards	flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months	floods, droughts
Natural resources	timber, hydropower, arable land	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate	-13.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	-	refined products 540 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; United Workers Party or UWP [Edison JAMES]	Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders	Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party)	noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Population	69,278 (July 2004 est.)	6,521,998 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	30% (2002 est.)	30.7% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate	-0.45% (2004 est.)	2.37% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Portsmouth, Roseau	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004)	AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2006)
Religions	Roman Catholic 77%, Protestant 15% (Methodist 5%, Pentecostal 3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3%, Baptist 2%, other 2%), none 2%, other 6%	Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8% (1995 census)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.008 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.978 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.791 male(s)/female total population: 0.984 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: fully automatic network international: country code - 1-767; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia	general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas domestic: multiple service providers; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership about 10 per 100 persons international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use	23,700 (2002)	90,067 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	9,400 (2002)	638,200 (2006)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2004)	7 (includes 1 station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi) (2006)
Terrain	rugged mountains of volcanic origin	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate	1.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)	4.59 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	23% (2000 est.)	2.4% (2005 est.)
Waterways	-	4,600 km note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,900 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2007)

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