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Compare Guadeloupe (2006) - Laos (2008)

Compare Guadeloupe (2006) z Laos (2008)

 Guadeloupe (2006)Laos (2008)
 GuadeloupeLaos
Administrative divisions none (overseas department of France) 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 capital city* (nakhon luang, 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: 23.6% (male 54,725/female 52,348)


15-64 years: 67.1% (male 150,934/female 153,094)


65 years and over: 9.2% (male 17,353/female 24,322) (2006 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, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports 9 (2006) 42 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 8


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 5 (2006)
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: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
total: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Area total: 1,780 sq km


land: 1,706 sq km


water: 74 sq km


note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin)
total: 236,800 sq km


land: 230,800 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative 10 times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than Utah
Background Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe 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 had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination 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 15.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 34.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $637.7 million


expenditures: $680.1 million; including capital expenditures of $112.5 million (2002)
revenues: $470.4 million


expenditures: $643.5 million (2007 est.)
Capital name: Basse-Terre


geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 61 44 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Vientiane


geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E


time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline 306 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name conventional long form: Department of Guadeloupe


conventional short form: Guadeloupe


local long form: Departement de la Guadeloupe


local short form: Guadeloupe
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 6.09 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 11.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $NA $3.179 billion (2006)
Dependency status overseas department of France -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas department of France) chief of mission: Ambassador Ravic R. HUSO


embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam, Vientiane


mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546


telephone: [856] 21-26-7000


FAX: [856] 21-26-7190
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas department of France) 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 none 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 $NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies (2004) $379 million (2006 est.)
Economy - overview This Caribbean economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy. The government of Laos, one of the few remaining one-party 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 1988-2007 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 underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. 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 support from Japan and China. Electricity is available in urban areas and in most rural districts. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about 40% of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid from international donors and from 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, should help streamline the government's inefficient tax system.
Electricity - consumption 1.084 billion kWh (2003) 1.193 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 728 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 326 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 1.165 billion kWh (2003) 1.715 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Soufriere 1,484 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, 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 or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5% Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 j(2001) kips per US dollar - 9,658 (2007), 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Jacques BROT (since 12 June 2006)


head of government: President of the General Council Jacques GILLOT (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Victorin LUREL (since 2 April 2004)


cabinet: NA


elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils


election results: 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 bbl/day 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities bananas, sugar, rum, melons, spring water wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold
Exports - partners France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (2004) Thailand 42.1%, Vietnam 9.5%, China 4% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 October - 30 September
Flag description unofficial, local flag based upon the arms of the city of Pointe-a-Pitre; the field is divided horizontally with a narrow, blue stripe along the top edge charged with three gold fleurs-de-lis; the wider, lower portion of the field is black and charged with green sugar cane leaves - representing one of Guadeloupe's main crops - surmounted by a gold radiant sun representing the tropical climate; the only official flag is the national flag of France 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: 15%


industry: 17%


services: 68% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 41.2%


industry: 32.5%


services: 26.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 7% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 15 N, 61 35 W 18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into two islands: the larger, western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern Grande-Terre landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3.4%


highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)
Illicit drugs - 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 bbl/day 2,898 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles 2% (2004) Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.6% (2006)
Independence none (overseas department of France) 19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 12% (2007 est.)
Industries construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism copper, tin, gold, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement
Infant mortality rate total: 8.41 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 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) NA% 5% (2007 est.)
International organization participation UPU, WCL, WFTU ACCT, ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land 60 sq km (2003) 1,750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique 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 191,400 (1999) 2.1 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 15%


industry: 20%


services: 65% (2002)
agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)
Land boundaries total: 15 km


border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 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: 11.7%


permanent crops: 2.92%


other: 85.38% (2005)
arable land: 4.01%


permanent crops: 0.34%


other: 95.65% (2005)
Languages French (official) 99%, Creole patois Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system French legal system based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)


elections: General Council - last held March 2004 (next to be held by in 2010); Regional Council - last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in March 2008 to elect half of the body)


election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - left-wing candidates 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, right-wing candidates 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council (second round) - percent of vote by party - PS 58.4%, UMP 41.6%; seats by party - PS 29, UMP 12


note: Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held September 2004 (next to be held September 2013); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA, Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1, different right parties 1
unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote from a list of candidates selected by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party 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: 78.06 years


male: 74.91 years


female: 81.37 years (2006 est.)
total population: 55.89 years


male: 53.82 years


female: 58.04 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 90%


male: 90%


female: 90% (1982 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 68.7%


male: 77%


female: 60.9% (2001 est.)
Location Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Southeast Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine - total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT


by type: cargo 1 (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of France 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 Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF): Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force (2008)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.5% (2006)
National holiday Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality noun: Guadeloupian(s)


adjective: Guadeloupe
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano floods, droughts
Natural resources cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate -0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - refined products 540 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Mona CADOCE]; FGPS [Dominique LARIFLA]; Left Radical Party or PRG [Flavien FERRANT]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Socialist Party or PS [Jules OTTO]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Claudine LACAVE]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR) [Gabrielle LOUIS-CARABIN] Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement political parties and groups other than LPRP are proscribed
Population 452,776 (July 2006 est.) 6,521,998 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 30.7% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate 0.88% (2006 est.) 2.37% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2006)
Religions Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1% 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: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 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: domestic facilities inadequate


domestic: NA


international: country code - 590; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique
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 210,000 (2001) 90,067 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 314,700 (2004) 638,200 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997) 7 (includes 1 station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi) (2006)
Terrain Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate 1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.) 4.59 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 26.9% (2003) 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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