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Compare Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2006) - Laos (2004)

Compare Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2006) z Laos (2004)

 Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2006)Laos (2004)
 Heard Island and McDonald IslandsLaos
Administrative divisions - 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*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Age structure - 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,277,152; female 1,265,761)


15-64 years: 54.9% (male 1,642,895; female 1,688,175)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,995; female 106,139) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products - sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports - 46 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways - 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: 412 sq km


land: 412 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 two times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than Utah
Background These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve. 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 - 36.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget - revenues: $298.5 million


expenditures: $429.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital - Vientiane
Climate antarctic tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline 101.9 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution - promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands


conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands


abbreviation: HIMI		 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 - 12.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external - $2.49 billion (2001)
Dependency status territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage -
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 demarcation of boundaries with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam is largely complete, but with Thailand several areas including Mekong River islets remain in dispute; ongoing disputes with Thailand and Vietnam over squatters; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Economic aid - recipient - $243 million (2001 est.)
Economy - overview No indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government allows limited fishing around the islands. 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 - 824.7 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 400 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production - 1.317 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 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 - Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Exchange rates - kips per US dollar - 10,443 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.58 (2001), 7,887.64 (2000), 7,102.02 (1999)
Executive branch - 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 Siphandon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%
Exports - NA (2001)
Exports - commodities - garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin
Exports - partners - Thailand 20.7%, Vietnam 15.9%, France 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Belgium 4% (2003)
Fiscal year - 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 - $10.32 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 49.4%


industry: 24.5%


services: 26.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 5.5% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 53 06 S, 72 31 E 18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note - 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 - world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 2003 - 18,900 hectares, a 19% decrease over 2002; estimated potential production in 2003 - 200 metric tons, a 11% increase from 2002); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis; growing methamphetamine abuse problem
Imports - NA (2001)
Imports - commodities - machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners - Thailand 59.4%, China 12.8%, Vietnam 10.2% (2003)
Independence - 19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate - 9.7% (2001 est.)
Industries - tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Infant mortality rate - total: 87.06 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 97.05 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 76.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 15.3% (2003 est.)
International organization participation - ACCT, 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 0 sq km 1,640 sq km


note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - 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 - 2.6 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - 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 - Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice
Legislative branch - 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: 54.69 years


male: 52.71 years


female: 56.75 years (2004 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 66.4%


male: 77.4%


female: 55.5% (2002)
Location islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references Antarctic Region Southeast Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm		 none (landlocked)
Merchant marine - total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT


by type: cargo 1 (2004 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols -
Military branches - Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $10.9 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.5% (2003)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 1,456,500 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 783,800 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 68,563 (2004 est.)
National holiday - Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality - noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island floods, droughts
Natural resources fish timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - refined products 540 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders - Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders - noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Population uninhabited (July 2006 est.) 6,068,117 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line - 40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate - 2.44% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors - none
Radio broadcast stations - AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Religions - 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: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - 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 - 61,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 55,200 (2002)
Television broadcast stations - 4 (1999)
Terrain Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate - 4.86 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate - 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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