Laos (2002) | Anguilla (2002) | |
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, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 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.) |
0-14 years: 25% (male 1,575; female 1,529)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 4,356; female 4,124) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 383; female 479) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry | small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising |
Airports | 51 (2001) | 3 (2001) |
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 (2002) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (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) |
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
Area | total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Utah | about half the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980 with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency. |
Birth rate | 37.39 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 14.94 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $211 million
expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.) |
revenues: $20.4 million
expenditures: $23.3 million, including capital expenditures of $3.8 million |
Capital | Vientiane | The Valley |
Climate | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 61 km |
Constitution | promulgated 14 August 1991 | Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla |
Currency | kip (LAK) | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Death rate | 12.71 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.53 billion (1999) | $8.8 million (1998) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador PHANTHONG Phommahaxay
chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | 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 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $345 million (1999 est.) | $3.5 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | 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. | Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism industry, which has spurred the growth of the construction sector, has contributed to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector, which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable weather conditions. |
Electricity - consumption | 690.6 million kWh (2000) | 42.6 million kWh |
Electricity - exports | 400 million kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - imports | 142 million kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - production | 1.02 billion kWh (2000) | 45.85 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 2%
hydro: 98% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m |
Environment - current issues | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water | supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system |
Environment - international 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 | Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% | black (predominant), mulatto, white |
Exchange rates | 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) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) |
Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Peter JOHNSTONE (since NA February 2000)
head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March 2000) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the House of Assembly elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | $325 million (2001 est.) | $2.6 million (1999) |
Exports - commodities | wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin | lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum |
Exports - partners | Thailand 20%, France 7.5%, Germany 5.9%, UK 4.1%, Belgium 4% (2000) | UK, US, Puerto Rico |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $104 million (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 53%
industry: 22% services: 25% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 4%
industry: 18% services: 78% (1997 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,630 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $8,600 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5% (2001 est.) | 0% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | 18 15 N, 63 10 W |
Geography - note | landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand | the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles |
Highways | total: 14,000 km
paved: 3,360 km unpaved: 10,640 km (1991) |
total: 105 km
paved: 65 km unpaved: 40 km (1998 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 31% (1997) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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 | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | $540 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) | $80.9 million (1999) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel | fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, textiles |
Imports - partners | Thailand 52%, Singapore 3.9%, Japan 1.6%, Hong Kong 1.5%, China 0.8% (2000) | US, Puerto Rico, UK |
Independence | 19 July 1949 (from France) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 7.5% (1999 est.) | 3.1% |
Industries | tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism | tourism, boat building, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | 90.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 23.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 10% (2001 est.) | 2.3% |
International organization participation | 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) | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate), ECLAC (associate) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 16 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 1,640 sq km
note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.) |
NA sq km |
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) | High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court) |
Labor force | 2.4 million (1999) | 6,735 (1999) (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 80% (1997 est.) | commerce 36%, services 29%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, manufacturing 3%, agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4% |
Land boundaries | total: 5,083 km
border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 3.47%
permanent crops: 0.23% other: 96.3% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (1998 est.) |
Languages | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages | English (official) |
Legal system | based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice | based on English common law |
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 NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 109 |
unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 March 2000 (next to be held NA June 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ANA 3, AUP 2, ADP 1, independent 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 53.88 years
male: 51.95 years female: 55.87 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 76.5 years
male: 73.6 years female: 79.5 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57% male: 70% female: 44% (1999 est.) |
definition: age 12 and over can read and write
total population: 95% male: 95% female: 95% (1984 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force, National Police Department | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $55 million (FY98) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.2% (FY96/97) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,365,027 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | 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 | Republic Day, 2 December (1975) | Anguilla Day, 30 May |
Nationality | noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian |
noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan |
Natural hazards | floods, droughts | frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October) |
Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | salt, fish, lobster |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 15.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | petroleum products 136 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed | Anguilla United Party or AUP [Hubert HUGHES]; The United Front or UF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA |
Political pressure groups and leaders | noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975 | NA |
Population | 5,777,180 (July 2002 est.) | 12,446 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 40% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.47% (2002 est.) | 2.44% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | Blowing Point, Road Bay |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | 730,000 (1997) | 3,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km (2001) | 0 km |
Religions | Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) | Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, other 12% |
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: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 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: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern internal telephone system international: microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 25,000 (1997) | 4,974 (2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 4,915 (1997) | 1,629 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 4 (1999) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone |
Total fertility rate | 5.03 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.77 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 5.7% (1997 est.) | 8% (1999) (1999) |
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 |
none |