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Compare Laos (2002) - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2001)
Compare Laos (2002) z Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2001)
| Laos (2002) | Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2001) | |
 | -2001-bmala.jpg) | |
| 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; also claimed by Argentina) |
| 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:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
| Agriculture - products | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products |
| Airports | 51 (2001) | 5 (2000 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 (2002) |
total:
2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| 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:
3 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
total:
12,173 sq km land: 12,173 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Utah | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
| 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. | Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. |
| Birth rate | 37.39 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
| Budget | revenues: $211 million
expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.) |
revenues:
$66.2 million expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.) |
| Capital | Vientiane | Stanley |
| Climate | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 1,288 km |
| Constitution | promulgated 14 August 1991 | 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 |
| 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: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
| Currency | kip (LAK) | Falkland pound (FKP) |
| Death rate | 12.71 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
| Debt - external | $2.53 billion (1999) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina |
| 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; also claimed by Argentina) |
| 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; also claimed by Argentina) |
| 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 | claimed by Argentina |
| Economic aid - recipient | $345 million (1999 est.) | $1.7 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. | The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. To encourage tourism, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has built three lodges for visitors attracted by the abundant wildlife and trout fishing. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. |
| Electricity - consumption | 690.6 million kWh (2000) | 11.2 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | 400 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | 142 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | 1.02 billion kWh (2000) | 12 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 2%
hydro: 98% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
| Environment - current issues | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water | NA |
| 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% | British |
| 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) | Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound |
| 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) head of government: Governor Donald LAMONT (since NA May 1999); Chief Executive A. M. GURR (since NA); Financial Secretary D. F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch |
| Exports | $325 million (2001 est.) | $7.6 million (1995) |
| Exports - commodities | wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin | wool, hides, meat |
| Exports - partners | Thailand 20%, France 7.5%, Germany 5.9%, UK 4.1%, Belgium 4% (2000) | UK, Japan, Chile, NZ |
| 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 Falkland Island coat of arms in a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $52 million (FY95/96 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 53%
industry: 22% services: 25% (2000 est.) |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,630 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (FY95/96 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5% (2001 est.) | 1% (FY95/96 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | 51 45 S, 59 00 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 | deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season |
| Highways | total: 14,000 km
paved: 3,360 km unpaved: 10,640 km (1991) |
total:
440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km |
| 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 | - |
| Imports | $540 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) | $24.7 million (1995) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel | fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing |
| Imports - partners | Thailand 52%, Singapore 3.9%, Japan 1.6%, Hong Kong 1.5%, China 0.8% (2000) | UK, Japan, Chile, NZ |
| Independence | 19 July 1949 (from France) | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 7.5% (1999 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism | wool and fish processing; sale of stamps and coins |
| Infant mortality rate | 90.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 live births |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 10% (2001 est.) | 3.6% (1998) |
| 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) | ICFTU |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 2 (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) | Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions) |
| Labor force | 2.4 million (1999) | 1,100 (est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 80% (1997 est.) | agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) |
| 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% permanent pastures: 99% forests and woodland: 0% other: 1% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages | English |
| Legal system | based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice | 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 Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms) presided over by the governor
elections: last held 9 October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2001) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 53.88 years
male: 51.95 years female: 55.87 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57% male: 70% female: 44% (1999 est.) |
- |
| Location | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | South America |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | continental shelf:
200 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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 (2000 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 | British Forces Falkland Islands (includes Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Royal Marines), Police Force |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $55 million (FY98) | $NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.2% (FY96/97) | NA% |
| 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) | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) |
| Nationality | noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian |
noun:
Falkland Islander(s) adjective: Falkland Island |
| Natural hazards | floods, droughts | strong winds persist throughout the year |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | fish, wildlife |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
| Pipelines | petroleum products 136 km | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed | none; all independents |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975 | none |
| Population | 5,777,180 (July 2002 est.) | 2,895 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 40% (2001 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.47% (2002 est.) | 2.43% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | none | Stanley |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | 730,000 (1997) | 1,000 (1997) |
| Railways | 0 km (2001) | 0 km |
| Religions | Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) | primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist |
| 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.) |
- |
| 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: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 25,000 (1997) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 4,915 (1997) | NA |
| Television broadcast stations | 4 (1999) | 2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains |
| Total fertility rate | 5.03 children born/woman (2002 est.) | NA children born/woman |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% (1997 est.) | full employment; labor shortage |
| 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 |
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