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Compare Laos (2003) - Arctic Ocean (2001)

Compare Laos (2003) z Arctic Ocean (2001)

 Laos (2003)Arctic Ocean (2001)
 LaosArctic Ocean
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 -
Age structure 0-14 years: 42.2% (male 1,255,172; female 1,242,823)


15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,592,697; female 1,639,431)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,192; female 104,230) (2003 est.)		 -
Agriculture - products sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry -
Airports 51 (2002) -
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)		 -
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 42


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 15


under 914 m: 26 (2002)		 -
Area total: 236,800 sq km


land: 230,800 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km		 total:
14.056 million sq km

note:
includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative slightly larger than Utah slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US
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, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.
Birth rate 36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) -
Budget revenues: $211 million


expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est. est.)		 -
Capital Vientiane -
Climate tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 45,389 km
Constitution promulgated 14 August 1991 -
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		 -
Currency kip (LAK) -
Death rate 12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) -
Debt - external $2.53 billion (1999) -
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		 -
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		 -
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 some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Economic aid - recipient $345 million (1999 est.) -
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. Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.
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) -
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 1.4%


hydro: 98.6%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)		 -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Mekong River 70 m


highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m		 lowest point:
Fram Basin -4,665 m

highest point:
sea level 0 m
Environment - current issues unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack
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% -
Exchange rates kips per US dollar - 7,562 (2002), 8,954.58 (2001), 7,887.64 (2000), 7,102.02 (1999), 3,298.33 (1998) -
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%		 -
Exports NA (2001) -
Exports - commodities wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin -
Exports - partners Vietnam 25.7%, Thailand 19%, France 7.5%, Germany 5.3% (2002) -
Fiscal year 1 October - 30 September -
Flag description 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 - $10.4 billion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 53%


industry: 23%


services: 24% (2001 est.)		 -
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 5.7% (2002 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 18 00 N, 105 00 E 90 00 N, 0 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months
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 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 NA (2001) -
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods -
Imports - partners Thailand 58.9%, Vietnam 12.3%, China 7.9% (2002) -
Independence 19 July 1949 (from France) -
Industrial production growth rate 7.5% (1999 est.) -
Industries tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism -
Infant mortality rate total: 88.94 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 99.1 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 78.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)		 -
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (2002 est.) -
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) -
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land 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 2.4 million (1999) -
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 80% (1997 est.) -
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		 -
Land use arable land: 3.47%


permanent crops: 0.23%


other: 96.3% (1998 est.)		 -
Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages -
Legal system 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 NA 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: 54.3 years


male: 52.34 years


female: 56.33 years (2003 est.)		 -
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 52.8%


male: 67.5%


female: 38.1% (2003 est.)		 -
Location Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle
Map references Southeast Asia Arctic Region
Maritime claims none (landlocked) -
Merchant marine total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT


ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)		 -
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) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,411,042 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 759,499 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 67,260 (2003 est.) -
National holiday Republic Day, 2 December (1975) -
Nationality noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian		 -
Natural hazards floods, droughts ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May
Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -
Pipelines refined products 540 km (2003) -
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 5,921,545 (July 2003 est.) -
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) -
Population growth rate 2.45% (2003 est.) -
Ports and harbors none Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)
Radio broadcast stations AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) -
Railways 0 km -
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: 0.84 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 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: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)		 -
Telephones - main lines in use 25,000 (1997) -
Telephones - mobile cellular 4,915 (1997) -
Television broadcast stations 4 (1999) -
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that averages about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may be three times that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)
Total fertility rate 4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.) -
Unemployment rate 5.7% (1997 est.) -
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		 -
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