Compare Laos (2003) - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003)

Compare Laos (2003) z Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003)

	Laos (2003)	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003)

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	6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick
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.)	0-14 years: 28.2% (male 16,755; female 16,163) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 39,308; female 37,149) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,215; female 4,222) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry	bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish
Airports	51 (2002)	6 (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)	total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (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: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Area	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km	total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) land: 389 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Utah	twice 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, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.	Disputed between France and the United Kingdom in the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.
Birth rate	36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	17.16 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $211 million expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est. est.)	revenues: $94.6 million expenditures: $85.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital	Vientiane	Kingstown
Climate	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)	tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	84 km
Constitution	promulgated 14 August 1991	27 October 1979
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: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Currency	kip (LAK)	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Death rate	12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	6.08 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$2.53 billion (1999)	$167.2 million (2000)
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	the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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	chief of mission: Ambassador Ellsworth I. A. JOHN chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 consulate(s) general: New York
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	protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea
Economic aid - recipient	$345 million (1999 est.)	$47.5 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (1998)
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.	Bananas and other agricultural products remain the staple of this lower-middle income country's economy. Although tourism and other services have been growing moderately in recent years, the government has been ineffective at introducing new industries. Unemployment remains high, and economic growth hinges upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following 11 September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector, but its restrictive secrecy laws have come under international review. As of June 2001, it remained on the Financial Action Task Force's list of noncooperative jurisdictions. Saint Vincent is also the largest producer of marijuana in the Eastern Caribbean and is increasingly being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.
Electricity - consumption	824.7 million kWh (2001)	86 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	400 million kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	1.317 billion kWh (2001)	92.48 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 1.4% hydro: 98.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 69.3% hydro: 30.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m
Environment - current issues	unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water	pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive
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	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%
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)	East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (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%	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Exports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin	bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets
Exports - partners	Vietnam 25.7%, Thailand 19%, France 7.5%, Germany 5.3% (2002)	France 25.2%, Greece 19.1%, Spain 16.4%, UK 9.5%, US 7.1% (2002)
Fiscal year	1 October - 30 September	calendar year
Flag description	three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band	three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern
GDP	purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $339 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 53% industry: 23% services: 24% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 10% industry: 26% services: 64% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.7% (2002 est.)	-0.5% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	18 00 N, 105 00 E	13 15 N, 61 12 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 administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays
Highways	total: 21,716 km paved: 9,664 km unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)	total: 1,040 km paved: 320 km unpaved: 720 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.6% (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 drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation
Imports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels
Imports - partners	Thailand 58.9%, Vietnam 12.3%, China 7.9% (2002)	France 32.7%, US 11.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.4%, Singapore 10.1%, Spain 7.9%, Greece 4.3% (2002)
Independence	19 July 1949 (from France)	27 October 1979 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	7.5% (1999 est.)	-0.9% (1997 est.)
Industries	tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism	food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch
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.)	total: 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	10% (2002 est.)	-0.4% (2001 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)	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	15 (2000)
Irrigated land	1,640 sq km note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)	10 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)	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
Labor force	2.4 million (1999)	67,000 (1984 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 80% (1997 est.)	agriculture 26%, industry 17%, services 57% (1980 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	0 km
Land use	arable land: 3.47% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 96.3% (1998 est.)	arable land: 10.26% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 71.79% (1998 est.)
Languages	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages	English, French patois
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 (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 54.3 years male: 52.34 years female: 56.33 years (2003 est.)	total population: 73.08 years male: 71.3 years female: 74.92 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.)	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.)
Location	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Map references	Southeast Asia	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)	total: 769 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,365,887 GRT/9,665,937 DWT ships by type: bulk 133, cargo 376, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 7, container 58, liquefied gas 8, livestock carrier 4, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, passenger 5, petroleum tanker 43, refrigerated cargo 46, roll on/roll off 45, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 1, Anguilla 1, Argentina 1, Australia 2, The Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1, Barbados 2, Belgium 4, Bulgaria 14, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 1, China 135, Colombia 1, Croatia 12, Cyprus 6, Denmark 16, Egypt 7, Estonia 6, France 27, Germany 12, Greece 156, Guyana 7, Hong Kong 23, Iceland 1, India 11, Indonesia 3, Israel 2, Italy 19, Japan 1, Kenya 4, Latvia 5, Lebanon 9, Liberia 5, Lithuania 1, Malta 1, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Monaco 6, Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, Nigeria 3, Norway 33, Pakistan 5, Panama 2, Poland 2, Portugal 2, Puerto Rico 2, Russia 8, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 4, Slovenia 7, South Korea 4, Spain 1, Sweden 6, Switzerland 10, Syria 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tunisia 1, Turkey 15, Ukraine 8, UAE 45, UK 16, US 25, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force, National Police Department	Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$55 million (FY98)	$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	4.2% (FY96)	NA%
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)	Independence Day, 27 October (1979)
Nationality	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian	noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian
Natural hazards	floods, droughts	hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat
Natural resources	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones	hydropower, cropland
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-7.66 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	National Reform Party or NRP [Joel MIGUEL]; New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Ken BOYEA]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [leader NA]; United People's Movement or UPM [Adrian SAUNDERS]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)
Political pressure groups and leaders	noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975	NA
Population	5,921,545 (July 2003 est.)	116,812 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	40% (2002 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	2.45% (2003 est.)	0.34% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	none	Kingstown
Radio broadcast stations	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)	AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	0 km	0 km
Religions	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)	Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant
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.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 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: adequate system domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines international: VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia
Telephones - main lines in use	25,000 (1997)	20,500 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular	4,915 (1997)	NA
Television broadcast stations	4 (1999)	1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus	volcanic, mountainous
Total fertility rate	4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)	1.95 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	5.7% (1997 est.)	22% (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	none

Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.