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Compare Laos (2003) - Svalbard (2003)

Compare Laos (2003) z Svalbard (2003)

 Laos (2003)Svalbard (2003)
 LaosSvalbard
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.)
0-14 years: NA%


15-64 years: NA%


65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry -
Airports 51 (2002) 4 (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: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1523 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: 62,049 sq km


land: 62,049 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
Area - comparative slightly larger than Utah slightly smaller than West Virginia
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. First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory.
Birth rate 36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $211 million


expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est. est.)
revenues: $11.5 million


expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Capital Vientiane Longyearbyen
Climate tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 3,587 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
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen)
Currency kip (LAK) Norwegian krone (NOK)
Death rate 12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $2.53 billion (1999) -
Dependency status - territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway
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 despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone
Economic aid - recipient $345 million (1999 est.) $8.2 million from Norway (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. Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some trapping of seal, polar bear, fox, and walrus.
Electricity - consumption 824.7 million kWh (2001) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 400 million kWh (2001) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - production 1.317 billion kWh (2001) NA kWh
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 1.4%


hydro: 98.6%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel: 58%


hydro: 42%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0%
Elevation extremes lowest point: Mekong River 70 m


highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 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% Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)
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) Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.9838 (2002), 8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999), 7.5451 (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: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)


head of government: Governor Morten RUUD (since NA November 1998) and Assistant Governor Odd Redar HUMLEGAARD (since NA)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice
Exports NA (2001) $NA
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 the flag of Norway is used
GDP purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 53%


industry: 23%


services: 24% (2001 est.)
-
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate 5.7% (2002 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 18 00 N, 105 00 E 78 00 N, 20 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 northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area
Highways total: 21,716 km


paved: 9,664 km


unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)
total: NA km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km
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 -
Imports NA (2001) $NA
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) none (territory of Norway)
Industrial production growth rate 7.5% (1999 est.) NA%
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.)
total: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10% (2002 est.) NA%
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) none
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (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) -
Labor force 2.4 million (1999) NA
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
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% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (1998 est.)
Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages Russian, Norwegian
Legal system based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice NA
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.)
total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA 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.)
NA
Location Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway
Map references Southeast Asia Arctic Region
Maritime claims none (landlocked) exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia


territorial sea: 4 NM
Merchant marine total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT


ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)
none (2002 est.)
Military - note - demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)
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) NA
Nationality noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
-
Natural hazards floods, droughts ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic
Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) NA 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.) 2,811 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 2.45% (2003 est.) -0.02% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors none Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden
Radio broadcast stations AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways 0 km 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.)
NA (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)
general assessment: probably adequate


domestic: local telephone service


international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
Telephones - main lines in use 25,000 (1997) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 4,915 (1997) NA
Television broadcast stations 4 (1999) NA
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts
Total fertility rate 4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.) NA 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
none
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