Compare Laos (2003) - Trinidad and Tobago (2003)

Compare Laos (2003) z Trinidad and Tobago (2003)

	Laos (2003)	Trinidad and Tobago (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	8 counties, 3 municipalities, and 1 ward*; Arima, Caroni, Mayaro, Nariva, Port-of-Spain, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick, San Fernando, Tobago*, Victoria
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: 22.2% (male 125,470; female 119,270) 15-64 years: 70% (male 402,137; female 370,600) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 38,928; female 47,804) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry	cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry
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: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 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: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Area	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km	total: 5,128 sq km land: 5,128 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Utah	slightly smaller than Delaware
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 islands came under British control in the 19th century; independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean, thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.
Birth rate	36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	12.74 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $211 million expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est. est.)	revenues: $1.54 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $117.3 million (1998)
Capital	Vientiane	Port-of-Spain
Climate	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)	tropical; rainy season (June to December)
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	362 km
Constitution	promulgated 14 August 1991	1 August 1976
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: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago
Currency	kip (LAK)	Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)
Death rate	12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	8.71 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$2.53 billion (1999)	$2.8 billion (2002 est.)
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	chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain telephone: [1] (868) 622-6372 through 6376, 622-6176 FAX: [1] (868) 628-5462
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 Marina Annette VALERE (as of February 2003) chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 467-6490 FAX: [1] (202) 785-3130 consulate(s) general: Miami and 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	none
Economic aid - recipient	$345 million (1999 est.)	$24 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.	Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses. A leading performer the past four years has been the booming natural gas sector. Tourism is a growing sector, although not proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The economy benefits from low inflation and a trade surplus. The year 2002 was marked by solid growth in the oil sector, offset in part by domestic political uncertainty.
Electricity - consumption	824.7 million kWh (2001)	4.943 billion 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)	5.315 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 1.4% hydro: 98.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m
Environment - current issues	unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water	water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands 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 39.5%, East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern India) 40.3%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and other 1.2%
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)	Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.24 (2002), 6.23 (2001), 6.3 (2000), 6.3 (1999), 6.3 (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: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March 2003) head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24 December 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a five-year term; election last held 14 February 2003 (next to be held NA 2008); the president usually appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent of electoral college vote - 43%
Exports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin	petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products, fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers
Exports - partners	Vietnam 25.7%, Thailand 19%, France 7.5%, Germany 5.3% (2002)	US 56.9%, Jamaica 7.3%, France 4.4% (2002)
Fiscal year	1 October - 30 September	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	red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist side to the lower fly side
GDP	purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $11.07 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 53% industry: 23% services: 24% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 1.6% industry: 43.2% services: 55.2% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.7% (2002 est.)	3.2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	18 00 N, 105 00 E	11 00 N, 61 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	Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's largest natural reservoir of asphalt
Highways	total: 21,716 km paved: 9,664 km unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)	total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 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; producer of cannabis
Imports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods	machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live animals
Imports - partners	Thailand 58.9%, Vietnam 12.3%, China 7.9% (2002)	US 42%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.5%, UK 5%, Japan 4.5%, Brazil 4.3% (2002)
Independence	19 July 1949 (from France)	31 August 1962 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	7.5% (1999 est.)	2.6% (2002 est.)
Industries	tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism	petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage, cotton textiles
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: 24.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	10% (2002 est.)	4.3% (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)	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	17 (2000)
Irrigated land	1,640 sq km note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)	30 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)	Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court of Justice; Court of Appeals the highest court of appeal is the Privy Council in London
Labor force	2.4 million (1999)	564,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 80% (1997 est.)	construction and utilities 12.4%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 9.5%, services 64.1% (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: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (1998 est.)
Languages	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages	English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese
Legal system	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice	based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; members appointed by the president for a maximum term of five years) and the House of Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next to be held by October 2007) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM 55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16 note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly, with 15 members serving four-year terms
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 54.3 years male: 52.34 years female: 56.33 years (2003 est.)	total population: 69.59 years male: 67.07 years female: 72.23 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 can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98% (2003 est.)
Location	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Map references	Southeast Asia	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the outer edge of the continental margin 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: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,032 GRT/5,106 DWT ships by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: US 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force, National Police Department	Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (including Ground Force, Coast Guard, and Air Wing), Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$55 million (FY98)	$90 million (1999)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	4.2% (FY96)	1.4% (1999)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 1,411,042 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 327,823 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 759,499 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 233,488 (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, 31 August (1962)
Nationality	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian	noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s) adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian
Natural hazards	floods, droughts	outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms
Natural resources	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones	petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-10.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	refined products 540 km (2003)	condensate 253 km; gas 1,117 km; oil 478 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed	National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Hochoy CHARLES]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [leader NA]; People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or TUN [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo PANDAY]
Political pressure groups and leaders	noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975	Jamaat-al Musilmeen [Yasin BAKR]
Population	5,921,545 (July 2003 est.)	1,104,209 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	40% (2002 est.)	21% (1992 est.)
Population growth rate	2.45% (2003 est.)	-0.68% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	none	Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora
Radio broadcast stations	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)	AM 2, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	0 km	minimal agricultural railroad system near San Fernando; common carrier railway service was discontinued in 1968 (2001)
Religions	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)	Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%, Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7%
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: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 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: excellent international service; good local service domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana
Telephones - main lines in use	25,000 (1997)	252,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular	4,915 (1997)	17,411 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	4 (1999)	4 (1997)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus	mostly plains with some hills and low mountains
Total fertility rate	4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)	1.78 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	5.7% (1997 est.)	10.8% (2002)
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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