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Compare Laos (2004) - Brunei (2003)
Compare Laos (2004) z Brunei (2003)
| Laos (2004) | Brunei (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, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang | 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,277,152; female 1,265,761)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 1,642,895; female 1,688,175) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,995; female 106,139) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 29.6% (male 54,118; female 51,902)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 128,421; female 113,480) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 4,804; female 5,373) (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry | rice, vegetables, fruits, chickens, water buffalo |
| Airports | 46 (2003 est.) | 2 (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 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
| Area | total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
total: 5,770 sq km
land: 5,270 sq km water: 500 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Utah | slightly smaller than Delaware |
| Background | Laos was under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. 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 Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the developing world. |
| Birth rate | 36.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 19.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $298.5 million
expenditures: $429.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.35 billion (1997 est.) |
| Capital | Vientiane | Bandar Seri Begawan |
| Climate | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | tropical; hot, humid, rainy |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 161 km |
| Constitution | promulgated 14 August 1991 | 29 September 1959 (some provisions suspended under a State of Emergency since December 1962, others since independence on 1 January 1984) |
| 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: Negara Brunei Darussalam
conventional short form: Brunei |
| Currency | kip (LAK) | Bruneian dollar (BND) |
| Death rate | 12.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 3.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $2.49 billion (2001) | $0 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH
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 Gene B. CHRISTY
embassy: Third Floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan, Bandar Seri Begawan mailing address: PSC 470 (BSB), FPO AP 96507 telephone: [673] (2) 229670 FAX: [673] (2) 225293 |
| 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 Anak Dato Haji PUTEH
chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560 |
| Disputes - international | demarcation of boundaries with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam is largely complete, but with Thailand several areas including Mekong River islets remain in dispute; ongoing disputes with Thailand and Vietnam over squatters; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels | Involved in dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; Brunei established an exclusive economic fishing zone encompassing Louisa Reef in southern Spratly Islands in 1984 but makes no public territorial claim to the offshore reefs; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct" |
| Economic aid - recipient | $243 million (2001 est.) | $4.3 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. | This small, wealthy economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition. Crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of GDP. Per capita GDP is far above most other Third World countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion, although it became a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors, and, in general, further widening the economic base beyond oil and gas. |
| Electricity - consumption | 824.7 million kWh (2001) | 2.322 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) | 2.497 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m |
| Environment - current issues | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water | seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
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 and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% | Malay 67%, Chinese 15%, indigenous 6%, other 12% |
| Exchange rates | kips per US dollar - 10,443 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.58 (2001), 7,887.64 (2000), 7,102.02 (1999) | Bruneian dollars per US dollar - 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.72 (2000), 1.69 (1999), 1.67 (1998) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphadon (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 Bouasone BOUPHAVANH (since 3 October 2003) Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since 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 in 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: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Cabinet Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; deals with executive matters; note - there is also a Religious Council (members appointed by the monarch) that advises on religious matters, a Privy Council (members appointed by the monarch) that deals with constitutional matters, and the Council of Succession (members appointed by the monarch) that determines the succession to the throne if the need arises elections: none; the monarch is hereditary |
| Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin | crude oil, natural gas, refined products |
| Exports - partners | Thailand 20.7%, Vietnam 15.9%, France 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Belgium 4% (2003) | Japan 40.3%, South Korea 12.3%, Thailand 12.1%, Australia 9.2%, US 8.1%, China 6.4%, Singapore 5.7% (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 | yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; the emblem includes a swallow-tailed flag on top of a winged column within an upturned crescent above a scroll and flanked by two upraised hands |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $10.32 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 49.4%
industry: 24.5% services: 26.1% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 45% services: 50% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $18,600 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5.5% (2003 est.) | 3% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | 4 30 N, 114 40 E |
| Geography - note | landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand | close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; almost an enclave of Malaysia |
| Heliports | - | 3 (2002) |
| Highways | total: 21,716 km
paved: 9,664 km unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.) |
total: 2,525 km
paved: 2,525 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
| 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 2003 - 18,900 hectares, a 19% decrease over 2002; estimated potential production in 2003 - 200 metric tons, a 11% increase from 2002); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis; growing methamphetamine abuse problem | drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty |
| Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, chemicals |
| Imports - partners | Thailand 59.4%, China 12.8%, Vietnam 10.2% (2003) | Singapore 30.6%, Japan 21.5%, Malaysia 17.4%, UK 6.1%, Hong Kong 4% (2002) |
| Independence | 19 July 1949 (from France) | 1 January 1984 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 9.7% (2001 est.) | 5% (2002 est.) |
| Industries | tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 87.06 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 97.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 76.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 13.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 15.3% (2003 est.) | -2% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) | APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, ESCAP, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (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) | Supreme Court (chief justice and judges are sworn in by the monarch for three-year terms) |
| Labor force | 2.6 million (2001 est.) | 143,400
note: includes foreign workers and military personnel; temporary residents make up about 40% of labor force (1999 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 80% (1997 est.) | government 48%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 42%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10% (1999 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 |
total: 381 km
border countries: Malaysia 381 km |
| Land use | arable land: 3.8%
permanent crops: 0.35% other: 95.85% (2001) |
arable land: 0.57%
permanent crops: 0.76% other: 98.67% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages | Malay (official), English, Chinese |
| Legal system | based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice | based on English common law; for Muslims, Islamic Shari'a law supersedes civil law in a number of areas |
| 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 in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 109 |
unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Masyuarat Megeri (a privy council that serves only in a consultative capacity; NA seats; members appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held in March 1962 note: in 1970 the Council was changed to an appointive body by decree of the monarch; an elected Legislative Council is being considered as part of constitutional reform, but elections are unlikely for several years |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 54.69 years
male: 52.71 years female: 56.75 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 74.3 years
male: 71.9 years female: 76.82 years (2003 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.4% male: 77.4% female: 55.5% (2002) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.8% male: 94.8% female: 88.5% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM or to median line
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 465,937 GRT/413,393 DWT
ships by type: liquefied gas 8 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: UK 7 (2002 est.) |
| Military branches | Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force | Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Royal Brunei Police |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $10.9 million (2003) | $329.7 million (FY02) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.5% (2003) | 5% (FY02) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,456,500 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49: 110,888 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 783,800 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49: 63,966 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 68,563 (2004 est.) | males: 3,277 (2003 est.) |
| National holiday | Republic Day, 2 December (1975) | National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection |
| Nationality | noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian |
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian |
| Natural hazards | floods, droughts | typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | petroleum, natural gas, timber |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 3.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Pipelines | refined products 540 km (2004) | gas 665 km; oil 439 km (2003) |
| Political parties and leaders | Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed | Brunei Solidarity National Party or PPKB in Malay [Haji Mohd HATTA bin Haji Zainal Abidin, president]; note - the PPKB is the only legal political party in Brunei; it was registered in 1985 but became largely inactive after 1988; it was revived in 1995 and again in 1998; it has less than 200 registered party members; other parties include Brunei People's Party or PRB (banned in 1962) and Brunei National Democratic Party (registered in May 1965, deregistered by the Brunei Government in 1988) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975 | NA |
| Population | 6,068,117 (July 2004 est.) | 358,098 (July 2003 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 40% (2002 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.44% (2004 est.) | 2% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | none | Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Muara, Seria, Tutong |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 3, FM 10, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Railways | - | total: 13 km (private line)
narrow gauge: 13 km 0.610-m gauge (2001 est.) |
| Religions | Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) | Muslim (official) 67%, Buddhist 13%, Christian 10%, indigenous beliefs and other 10% |
| 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: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | none |
| 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: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
general assessment: service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to East Asia, Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore (2001) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 61,900 (2002) | 79,000 (1996) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 55,200 (2002) | 43,524 (1996) |
| Television broadcast stations | 4 (1999) | 2 (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west |
| Total fertility rate | 4.86 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 2.37 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% (1997 est.) | 10% (2001 est.) |
| Waterways | 4,600 km
note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2003) |
209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m |
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