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Compare Laos (2004) - Nigeria (2006)

Compare Laos (2004) z Nigeria (2006)

 Laos (2004)Nigeria (2006)
 LaosNigeria
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 36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
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: 42.3% (male 28,089,017/female 27,665,212)


15-64 years: 54.6% (male 36,644,885/female 35,405,915)


65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,930,007/female 2,124,695) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish
Airports 46 (2003 est.) 69 (2006)
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: 36


over 3,047 m: 6


2,438 to 3,047 m: 12


1,524 to 2,437 m: 10


914 to 1,523 m: 6


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
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: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 18 (2006)
Area total: 236,800 sq km


land: 230,800 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
total: 923,768 sq km


land: 910,768 sq km


water: 13,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Utah slightly more than twice the size of California
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. British influence and control over what would become Nigeria grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The president faces the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. Although the April 2003 elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence.
Birth rate 36.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 40.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $298.5 million


expenditures: $429.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
revenues: $12.86 billion


expenditures: $13.54 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital Vientiane name: Abuja


geographic coordinates: 9 12 N, 7 11 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 853 km
Constitution promulgated 14 August 1991 new constitution adopted May 1999
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: Federal Republic of Nigeria


conventional short form: Nigeria
Currency kip (LAK) -
Death rate 12.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 16.94 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $2.49 billion (2001) $32.45 billion (2005 est.)
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 John CAMPBELL


embassy: 7 Mambilla Drive, Abuja


mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos


telephone: [234] (9) 523-0916/0906/5857/2235/2205


FAX: [234] (9) 523-0353
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 Professor George A. OBIOZOR


chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400


FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York
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 ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north; following the UN-brokered Greentree Agreement of 12 June 2006, Nigeria, in completion of the 2002 ICJ decision on the Cameroon-Nigerian land boundary, handed sovereignty of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon on 14 August; all Nigerian military forces have reportedly withdrawn from the region but Nigeria will continue to maintain a police and administrative presence in the southeastern "transition zone" for a period of up to two years; Nigeria pledges to provide for the resettlement of those Bakassi residents who wish to remain Nigerian citizens; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; a joint task force was established in 2004 that resolved disputes over and redrew the maritime and the 870-km land boundary with Benin on the Okpara River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Economic aid - recipient $243 million (2001 est.) IMF, $250 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. Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In the last year the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. GDP rose strongly in 2005, based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a historic debt-relief deal that by March 2006 should eliminate $30 billion worth of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal first requires that Nigeria repay roughly $12 billion in arrears to its bilateral creditors. Nigeria would then be allowed to buy back its remaining debt stock at a discount. The deal also commits Nigeria to more intensified IMF reviews.
Electricity - consumption 824.7 million kWh (2001) 14.46 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 400 million kWh (2001) 40 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 1.317 billion kWh (2001) 15.59 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Mekong River 70 m


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


highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Environment - current issues unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, 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 and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
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) nairas per US dollar - 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003), 120.58 (2002), 111.23 (2001)
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: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Olusegun OBASANJO (since 29 May 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Federal Executive Council


elections: president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 19 April 2003 (next to be held April 2007)


election results: Olusegun OBASANJO elected president; percent of vote - Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) 61.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI (ANPP) 31.2%, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu OJUKWU (APGA) 3.3%, other 3.6%
Exports NA (2001) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Exports - partners Thailand 20.7%, Vietnam 15.9%, France 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Belgium 4% (2003) US 49.7%, Brazil 10.4%, Spain 7.6% (2005)
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 equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
GDP purchasing power parity - $10.32 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 49.4%


industry: 24.5%


services: 26.1% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 26.9%


industry: 48.7%


services: 24.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 5.5% (2003 est.) 6.9% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 00 N, 105 00 E 10 00 N, 8 00 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 the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
Heliports - 1 (2006)
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)
lowest 10%: 1.6%


highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97)
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 a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; safehaven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
Imports NA (2001) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
Imports - partners Thailand 59.4%, China 12.8%, Vietnam 10.2% (2003) China 10.4%, US 7.3%, UK 6.7%, Netherlands 6%, France 5.9%, Germany 4.2% (2005)
Independence 19 July 1949 (from France) 1 October 1960 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 9.7% (2001 est.) 3.8% (2005 est.)
Industries tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair
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: 97.14 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 104.05 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 90.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15.3% (2003 est.) 13.5% (2005 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) ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land 1,640 sq km


note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)
2,820 sq km (2003)
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 (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)
Labor force 2.6 million (2001 est.) 57.21 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 80% (1997 est.) agriculture: 70%


industry: 10%


services: 20% (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: 4,047 km


border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Land use arable land: 3.8%


permanent crops: 0.35%


other: 95.85% (2001)
arable land: 33.02%


permanent crops: 3.14%


other: 63.84% (2005)
Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Legal system based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice based on English common law, Islamic Shariah law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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
bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats - 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007); House of Representatives - last held 12 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 8.8%, other 9.3%; seats by party - PDP 223, ANPP 96, AD 34, other 6; note - one seat is vacant
Life expectancy at birth total population: 54.69 years


male: 52.71 years


female: 56.75 years (2004 est.)
total population: 47.08 years


male: 46.52 years


female: 47.66 years (2006 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: 68%


male: 75.7%


female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Map references Southeast Asia Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT


by type: cargo 1 (2004 est.)
total: 52 ships (1000 GRT or over) 277,709 GRT/475,414 DWT


by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 5, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 36, specialized tanker 2


foreign-owned: 4 (Norway 1, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1, Spain 1)


registered in other countries: 28 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cambodia 2, Comoros 2, Panama 7, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, unknown 2) (2006)
Military branches Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force Nigerian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Niger Air Force (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $10.9 million (2003) $737.6 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.5% (2003) 0.8% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,456,500 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 783,800 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 68,563 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Republic Day, 2 December (1975) Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
Nationality noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
noun: Nigerian(s)


adjective: Nigerian
Natural hazards floods, droughts periodic droughts; flooding
Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines refined products 540 km (2004) condensate 126 km; gas 2,812 km; liquid petroleum gas 125 km; oil 4,278 km; refined products 3,517 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Don ETIEBET]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [disputed leadership]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Dr. Ahmadu ALI]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples Party or UNPP [disputed leadership]
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.) 131,859,731


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 40% (2002 est.) 60% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 2.44% (2004 est.) 2.38% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors none -
Radio broadcast stations AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)
Railways - total: 3,505 km


narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2005)
Religions Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 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: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 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: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
general assessment: expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network has been slow due to faltering efforts at privatization


domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth in this service; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; four wireless (GSM) service providers operate nationally; the combined growth resulted in a sharp increase in teledensity reported to be over 18% in March 2006


international: country code - 234; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Telephones - main lines in use 61,900 (2002) 1,223,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 55,200 (2002) 21,571,131 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 4 (1999) 3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2002)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Total fertility rate 4.86 children born/woman (2004 est.) 5.49 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 5.7% (1997 est.) 2.9% (2005 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)
8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2005)
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