Compare Laos (2004) - Peru (2004)

Compare Laos (2004) z Peru (2004)

	Laos (2004)	Peru (2004)

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	24 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali note: some reports indicate that the 24 departments and 1 constitutional province are now being referred to as regions; Peru is implementing a decentralization program whereby these 25 administrative divisions will begin to exercise greater governmental authority over their territories; in November 2002, voters chose their new regional presidents and other regional leaders; the authority that the regional government will exercise has not yet been clearly defined, but it will be devolved to the regions over the course of several years
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: 32.1% (male 4,496,146; female 4,340,580) 15-64 years: 62.8% (male 8,709,098; female 8,594,351) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 660,734; female 743,396) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry	coffee, cotton, sugarcane, rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, plantains, coca; poultry, beef, dairy products, wool; fish
Airports	46 (2003 est.)	233 (2003 est.)
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: 52 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
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: 182 1,524 to 2,437 m: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 62 under 914 m: 99 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km	total: 1,285,220 sq km land: 1.28 million sq km water: 5,220 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Utah	slightly smaller than Alaska
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.	Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime. FUJIMORI won reelection to a third term in the spring of 2000, but international pressure and corruption scandals led to his ouster by Congress in November of that year. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government; his presidency has been hampered by allegations of corruption.
Birth rate	36.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	21.27 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $298.5 million expenditures: $429.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)	revenues: $15.86 billion expenditures: $17.05 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2003 est.)
Capital	Vientiane	Lima
Climate	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)	varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	2,414 km
Constitution	promulgated 14 August 1991	31 December 1993
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 Peru conventional short form: Peru local long form: Republica del Peru local short form: Peru
Currency	kip (LAK)	nuevo sol (PEN)
Death rate	12.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$2.49 billion (2001)	$29.95 billion (2003 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 J. Curtis STRUBLE embassy: Avenida La Encalada, Cuadra 17s/n, Surco, Lima 33 mailing address: P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1; American Embassy (Lima), APO AA 34031-5000 telephone: [51] (1) 434-3000 FAX: [51] (1) 434-3037
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 Eduardo FERRERO Costa chancery: 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 833-9860 through 9869 FAX: [1] (202) 659-8124 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, Washington (DC)
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	Bolivia has reanimated its claim to restore the Atacama corridor ceded to Chile and adjoining Peru in 1884 to secure sovereign maritime assess for Bolivian natural gas
Economic aid - recipient	$243 million (2001 est.)	$895.1 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.	Peru's economy reflects its varied geography - an arid coastal region, the Andes further inland, and tropical lands bordering Colombia and Brazil. Abundant mineral resources are found in the mountainous areas, and Peru's coastal waters provide excellent fishing grounds. However, overdependence on minerals and metals subjects the economy to fluctuations in world prices, and a lack of infrastructure deters trade and investment. After several years of inconsistent economic performance, the Peruvian economy was one of the fastest growing in Latin America in 2002 and 2003, growing by 5% and 4%, respectively, with the exchange rate stable and an annual inflation lower than 2%. Foreign direct investment also was strong, thanks to the ongoing Camisea natural gas pipeline project (scheduled to begin operations in 2004) and investments in gold mining. Risk premiums on Peruvian bonds on secondary markets reached historically low levels in late 2003, reflecting investor optimism and the government's fiscal restraint. Despite the strong macroeconomic performance, political intrigue and allegations of corruption continued to swirl in 2003, with the TOLEDO administration growing increasingly unpopular, and local and foreign concern rising that the political turmoil could place the country's hard-won fiscal and financial stability at risk. Moreover, as of late 2003, unemployment had yet to respond to the strong growth in economic activity, owing in part to rigid labor market regulations that act as an impediment to hiring.
Electricity - consumption	824.7 million kWh (2001)	19.15 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)	20.59 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m
Environment - current issues	unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water	deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes
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: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling 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%	Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
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)	nuevo sol per US dollar - 3.4785 (2003), 3.5165 (2002), 3.5068 (2001), 3.49 (2000), 3.3833 (1999)
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 Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique (since 28 July 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; additionally two vice presidents are provided for by the constitution, First Vice President (vacant) and Second Vice President David WAISMAN (since 28 July 2001) head of government: President Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique (since 28 July 2001); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; additionally two vice presidents are provided for by the constitution, First Vice President (vacant) and Second Vice President David WAISMAN (since 28 July 2001) note: Prime Minister Carlos FERRERO Costa (since 15 December 2003) does not exercise executive power; this power is in the hands of the president cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; special presidential and congressional elections held 8 April 2001, with runoff election held 3 June 2001; next to be held 9 April 2006 election results: President Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique elected president in runoff election; percent of vote - Alejandro TOLEDO Manrique 53.1%, Alan GARCIA 46.9%
Exports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin	fish and fish products, gold, copper, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts, lead, coffee, sugar, cotton
Exports - partners	Thailand 20.7%, Vietnam 15.9%, France 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Belgium 4% (2003)	US 27.1%, UK 12.4%, China 7.7%, Switzerland 7.6%, Chile 4.7%, Japan 4.4% (2003)
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 red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a vicuna, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath
GDP	purchasing power parity - $10.32 billion (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $146 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 49.4% industry: 24.5% services: 26.1% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 8% industry: 27% services: 65% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $5,100 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.5% (2003 est.)	4% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	18 00 N, 105 00 E	10 00 S, 76 00 W
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	shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia; a remote slope of Nevado Mismi, a 5,316 m peak, is the ultimate source of the Amazon River
Heliports	-	1 (2003 est.)
Highways	total: 21,716 km paved: 9,664 km unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)	total: 72,900 km paved: 9,331 km unpaved: 63,569 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%: 35.4% (1996)
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	until 1996 the world's largest coca leaf producer; emerging opium producer; cultivation of coca in Peru fell 15 percent to 31,150 hectares between 2002 and the end of 2003; much of the cocaine base is shipped to neighboring Colombia for processing into cocaine, while finished cocaine is shipped out from Pacific ports to the international drug market; increasing amounts of base and finished cocaine, however, are being moved to Brazil and Bolivia for use in the Southern Cone or transshipped to Europe and Africa
Imports	NA (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods	machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum, iron and steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners	Thailand 59.4%, China 12.8%, Vietnam 10.2% (2003)	US 28.6%, Spain 10%, Chile 7.5%, Brazil 5.1%, Colombia 4.5% (2003)
Independence	19 July 1949 (from France)	28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate	9.7% (2001 est.)	2% (2003 est.)
Industries	tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism	mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication
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: 32.95 deaths/1,000 live births male: 35.57 deaths/1,000 live births female: 30.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	15.3% (2003 est.)	2.3% (2003 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, CAN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, 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.)	11,950 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 Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are appointed by the National Council of the Judiciary)
Labor force	2.6 million (2001 est.)	8.63 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 80% (1997 est.)	agriculture 5.9%, mining and quarrying 0.4%, manufacturing 12.6%, construction 5.3%, commerce 26.3%, household work 4.9%, other services 44.6% (2004)
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: 5,536 km border countries: Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia 1,496 km (est.), Ecuador 1,420 km
Land use	arable land: 3.8% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 95.85% (2001)	arable land: 2.89% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 96.71% (2001)
Languages	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages	Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara, and a large number of minor Amazonian languages
Legal system	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice	based on civil law system; 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 in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 109	unicameral Congress of the Republic of Peru or Congreso de la Republica del Peru (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 8 April 2001 (next to be held 9 April 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - Peru Posible 26.3%, APRA 19.7%, Unidad Nacional 13.8%, FIM 11.0%, others 29.2%; seats by party - Peru Posible 47, APRA 28, Unidad Nacional 17, FIM 11, others 17
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 54.69 years male: 52.71 years female: 56.75 years (2004 est.)	total population: 69.22 years male: 67.48 years female: 71.03 years (2004 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: 90.9% male: 95.2% female: 86.8% (2003 est.)
Location	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam	Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador
Map references	Southeast Asia	South America
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2004 est.)	total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 13,666 GRT/17,611 DWT by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: United States 1 registered in other countries: 19 (2004 est.)
Military branches	Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force	Army (Ejercito Peruano), Navy (Marina de Guerra del Peru; includes Naval Air, Naval Infantry, and Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru; FAP)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$10.9 million (2003)	$829.4 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.5% (2003)	1.3% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 1,456,500 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 7,374,187 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 783,800 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 4,938,512 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 68,563 (2004 est.)	males: 277,931 (2004 est.)
National holiday	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)	Independence Day, 28 July (1821)
Nationality	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian	noun: Peruvian(s) adjective: Peruvian
Natural hazards	floods, droughts	earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity
Natural resources	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones	copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	refined products 540 km (2004)	gas 388 km; oil 1,557 km; refined products 13 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed	Peruvian Aprista Party or PAP (also referred to by its original name Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana or APRA) [Alan GARCIA]; Independent Moralizing Front or FIM [Fernando OLIVERA Vega]; National Unity (Unidad Nacional) or UN [Lourdes FLORES Nano]; Peru Posible or PP [David WAISMAN]; Popular Action or AP [Javier DIAZ Orihuela]; Solucion Popular [Carlos BOLANA]; Somos Peru or SP [Alberto ANDRADE]; Union for Peru or UPP [Roger GUERRA Garcia]
Political pressure groups and leaders	noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975	leftist guerrilla groups include Shining Path [Abimael GUZMAN Reynoso (imprisoned), Gabriel MACARIO (top leader at-large)]; Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement or MRTA [Victor POLAY (imprisoned), Hugo AVALLENEDA Valdez (top leader at-large)]
Population	6,068,117 (July 2004 est.)	27,544,305 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	40% (2002 est.)	54% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate	2.44% (2004 est.)	1.39% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	none	Callao, Chimbote, Ilo, Matarani, Paita, Puerto Maldonado, Salaverry, San Martin, Talara, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Yurimaguas note: Iquitos, Pucallpa, and Yurimaguas are all on the upper reaches of the Amazon and its tributaries
Radio broadcast stations	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)	AM 472, FM 198, shortwave 189 (1999)
Railways	-	total: 3,462 km standard gauge: 2,962 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 500 km 0.914-m gauge (2003)
Religions	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)	Roman Catholic 90%
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: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70; note - members of the military may not vote
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: adequate for most requirements domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations international: country code - 51; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Pan American submarine cable
Telephones - main lines in use	61,900 (2002)	1,839,200 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	55,200 (2002)	2,908,800 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	4 (1999)	13 (plus 112 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus	western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Total fertility rate	4.86 children born/woman (2004 est.)	2.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	5.7% (1997 est.)	9.7%; widespread underemployment (2003 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)	8,808 km note: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km of Lago Titicaca (2004)

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