Compare Laos (2004) - Qatar (2006)

Compare Laos (2004) z Qatar (2006)

	Laos (2004)	Qatar (2006)

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	10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal
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: 23.4% (male 105,546/female 101,371) 15-64 years: 73% (male 446,779/female 199,133) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 24,059/female 8,471) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry	fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish
Airports	46 (2003 est.)	5 (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: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (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: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Area	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km	total: 11,437 sq km land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Utah	slightly smaller than Connecticut
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.	Ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
Birth rate	36.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	15.56 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $298.5 million expenditures: $429.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)	revenues: $17.31 billion expenditures: $11.31 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (2005 est.)
Capital	Vientiane	name: Doha geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)	arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	563 km
Constitution	promulgated 14 August 1991	ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005
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: State of Qatar conventional short form: Qatar local long form: Dawlat Qatar local short form: Qatar note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar
Currency	kip (LAK)	-
Death rate	12.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	4.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$2.49 billion (2001)	$21.13 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 Chase UNTERMEYER embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 488 4101 FAX: [974] 488 4176
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 Nasir bin Hamad bin Mubarak al-KHALIFA chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603 FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 consulate(s) general: Houston
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	none
Economic aid - recipient	$243 million (2001 est.)	$NA
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 and gas account for more than 60% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have given Qatar a per capita GDP about 80% of that of the leading West European industrial countries. Proved oil reserves of 16 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the development of its gas fields during the last decade and is expected to become the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter by 2007. In recent years, Qatar has consistently posted trade surpluses largely because of high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, becoming one of the world's fastest growing and highest per-capita income countries.
Electricity - consumption	824.7 million kWh (2001)	9.053 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	400 million kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	1.317 billion kWh (2001)	9.735 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m
Environment - current issues	unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water	limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
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, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%	Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
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)	Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003), 3.64 (2002), 3.64 (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: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince TAMIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir Apparent by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa al-Thani, brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998); First Deputy Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani (since 16 September 2003, also Foreign Minister since 1992); Second Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad al-ATIYAH (since 16 September 2003, also Electricity and Water Minister since 1999 and Energy and Industry Minister since 1992) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary note: in April 2003, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999
Exports	NA (2001)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin	liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
Exports - partners	Thailand 20.7%, Vietnam 15.9%, France 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Belgium 4% (2003)	Japan 37.1%, South Korea 19.5%, Singapore 8.3% (2005)
Fiscal year	1 October - 30 September	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band	maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
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: 0.2% industry: 80.1% services: 19.7% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2003 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	5.5% (2003 est.)	8.8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	18 00 N, 105 00 E	25 30 N, 51 15 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	strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
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%: 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	-
Imports	NA (2001)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods	machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners	Thailand 59.4%, China 12.8%, Vietnam 10.2% (2003)	France 11.5%, Japan 10.5%, US 10.4%, Germany 8.4%, Saudi Arabia 7.3%, UK 7%, Italy 6.5%, South Korea 5.5%, UAE 4.8% (2005)
Independence	19 July 1949 (from France)	3 September 1971 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	9.7% (2001 est.)	10% (2003 est.)
Industries	tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism	crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship 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: 18.04 deaths/1,000 live births male: 21.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	15.3% (2003 est.)	8.8% (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)	ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, 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.)	130 sq km (2002)
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)	Court of Appeal note: under a judiciary law issued in 2003, the former two court systems, civil and Islamic law, were merged under a higher court, the Court of Cassation, established for appeals
Labor force	2.6 million (2001 est.)	440,000 (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 80% (1997 est.)	-
Land boundaries	total: 5,083 km border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km	total: 60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
Land use	arable land: 3.8% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 95.85% (2001)	arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2005)
Languages	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages	Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Legal system	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice	discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Shari'a law dominates family and personal matters
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 Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed) note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every four years since; the new constitution, which came into force on 9 June 2005, provides for a 45-member Consultative Council, or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the amir would appoint the remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to the Majlis al-Shura in early 2007
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 54.69 years male: 52.71 years female: 56.75 years (2004 est.)	total population: 73.9 years male: 71.37 years female: 76.57 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: 89% male: 89.1% female: 88.6% (2004 est.)
Location	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam	Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Map references	Southeast Asia	Middle East
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
Merchant marine	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2004 est.)	total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 750,669 GRT/1,177,673 DWT by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, container 8, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 8 (Kuwait 7, US 1) registered in other countries: 4 (Honduras 1, Liberia 2, Panama 1) (2006)
Military branches	Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force	Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$10.9 million (2003)	$723 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.5% (2003)	10% (FY00)
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, 3 September (1971)
Nationality	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian	noun: Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari
Natural hazards	floods, droughts	haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Natural resources	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones	petroleum, natural gas, fish
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	14.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines	refined products 540 km (2004)	condensate 319 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,024 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 844 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975	none
Population	6,068,117 (July 2004 est.)	885,359 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	40% (2002 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	2.44% (2004 est.)	2.5% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors	none	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)	AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)
Religions	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)	Muslim 95%
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: 2.24 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.87 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: modern system centered in Doha domestic: NA international: country code - 974; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use	61,900 (2002)	205,400 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	55,200 (2002)	716,800 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	4 (1999)	1 (plus three repeaters) (2001)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus	mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Total fertility rate	4.86 children born/woman (2004 est.)	2.81 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	5.7% (1997 est.)	2.7% (2001)
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)	-

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