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Compare Laos (2006) - Antigua and Barbuda (2004)
Compare Laos (2006) z Antigua and Barbuda (2004)
| Laos (2006) | Antigua and Barbuda (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 (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang | 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 41.4% (male 1,324,207/female 1,313,454)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 1,744,206/female 1,786,139) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 89,451/female 111,024) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 9,761; female 9,429)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 23,179; female 23,023) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 1,151; female 1,777) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry | cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock |
| Airports | 44 (2006) | 3 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (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 (2006) |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 443 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Utah | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three hundred years Lan Xang included large parts of present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came 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 and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997. | The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. |
| Birth rate | 35.49 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 17.7 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $319.3 million
expenditures: $434.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $123.7 million
expenditures: $145.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
| Capital | name: Vientiane
geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Saint John's (Antigua) |
| Climate | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | tropical; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 153 km |
| Constitution | promulgated 14 August 1991 | 1 November 1981 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos PDR or Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda |
| Currency | - | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
| Death rate | 11.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $2.49 billion (2001) | $231 million (1999) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH
embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, Box V, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] 21-26 7000 FAX: [856] 21-26 7074 |
the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados, Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER, is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda |
| 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 Lionel A. HURST
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 362-5122 FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami |
| Disputes - international | Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over several areas along Mekong River and Thai 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.) | $2.3 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 6% in 1988-2004 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, though the government is sponsoring major improvements in the road system with possible support from Japan. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid by the IMF and other international sources and from new foreign investment in food processing and mining. Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on exports. This new status may help spur growth. In addition, the European Union has agreed to provide $1 million to the Lao Government for technical assistance in preparations for WTO membership. If the avian flu worsens and spreads in the region, however, prospects for tourism could dim. | Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals. |
| Electricity - consumption | 3.298 billion kWh (2003) | 97.89 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 435 million kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 230 million kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 3.767 billion kWh (2003) | 105.3 million kWh (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m |
| Environment - current issues | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water | water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly |
| 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, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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% | black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian |
| Exchange rates | kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998) (fixed rate since 1976) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006) and Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June 2006); Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit [since 8 June 2006], Deputy Prime Minister SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and Deputy Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisolit (since 27 March 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 97% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Baldwin SPENCER (since 24 March 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general |
| Exports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin | petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8% |
| Exports - partners | Thailand 29.6%, Vietnam 12%, France 6.1%, Germany 4.6% (2005) | Germany 84.9%, UK 3.8%, US 3.3% (2003) |
| 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 | red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $750 million (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 45.5%
industry: 28.7% services: 25.8% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 3.9%
industry: 19.2% services: 76.8% (2002) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $11,000 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 7.3% (2005 est.) | 3% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | 17 03 N, 61 48 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 | Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor |
| Highways | - | total: 250 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 | estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease from 2003; estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons, a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005) | considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center |
| Imports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods | food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil |
| Imports - partners | Thailand 66.1%, China 9%, Vietnam 6.7% (2005) | US 26.5%, Singapore 10%, Poland 7%, Germany 6.1%, UK 6.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.4% (2003) |
| Independence | 19 July 1949 (from France) | 1 November 1981 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 13% (2005 est.) | 6% (1997 est.) |
| Industries | copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement | tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 83.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 92.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 20.18 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.29 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7% (2005 est.) | 0.4% (2000 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Irrigated land | 1,750 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
| 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) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction) |
| Labor force | 2.8 million (2002 est.) | 30,000 |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (1997 est.) |
agriculture 7%, industry 11%, services 82% (1983) |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,083 km
border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 4.01%
permanent crops: 0.34% other: 95.65% (2005) |
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55% other: 77.27% (2001) |
| Languages | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages | English (official), local dialects |
| Legal system | based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice | based on English common law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 113, independents 2 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ALP 4, UPP 12, contested 1; note - new election will decide the contested seat |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 55.49 years
male: 53.45 years female: 57.61 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 71.6 years
male: 69.26 years female: 74.07 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 has completed five or more years of schooling
total population: 89% male: 90% female: 88% (1960 est.) |
| Location | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006) |
total: 867 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,873,626 GRT/7,683,143 DWT
by type: bulk 25, cargo 477, chemical tanker 13, container 284, liquefied gas 10, multi-functional large load carrier 15, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 32, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 3, Colombia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Estonia 3, France 1, Germany 818, Greece 2, Iceland 5, Latvia 1, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 2, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 19, New Zealand 1, Norway 2, Portugal 1, Slovenia 5, Sweden 2, Switzerland 5, Turkey 3, United States 10 registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Military - note | Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on the Lao-Burma border (2005) | - |
| Military branches | Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force | Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (including Coast Guard) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $11.04 million (2005 est.) | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.4% (2005 est.) | NA |
| National holiday | Republic Day, 2 December (1975) | Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981) |
| Nationality | noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian |
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)
adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan |
| Natural hazards | floods, droughts | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Pipelines | refined products 540 km (2006) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALY Sayasone]; other parties proscribed | Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - United National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or PLM) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975 | Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL] |
| Population | 6,368,481 (July 2006 est.) | 68,320 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 34% (2005 est.) | NA |
| Population growth rate | 2.39% (2006 est.) | 0.6% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Saint John's |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006) | AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Religions | Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) | Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 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: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving; 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: NA
domestic: good automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 90,067 (2006) | 38,000 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 520,546 (2006) | 38,200 (2002) |
| Television broadcast stations | 7; note - including one station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi (2006) | 2 (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas |
| Total fertility rate | 4.68 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 2.27 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% (2005 est.) | 11% (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 (2005) |
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