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Compare Laos (2006) - Bolivia (2002)

Compare Laos (2006) z Bolivia (2002)

 Laos (2006)Bolivia (2002)
 LaosBolivia
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 9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
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: 37.8% (male 1,626,596; female 1,565,124)


15-64 years: 57.7% (male 2,383,852; female 2,491,823)


65 years and over: 4.5% (male 169,583; female 208,156) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber
Airports 44 (2006) 1,109 (2001)
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: 12


over 3,047 m: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 35


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 21 (2006)
total: 1,069 1,096


over 3,047 m: 1 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 64 65


914 to 1,523 m: 225 236


under 914 m: 776 790 (2002)
Area total: 236,800 sq km


land: 230,800 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
total: 1,098,580 sq km


land: 1,084,390 sq km


water: 14,190 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Utah slightly less than three times the size of Montana
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. Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and counter-coups. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, continuing the privatization program, and waging an anticorruption campaign.
Birth rate 35.49 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 26.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $319.3 million


expenditures: $434.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $4 billion


expenditures: $4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 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)
La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)
Climate tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution promulgated 14 August 1991 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994
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: Republic of Bolivia


conventional short form: Bolivia


local long form: Republica de Bolivia


local short form: Bolivia
Currency - boliviano (BOB)
Death rate 11.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 8.05 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $2.49 billion (2001) $5.8 billion (2001 est.)
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
chief of mission: Ambassador David N. GREENLEE


embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz


mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032


telephone: [591] (2) 2430120, 2430251


FAX: [591] (2) 2433900
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 Jaime APARICIO Otero


chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410


FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712


consulate(s) general: Miami, New York, and San Francisco
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 continues to demand a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama region was lost to Chile in 1884
Economic aid - recipient $243 million (2001 est.) $588 million (1997) (1997)
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. Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American countries, has made considerable progress toward the development of a market-oriented economy. Successes under President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (1993-97) included the signing of a free trade agreement with Mexico and becoming an associate member of the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur), as well as the privatization of the state airline, telephone company, railroad, electric power company, and oil company. Growth slowed in 1999, in part due to tight government budget policies, which limited needed appropriations for anti-poverty programs, and the fallout from the Asian financial crisis. In 2000, major civil disturbances in April, and again in September and October, held down overall growth to 2.5%. Bolivia's GDP failed to grow in 2001 due to the global slowdown and laggard domestic activity. Growth is expected to pick up in 2002, but the fiscal deficit and debt burden will remain high.
Electricity - consumption 3.298 billion kWh (2003) 3.605 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 435 million kWh (2003) 5 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 230 million kWh (2003) 11 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 3.767 billion kWh (2003) 3.87 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 48%


hydro: 50%


nuclear: 0%


other: 2% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Mekong River 70 m


highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m


highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
Environment - current issues unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
Ethnic groups Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%
Exchange rates kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001) bolivianos per US dollar - 6.8613 (January 2002), 6.6069 (2001), 6.1835 (2000), 5.8124 (1999), 5.5101 (1998), 5.2543 (1997)
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: President Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA Bustamante (since 4 August 2002); Vice President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 4 August 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA Bustamante (since 4 August 2002); Vice President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 4 August 2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007)


election results: the new president was chosen by Congress, a result of no candidate winning a majority in the 30 June 2002 election; Congressional votes - Gonzalo SANCHEZ de Lozada 84, Evo MORALES 43
Exports NA bbl/day $1.2 billion (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin soybeans, natural gas, zinc, gold, wood
Exports - partners Thailand 29.6%, Vietnam 12%, France 6.1%, Germany 4.6% (2005) US 32%, Colombia 18%, UK 15%, Brazil 15%, Peru 6% (2000)
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 horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band
GDP - purchasing power parity - $21.4 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 45.5%


industry: 28.7%


services: 25.8% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 14%


industry: 31%


services: 55% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7.3% (2005 est.) 0% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 00 N, 105 00 E 17 00 S, 65 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 landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
Highways - total: 49,400 km


paved: 2,500 km (including 30 km of expressways)


unpaved: 46,900 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)
lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 46% (1997) (1997)
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) world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 24,400 hectares under cultivation in June 2002, a 23% increase from June 2001; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to the US and other international drug markets; eradication and alternative crop programs under the SANCHEZ DE LOZADA administration have been unable to keep pace with farmers' attempts to increase cultivation after significant reductions in 1998 and 1999; money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil and Paraguay
Imports NA bbl/day $1.5 billion (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods capital goods, raw materials and semi-manufactures, chemicals, petroleum, food
Imports - partners Thailand 66.1%, China 9%, Vietnam 6.7% (2005) US 24%, Argentina 17%, Brazil 15%, Chile 9%, Peru 5% (2000)
Independence 19 July 1949 (from France) 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate 13% (2005 est.) 3.9% (1998) (1998)
Industries copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing
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.)
57.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7% (2005 est.) 2% (2001 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) CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 9 (2000)
Irrigated land 1,750 sq km (2003) 1,280 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 or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms by National Congress); District Courts (one in each department); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)
Labor force 2.8 million (2002 est.) 2.5 million
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20% (1997 est.)
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
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: 6,743 km


border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
Land use arable land: 4.01%


permanent crops: 0.34%


other: 95.65% (2005)
arable land: 1.73%


permanent crops: 0.21%


other: 98.06% (1998 est.)
Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)
Legal system based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - some members are drawn from party lists, thus not directly elected)


elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007)


election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNR 11, MAS 8, MIR 5, NFR 2, other 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNR 36, MAS 27, MIR 26, NFR 25, others 16
Life expectancy at birth total population: 55.49 years


male: 53.45 years


female: 57.61 years (2006 est.)
total population: 64.42 years


male: 61.86 years


female: 67.1 years (2002 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: 83.1%


male: 90.5%


female: 76% (1995 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Map references Southeast Asia South America
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT


by type: cargo 1 (2006)
total: 36 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 196,399 GRT/320,137 DWT


ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 15, chemical tanker 2, container 1, petroleum tanker 13, roll on/roll off 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of Belize 2, China 2, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Honduras 1, Latvia 2, Liberia 2, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 1, South Korea 3, Switzerland 1, Ukraine 1, United Arab Emirates 5, United States 1 (2002 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 Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana), National Police Force (Policia Nacional de Bolivia)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $11.04 million (2005 est.) $147 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.4% (2005 est.) 1.8% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 2,062,321 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,343,755 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 90,120 (2002 est.)
National holiday Republic Day, 2 December (1975) Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Nationality noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
noun: Bolivian(s)


adjective: Bolivian
Natural hazards floods, droughts flooding in the northeast (March-April)
Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -1.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines refined products 540 km (2006) crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km
Political parties and leaders Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALY Sayasone]; other parties proscribed Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Otto RICHTER]; Civic Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Conscience of the Fatherland or CONDEPA [Remedios LOZA Alvarado]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ Zamora]; Movement to Socialism or MAS [leader NA]; Nationalist Democratic Action or ADN [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Nationalist Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA]; United Left or IU [Marcos DOMIC]


note: the ADN, MIR, and UCS comprise the ruling coalition
Political pressure groups and leaders noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975 Cocalero Groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Felipe QUISPE]
Population 6,368,481 (July 2006 est.) 8,445,134 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 34% (2005 est.) 70% (1999 est.)
Population growth rate 2.39% (2006 est.) 1.69% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors - Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the Bolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay
Radio broadcast stations AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006) AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)
Radios - 5.25 million (1997)
Railways - total: 3,691 km


narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km 0.760-m gauge (13 km electrified) (1995 est.)
Religions Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)
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: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
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: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile cellular telephone use expanding rapidly


domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 90,067 (2006) 327,600 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular 520,546 (2006) 116,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 7; note - including one station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi (2006) 48 (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Total fertility rate 4.68 children born/woman (2006 est.) 3.37 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.4% (2005 est.) 7.6% (2000)


note: widespread underemployment (2000)
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)
10,000 km (commercially navigable)
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