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Compare Laos (2007) - Saint Kitts and Nevis (2008)

Compare Laos (2007) z Saint Kitts and Nevis (2008)

 Laos (2007)Saint Kitts and Nevis (2008)
 LaosSaint Kitts and Nevis
Administrative divisions 15 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xekong, Xiangkhoang 14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capesterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capesterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point
Age structure 0-14 years: 41.2% (male 1,349,352/female 1,338,252)


15-64 years: 55.7% (male 1,795,029/female 1,835,168)


65 years and over: 3.1% (male 90,188/female 114,009) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 27.2% (male 5,472/female 5,218)


15-64 years: 64.9% (male 12,779/female 12,752)


65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,300/female 1,828) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish
Airports 42 (2007) 2 (2007)
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 (2007)
total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 23 (2007)
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Area total: 236,800 sq km


land: 230,800 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
total: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)


land: 261 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Utah 1.5 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. First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. Nevis continues in its efforts to try and separate from Saint Kitts.
Birth rate 34.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 17.89 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $392.3 million


expenditures: $541.3 million (2006 est.)
revenues: $89.7 million


expenditures: $128.2 million (2003 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)
name: Basseterre


geographic coordinates: 17 18 N, 62 43 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 135 km
Constitution promulgated 14 August 1991 19 September 1983
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: Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis


conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis


former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Death rate 11.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 8.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $3.179 billion (2006) $314 million (2004)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Ravic R. HUSO


embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, Vientiane


mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546


telephone: [856] 21-26-7000


FAX: [856] 21-26-7190
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador PHIANE Philakone


chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416


FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Izben Cordinal WILLIAMS


chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016


telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636


FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740


consulate(s) general: New York
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 islands in the Mekong River; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Economic aid - recipient $379 million (2006 est.) $3.52 million (2005)
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% per year in 1988-2006 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 hydropower and mining. Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. Several policy changes since 2004 may help spur growth. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to benefit from lower tariffs on exports. Laos is taking steps to join the World Trade Organization in the next few years; the resulting trade policy reforms will improve the business environment. On the fiscal side, a value-added tax (VAT) regime, slated to begin in 2008, will streamline the government's inefficient tax system. Sugar was the traditional mainstay of the Saint Kitts economy until the 1970s. Following the 2005 harvest, the government closed the sugar industry after decades of losses of 3-4% of GDP annually. To compensate for employment losses, the government has embarked on a program to diversify the agricultural sector and to stimulate other sectors of the economy. Activities such as tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking have assumed larger roles in the economy and have contributed to the recent robust growth. Tourism revenues are now the chief source of the islands' foreign exchange; about 341,800 tourists visited Nevis in 2005. The current government is constrained by a high debt burden, public debt reached 190% of GDP by the end of 2005, largely attributable to public enterprise losses.
Electricity - consumption 1.193 billion kWh (2005) 116.3 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 728 million kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 326 million kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 1.715 billion kWh (2005) 125 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Mekong River 70 m


highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m
Environment - current issues unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water NA
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, 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% predominantly black; some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese
Exchange rates kips per US dollar - 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002) East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006); Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit (since 8 June 2006), SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 27 March 2001)


cabinet: Ministers appointed by president, approved by National Assembly


elections: president and vice president elected by National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by president and elected by National Assembly for 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 Cuthbert Montraville SEBASTIAN (since 1 January 1996)


head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July 1995); Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
Exports NA bbl/day 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners Thailand 41%, Vietnam 9.7%, China 4.1%, Malaysia 4% (2006) US 62%, Canada 9.4%, Netherlands 6.6%, Azerbaijan 5% (2006)
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 divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 42.7%


industry: 31%


services: 26.2% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 3.5%


industry: 25.8%


services: 70.7% (2001)
GDP - real growth rate 8.3% (2006 est.) 6% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 00 N, 105 00 E 17 20 N, 62 45 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 with coastlines in the shape of a baseball bat and ball, the two volcanic islands are separated by a three-km-wide channel called The Narrows; on the southern tip of long, baseball bat-shaped Saint Kitts lies the Great Salt Pond; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.4%


highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2005 was 5,600 hectares, about a 45% decrease from 2004; estimated potential opium production in 2005 was 28 metric tons, a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; some money-laundering activity
Imports NA bbl/day 871.6 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods machinery, manufactures, food, fuels
Imports - partners Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.5% (2006) US 48.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.1%, Spain 4.6%, UK 4.5% (2006)
Independence 19 July 1949 (from France) 19 September 1983 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 15.7% (2006 est.) NA%
Industries copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages
Infant mortality rate total: 81.44 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 90.91 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 71.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 13.74 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.44 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.8% (2006 est.) 8.7% (2005 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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Irrigated land 1,750 sq km (2003) NA
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 on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts and Nevis)
Labor force 2.1 million (2006 est.) 18,170 (June 1995)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)
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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: 19.44%


permanent crops: 2.78%


other: 77.78% (2005)
Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages English
Legal system based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction 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
unicameral National Assembly (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 25 October 2004 (next to be held by 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SKNLP 7, CCM 2, NRP 1, PAM 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 55.89 years


male: 53.82 years


female: 58.04 years (2007 est.)
total population: 72.66 years


male: 69.81 years


female: 75.69 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 68.7%


male: 77%


female: 60.9% (2001 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 97.8%


male: NA%


female: NA% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
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 (2007)
total: 104 ships (1000 GRT or over) 465,056 GRT/663,511 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 66, chemical tanker 8, container 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 2


foreign-owned: 76 (Belgium 1, Egypt 2, Estonia 1, Greece 2, India 1, Iran 1, Latvia 4, Monaco 1, Romania 1, Russia 14, Spain 1, Syria 5, Tanzania 1, Turkey 13, Ukraine 5, UAE 22, Yemen 1) (2007)
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 Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force (includes Coast Guard), Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.5% (2006) NA
National holiday Republic Day, 2 December (1975) Independence Day, 19 September (1983)
Nationality noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
noun: Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s)


adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian
Natural hazards floods, droughts hurricanes (July to October)
Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -3.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines refined products 540 km (2006) -
Political parties and leaders Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM [Lindsay GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS]
Political pressure groups and leaders noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975 NA
Population 6,521,998 (July 2007 est.) 39,349 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 30.7% (2005 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 2.37% (2007 est.) 0.623% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2006) AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2003)
Railways - total: 50 km


narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2006)
Religions Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8% (1995 census) Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.008 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.978 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.791 male(s)/female


total population: 0.984 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.049 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.002 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.711 male(s)/female


total population: 0.988 male(s)/female (2007 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: multiple service providers; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership about 10 per 100 persons


international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
general assessment: good inter-island and international connections


domestic: inter-island links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable; construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched in November 2004


international: country code - 1-869; with the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables providing connectivity, international calls are carried either by submarine cable or Intelsat
Telephones - main lines in use 90,067 (2006) 25,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular 638,200 (2006) 10,000 (2004)
Television broadcast stations 7 (includes 1 station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi) (2006) 1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2003)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus volcanic with mountainous interiors
Total fertility rate 4.59 children born/woman (2007 est.) 2.29 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.4% (2005 est.) 4.5% (1997)
Waterways 4,600 km


note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,900 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2007)
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