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Compare Laos (2007) - Saint Lucia (2002)
Compare Laos (2007) z Saint Lucia (2002)
| Laos (2007) | Saint Lucia (2002) | |
 |  | |
| 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 | 11 quarters; Anse-la-Raye, Castries, Choiseul, Dauphin, Dennery, Gros-Islet, Laborie, Micoud, Praslin, Soufriere, Vieux-Fort |
| 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: 31.6% (male 25,879; female 24,695)
15-64 years: 63.1% (male 49,667; female 51,482) 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 3,134; female 5,288) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry | bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus, root crops, cocoa |
| Airports | 42 (2007) | 2 (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 (2007) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 23 (2007) |
- |
| Area | total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
total: 616 sq km
land: 606 sq km water: 10 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Utah | 3.5 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 island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979. |
| Birth rate | 34.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 21.37 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $392.3 million
expenditures: $541.3 million (2006 est.) |
revenues: $141.2 million
expenditures: $146.7 million, including capital expenditures of $25.1 million |
| Capital | name: Vientiane
geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Castries |
| Climate | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season from January to April, rainy season from May to August |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 158 km |
| Constitution | promulgated 14 August 1991 | 22 February 1979 |
| 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: none
conventional short form: Saint Lucia |
| Currency | - | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
| Death rate | 11.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $3.179 billion (2006) | $214 million (2000) (2000) |
| 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 Lucia; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Lucia |
| 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 Sonia Merlyn JOHNNY
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6792 through 6795 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6728 consulate(s) general: Miami and 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 | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $379 million (2006 est.) | $51.8 million (1995) (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% 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. | The recent changes in the EU import preference regime and the increased competition from Latin American bananas have made economic diversification increasingly important in Saint Lucia. The island nation has been able to attract foreign business and investment, especially in its offshore banking and tourism industries. The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and the government is trying to revitalize the banana industry. Despite negative growth in 2001, economic fundamentals remain solid, and GDP growth should recover in 2002. |
| Electricity - consumption | 1.193 billion kWh (2005) | 106.95 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 728 million kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 326 million kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 1.715 billion kWh (2005) | 115 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Gimie 950 m |
| Environment - current issues | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water | deforestation; soil erosion, particularly in the northern region |
| 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, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
| 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 90%, mixed 6%, East Indian 3%, white 1% |
| 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 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) |
| 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 Dr. Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Kenneth Davis ANTHONY (since 24 May 1997) and Deputy Prime Minister Mario MICHEL (since 24 May 1997) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of 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 the 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 | $68.3 million (2000 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin | bananas 41%, clothing, cocoa, vegetables, fruits, coconut oil |
| Exports - partners | Thailand 41%, Vietnam 9.7%, China 4.1%, Malaysia 4% (2006) | UK 50%, US 24%, Caricom countries 16% (1995) |
| 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 | blue, with a gold isosceles triangle below a black arrowhead; the upper edges of the arrowhead have a white border |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $700 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 42.7%
industry: 31% services: 26.2% (2006 est.) |
agriculture: 8%
industry: 20% services: 73% (2000 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $4,400 (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 8.3% (2006 est.) | -2.5% (2001 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | 13 53 N, 60 68 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 | the twin Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), striking cone-shaped peaks south of Soufriere, are one of the scenic natural highlights of the Caribbean |
| Highways | - | total: 1,210 km
paved: 63 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1996) |
| 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 | transit point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe |
| Imports | NA bbl/day | $319.4 million (2000 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods | food 23%, manufactured goods 21%, machinery and transportation equipment 19%, chemicals, fuels |
| Imports - partners | Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.5% (2006) | US 36%, Caricom countries 22%, UK 11%, Japan 5%, Canada 4% (1995) |
| Independence | 19 July 1949 (from France) | 22 February 1979 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 15.7% (2006 est.) | -8.9% (1997 est.) |
| Industries | copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement | clothing, assembly of electronic components, beverages, corrugated cardboard boxes, tourism, lime processing, coconut processing |
| 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.) |
14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.8% (2006 est.) | 3% (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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 15 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 1,750 sq km (2003) | 30 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) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (jurisdiction extends to Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) |
| Labor force | 2.1 million (2006 est.) | 43,800 |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2005 est.) |
agriculture 43%, services 39%, industry and commerce 18% (1981 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 |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 4.01%
permanent crops: 0.34% other: 95.65% (2005) |
arable land: 4.92%
permanent crops: 22.95% other: 72.13% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages | English (official), French patois |
| 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 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; six members appointed on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and two after consultation with religious, economic, and social groups) and the House of Assembly (17 seats; members are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 3 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - SLP 55%, UWP 37%, NA 3.5%; seats by party - SLP 14, UWP 3 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 55.89 years
male: 53.82 years female: 58.04 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 72.82 years
male: 69.26 years female: 76.64 years (2002 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: 67% male: 65% female: 69% (1980 est.) |
| Location | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2007) |
none (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 | Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (includes Special Service Unit and Coast Guard) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.5% (2006) | $NA |
| National holiday | Republic Day, 2 December (1975) | Independence Day, 22 February (1979) |
| Nationality | noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian |
noun: Saint Lucian(s)
adjective: Saint Lucian |
| Natural hazards | floods, droughts | hurricanes and volcanic activity |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -3.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Pipelines | refined products 540 km (2006) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed | National Alliance or NA [George ODLUM]; Saint Lucia Freedom Party or SFP [Martinus FRANCOIS]; Saint Lucia Labor Party or SLP [Kenneth ANTHONY]; Sou Tout Apwe Fete Fini or STAFF [Christopher HUNTE]; United Workers Party or UWP [Dr. Morella JOSEPH] |
| 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.) | 160,145 (July 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 30.7% (2005 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.37% (2007 est.) | - |
| Ports and harbors | - | Castries, Vieux Fort |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2006) | AM 2, FM 7 (plus 3 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 111,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8% (1995 census) | Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 7%, Anglican 3% |
| 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: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 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: adequate system
domestic: system is automatically switched international: direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 90,067 (2006) | 37,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 638,200 (2006) | 1,600 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | 7 (includes 1 station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi) (2006) | 3 (of which two are commercial stations and one is a community antenna television or CATV channel) (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | volcanic and mountainous with some broad, fertile valleys |
| Total fertility rate | 4.59 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 2.34 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% (2005 est.) | 15% (1996 est.) |
| 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) |
none |
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