Compare Laos (2008) - Jersey (2004)

Compare Laos (2008) z Jersey (2004)

	Laos (2008)	Jersey (2004)

Administrative divisions	16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 capital city* (nakhon luang, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xekong, Xiangkhoang	none (British crown dependency)
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: 17.7% (male 8,268; female 7,716) 15-64 years: 67.1% (male 30,237; female 30,490) 65 years and over: 15.2% (male 6,016; female 7,775) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry	potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products
Airports	42 (2007)	1 (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 (2007)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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: 116 sq km land: 116 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Utah	about two-thirds 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 had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination 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 of Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II.
Birth rate	34.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	10.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $470.4 million expenditures: $643.5 million (2007 est.)	revenues: $601 million expenditures: $588 million, including capital expenditures of $98 million (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 Helier
Climate	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)	temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	70 km
Constitution	promulgated 14 August 1991	unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
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: Bailiwick of Jersey conventional short form: Jersey
Currency	-	British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound
Death rate	11.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	9.17 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$3.179 billion (2006)	none
Dependency status	-	British crown dependency
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Ravic R. HUSO embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] 21-26-7000 FAX: [856] 21-26-7190	none (British crown dependency)
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	none (British crown dependency)
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.)	none
Economy - overview	The government of Laos, one of the few remaining one-party 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 1988-2007 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 underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. 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 support from Japan and China. Electricity is available in urban areas and in most rural districts. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about 40% of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid from international donors and from 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, should help streamline the government's inefficient tax system.	The economy is based largely on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. In 1996 the finance sector accounted for about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of the economy, accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax haven.
Electricity - consumption	1.193 billion kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - exports	728 million kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - imports	326 million kWh (2005)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France
Electricity - production	1.715 billion kWh (2005)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 143 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	-
Ethnic groups	Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%	UK and Norman-French descent
Exchange rates	kips per US dollar - 9,658 (2007), 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003)	Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999); the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound
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) head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshall Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001) and Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since NA February 1995) cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch
Exports	0 bbl/day (2004)	NA
Exports - commodities	wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold	light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Exports - partners	Thailand 42.1%, Vietnam 9.5%, China 4% (2006)	UK
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	white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield with the three lions of England in yellow
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 41.2% industry: 32.5% services: 26.3% (2007 est.)	agriculture: 5% industry: 2% services: 93% (1996)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	7% (2007 est.)	NA
Geographic coordinates	18 00 N, 105 00 E	49 15 N, 2 10 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	largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
Highways	-	total: 577 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
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	-
Imports	2,898 bbl/day (2004)	NA
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners	Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.6% (2006)	UK
Independence	19 July 1949 (from France)	none (British crown dependency)
Industrial production growth rate	12% (2007 est.)	NA
Industries	copper, tin, gold, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement	tourism, banking and finance, dairy
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: 5.33 deaths/1,000 live births male: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	5% (2007 est.)	4.7% (1998)
International organization participation	ACCT, ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)	-
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)	Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)
Labor force	2.1 million (2006 est.)	57,050 (1996)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2005 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: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)
Languages	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages	English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken in country districts
Legal system	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote from a list of candidates selected by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party 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 Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators (elected for 6-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes (elected for 3-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for 3-year terms); the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and 3 non-voting members - the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all appointed by the monarch) elections: last held NA (next to be held NA) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 52
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 55.89 years male: 53.82 years female: 58.04 years (2007 est.)	total population: 79.09 years male: 76.63 years female: 81.74 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68.7% male: 77% female: 60.9% (2001 est.)	definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Location	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam	Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France
Map references	Southeast Asia	Europe
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Merchant marine	total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT by type: cargo 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)	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF): Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force (2008)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.5% (2006)	-
National holiday	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)	Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Nationality	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian	noun: Channel Islander(s) adjective: Channel Islander
Natural hazards	floods, droughts	NA
Natural resources	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones	arable land
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	2.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	refined products 540 km (2007)	-
Political parties and leaders	Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed	none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders	political parties and groups other than LPRP are proscribed	none
Population	6,521,998 (July 2007 est.)	90,502 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	30.7% (2005 est.)	NA
Population growth rate	2.37% (2007 est.)	0.36% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier
Radio broadcast stations	AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2006)	AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Religions	Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8% (1995 census)	Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian
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: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	NA years of age; universal adult
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: NA domestic: NA international: 3 submarine cables
Telephones - main lines in use	90,067 (2006)	73,900 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular	638,200 (2006)	61,400 (2001)
Television broadcast stations	7 (includes 1 station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi) (2006)	2 (1997)
Terrain	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus	gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Total fertility rate	4.59 children born/woman (2007 est.)	1.57 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	2.4% (2005 est.)	0.7% (1998 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)	-

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