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Compare New Zealand (2004) - Laos (2007)

Compare New Zealand (2004) z Laos (2007)

 New Zealand (2004)Laos (2007)
 New ZealandLaos
Administrative divisions 13 regions; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Gisborne-Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Nelson-Marlborough, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 21.7% (male 443,211; female 422,507)


15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,337,383; female 1,325,683)


65 years and over: 11.6% (male 203,084; female 261,949) (2004 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef, dairy products; fish sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports 113 (2003 est.) 42 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 46


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 11


914 to 1,523 m: 27


under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)
total: 9


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 70


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 29


under 914 m: 39 (2004 est.)
total: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Area total: 268,680 sq km


land: NA sq km


water: NA sq km


note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
total: 236,800 sq km


land: 230,800 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly larger than Utah
Background The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances. 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.
Birth rate 14.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 34.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $32.14 billion


expenditures: $30.13 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
revenues: $392.3 million


expenditures: $541.3 million (2006 est.)
Capital Wellington name: Vientiane


geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E


time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate temperate with sharp regional contrasts tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline 15,134 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments and The Constitution Act 1986 which is the principal formal charter promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: New Zealand


abbreviation: NZ
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic


conventional short form: Laos


local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao


local short form: none
Currency New Zealand dollar (NZD) -
Death rate 7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 11.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $37.46 billion (2003 est.) $3.179 billion (2006)
Dependent areas Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau -
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Charles J. SWINDELLS


embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington


mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034


telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000


FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490


consulate(s) general: Auckland
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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador L. John WOOD


chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800


FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
chief of mission: Ambassador PHIANE Philakone


chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416


FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
Disputes - international territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) 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
Economic aid - donor ODA, $99.7 million -
Economic aid - recipient - $379 million (2006 est.)
Economy - overview Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes (but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder), broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector, and contained inflationary pressures. Per capita income has been rising and is now 80% of the level of the four largest EU economies. New Zealand is heavily dependent on trade - particularly in agricultural products - to drive growth, and it has been affected by the global economic slowdown and the slump in commodity prices. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and growth should continue at the same level in 2004. Expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately. 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.
Electricity - consumption 34.88 billion kWh (2001) 1.193 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 728 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 326 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 37.51 billion kWh (2001) 1.715 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m


highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by species introduced from outside unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation
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 New Zealand European 74.5%, Maori 9.7%, other European 4.6%, Pacific Islander 3.8%, Asian and others 7.4% Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Exchange rates New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.1622 (2002), 2.3788 (2001), 2.2012 (2000), 1.8896 (1999) kips per US dollar - 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Silvia CARTWRIGHT (since 4 April 2001)


head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999) and Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since NA July 2002)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general 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
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%
Exports 30,220 bbl/day (2001) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin
Exports - partners Australia 21.8%, US 14.6%, Japan 11%, China 4.9%, UK 4.8% (2003) Thailand 41%, Vietnam 9.7%, China 4.1%, Malaysia 4% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June 1 October - 30 September
Flag description blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band
GDP purchasing power parity - $85.34 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.8%


industry: 27.4%


services: 67.8% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 42.7%


industry: 31%


services: 26.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $21,600 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 3.5% (2003 est.) 8.3% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 41 00 S, 174 00 E 18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Highways total: 92,053 km


paved: 57,809 km (including at least 190 km of expressways)


unpaved: 34,244 km (2000)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.3%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1991 est.)
lowest 10%: 3.4%


highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)
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 119,700 bbl/day (2001) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners Australia 22.2%, US 11.8%, Japan 11.8%, China 9%, Germany 5.3% (2003) Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.5% (2006)
Independence 26 September 1907 (from UK) 19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate 1.3% (2003 est.) 15.7% (2006 est.)
Industries food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement
Infant mortality rate total: 5.96 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 6.83 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.8% (2003 est.) 6.8% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO 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)
Irrigated land 2,850 sq km (1998 est.) 1,750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch High Court; Court of Appeal 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)
Labor force 2.008 million (2003 est.) 2.1 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (1995) agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 5,083 km


border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Land use arable land: 5.6%


permanent crops: 6.99%


other: 87.41% (2001)
arable land: 4.01%


permanent crops: 0.34%


other: 95.65% (2005)
Languages English (official), Maori (official) Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists, all to serve three-year terms)


elections: last held 27 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NZLP 52, NP 27, NZFP 13, ACT New Zealand 9, Green Party 9, UF 8, other 2
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 78.49 years


male: 75.5 years


female: 81.61 years (2004 est.)
total population: 55.89 years


male: 53.82 years


female: 58.04 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99% (1980 est.)


male: NA


female: NA
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 68.7%


male: 77%


female: 60.9% (2001 est.)
Location Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references Oceania Southeast Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 77,523 GRT/108,352 DWT


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


foreign-owned: Australia 1, Isle of Man 1


registered in other countries: 8 (2004 est.)
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)
Military branches New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $1.147 billion (FY03/04) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1% (FY02) 0.5% (2006)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,033,464 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 868,984 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 27,157 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840) Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality noun: New Zealander(s)


adjective: New Zealand
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity floods, droughts
Natural resources natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate 4.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,213 km; liquid petroleum gas 79 km; oil 160 km; refined products 304 km (2004) refined products 540 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders ACT New Zealand [Richard PREBBLE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS and Rod DONALD]; National Party or NP [Don BRASH]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Coalition [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders NA noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Population 3,993,817 (July 2004 est.) 6,521,998 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 30.7% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate 1.05% (2004 est.) 2.37% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Tauranga, Wellington -
Radio broadcast stations AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2006)
Railways total: 3,898 km


narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2003)
-
Religions Anglican 24%, Presbyterian 18%, Roman Catholic 15%, Methodist 5%, Baptist 2%, other Protestant 3%, unspecified or none 33% (1986) Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8% (1995 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
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.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems


domestic: NA


international: country code - 64; submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 1.765 million (2002) 90,067 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.599 million (2003) 638,200 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 41 (plus 52 medium-power repeaters and over 650 low-power repeaters) (1997) 7 (includes 1 station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi) (2006)
Terrain predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate 1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.) 4.59 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.7% (2003 est.) 2.4% (2005 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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