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Compare Niger (2004) - Laos (2007)

Compare Niger (2004) z Laos (2007)

 Niger (2004)Laos (2007)
 NigerLaos
Administrative divisions 7 departments (departements, singular - departement) and 1 capital district* (capitale district); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder 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: 47.5% (male 2,749,039; female 2,643,479)


15-64 years: 50.4% (male 2,799,125; female 2,925,133)


65 years and over: 2.1% (male 128,101; female 115,661) (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 cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports 27 (2003 est.) 42 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 9


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


under 914 m: 1 (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: 18


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 14


under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Area total: 1.267 million sq km


land: 1,266,700 sq km


water: 300 sq km
total: 236,800 sq km


land: 230,800 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of Texas slightly larger than Utah
Background Not until 1993, 33 years after independence from France, did Niger hold its first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the north. Coups in 1996 and 1999 were followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule by December 1999. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. 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 48.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 34.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $320 million - including $134 million from foreign sources


expenditures: $320 million, including capital expenditures of $178 million (2002 est.)
revenues: $392.3 million


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


geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E


time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution a new constitution was adopted 18 July 1999 promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Niger


conventional short form: Niger


local long form: Republique du Niger


local short form: Niger
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic


conventional short form: Laos


local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao


local short form: none
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States -
Death rate 21.51 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 11.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.6 billion (1999 est.) $3.179 billion (2006)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Gail Dennise Thomas MATHIEU


embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey


mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey


telephone: [227] 72 26 61 through 72 26 64


FAX: [227] 73 31 67, 72-31-46
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 Joseph DIATTA


chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227


FAX: [1] (202)483-3169
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 Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated, and ICJ ad hoc judges have been selected to rule on disputed Niger and Mekrou River islands; Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over the lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias 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 - recipient $341 million (1997) $379 million (2006 est.)
Economy - overview Niger is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, because of declining world demand. The 50% devaluation of the West African franc in January 1994 boosted exports of livestock, cowpeas, onions, and the products of Niger's small cotton industry. The government relies on bilateral and multilateral aid - which was suspended following the April 1999 coup d'etat - for operating expenses and public investment. In 2000-01, the World Bank approved a structural adjustment loan of $105 million to help support fiscal reforms. However, reforms could prove difficult given the government's bleak financial situation. The IMF approved a $73 million poverty reduction and growth facility for Niger in 2000 and announced $115 million in debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Further disbursements of aid occurred in 2002. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources. 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 325.1 million kWh (2001) 1.193 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 728 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 100 million kWh (2001) 326 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 242 million kWh (2001) 1.715 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Niger River 200 m


highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m


highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea
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 Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French expatriates Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (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: President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government


head of government: President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president


cabinet: 23-member Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; second round last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: TANDJA Mamadou reelected president; percent of vote - TANDJA Mamadou 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%
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 NA (2001) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin
Exports - partners France 42.2%, Nigeria 28.9%, Japan 17.2%, Spain 4.4% (2003) Thailand 41%, Vietnam 9.7%, China 4.1%, Malaysia 4% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 October - 30 September
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band 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 - $9.062 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 39%


industry: 17%


services: 44% (2001)
agriculture: 42.7%


industry: 31%


services: 26.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 3.8% (2003 est.) 8.3% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 00 N, 8 00 E 18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world: northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture 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: 10,100 km


paved: 798 km


unpaved: 9,302 km (1999 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.8%


highest 10%: 35.4% (1995)
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 NA (2001) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners France 16.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 13.8%, China 10.5%, Nigeria 7.7%, US 5.5%, Japan 4.9% (2003) Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.5% (2006)
Independence 3 August 1960 (from France) 19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA (2001 est.) 15.7% (2006 est.)
Industries uranium mining, cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement
Infant mortality rate total: 122.66 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 126.96 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 118.24 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) 3% (2002 est.) 6.8% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, 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 660 sq km (1998 est.) 1,750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel 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 70,000 receive regular wages or salaries (2002 est.) 2.1 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4% agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)
Land boundaries total: 5,697 km


border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 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: 3.54%


permanent crops: 0.01%


other: 96.45% (2001)
arable land: 4.01%


permanent crops: 0.34%


other: 95.65% (2005)
Languages French (official), Hausa, Djerma Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; note - expanded from 83 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)


elections: last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNSD 47, CDS 22, PNDS 17, Social Democratic Rally 7 RDP 6i ANDP 5, Party for Socialism and Democarcy in Niger 1, other 8
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: 42.18 years


male: 42.38 years


female: 41.97 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: 17.6%


male: 25.8%


female: 9.7% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 68.7%


male: 77%


female: 60.9% (2001 est.)
Location Western Africa, southeast of Algeria Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references Africa Southeast Asia
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 (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 Army, Air Force, National Intervention and Security Force Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $21.7 million (2003) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.1% (2003) 0.5% (2006)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 2,460,637 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,333,027 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 122,363 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Republic Day, 18 December (1958) Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality noun: Nigerien(s)


adjective: Nigerien
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)


adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards recurring droughts floods, droughts
Natural resources uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate -0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - refined products 540 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ANDP [leader NA]; Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Mamadou TANDJA, chairman]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Party for Socialism and Democracy in Niger [leader NA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman] 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 11,360,538 (July 2004 est.) 6,521,998 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 63% (1993 est.) 30.7% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate 2.67% (2004 est.) 2.37% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors none -
Radio broadcast stations AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001) AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2006)
Religions Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8% (1995 census)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female


total population: 1 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: small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger


domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned


international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian 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 22,400 (2002) 90,067 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 24,000 (2003) 638,200 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (2002) 7 (includes 1 station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi) (2006)
Terrain predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate 6.83 children born/woman (2004 est.) 4.59 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA (2002 est.) 2.4% (2005 est.)
Waterways 300 km


note: Niger River is navigable to Gaya between September and March (2004)
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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