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Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Laos (2001)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z Laos (2001)

 Paracel Islands (2003)Laos (2001)
 Paracel IslandsLaos
Administrative divisions - 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone** (khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Age structure - 0-14 years:
42.75% (male 1,212,577; female 1,196,795)

15-64 years:
53.94% (male 1,494,927; female 1,544,851)

65 years and over:
3.31% (male 85,632; female 101,185) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products - sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports 1 (2002) 51 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)		 total:
8

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
5

914 to 1,523 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
43

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
17

under 914 m:
25 (2000 est.)
Area total: NA sq km


land: NA sq km


water: 0 sq km		 total:
236,800 sq km

land:
230,800 sq km

water:
6,000 sq km
Area - comparative NA slightly larger than Utah
Background The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. In 1975 the communist Pathet Lao took control of the government, ending a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, an easing of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.
Birth rate - 37.84 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget - revenues:
$211 million

expenditures:
$462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.)
Capital - Vientiane
Climate tropical tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline 518 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution - promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Paracel Islands		 conventional long form:
Lao People's Democratic Republic

conventional short form:
Laos

local long form:
Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao

local short form:
none
Currency - kip (LAK)
Death rate - 13.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external - $2.46 billion (1998 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Karen Brevard STEWART

embassy:
19 Rue Bartholonie, B. P. 114, Vientiane

mailing address:
American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96546

telephone:
[856] (21) 212581, 212582, 212585

FAX:
[856] (21) 212584
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission:
Ambassador VANG Rattanavong

chancery:
2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 332-6416

FAX:
[1] (202) 332-4923
Disputes - international occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam parts of the border with Thailand are indefinite
Economic aid - recipient - $345 million (1999 est.)
Economy - overview China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. 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 7% during 1988-97. Reform efforts subsequently slowed, and GDP growth dropped an average of 3 percentage points. Because Laos depends heavily on its trade with Thailand, it was damaged by the regional financial crisis beginning in 1997. Government mismanagement deepened the crisis, and from June 1997 to June 1999 the Lao kip lost 87% of its value. Laos' foreign exchange problems peaked in September 1999 when the kip fell from 3,500 kip to the dollar to 9,000 kip to the dollar in a matter of weeks. Now that the currency has stabilized, however, the government seems content to let the current situation persist, despite limited government revenue and foreign exchange reserves. A landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure, Laos has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend on aid from the IMF and other international sources; Japan is currently the largest bilateral aid donor; aid from the former USSR/Eastern Europe has been cut sharply.
Electricity - consumption - 173.6 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 705 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 142 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production - 792 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
2.78%

hydro:
97.22%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m		 lowest point:
Mekong River 70 m

highest point:
Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues NA unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water
Environment - international agreements - party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, 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 ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Exchange rates - kips per US dollar - 7,578.00 (December 2000), 7,102.03 (1999), 3,298.33 (1998), 1,259.98 (1997), 921.02 (1996)
Executive branch - chief of state:
President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 26 February 1998) and Vice President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since NA March 2001)

head of government:
Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit (since NA March 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers THONGLOUN Sisolit (since NA March 2001), SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly

elections:
president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term

election results:
KHAMTAI Siphandon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%
Exports - $323 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities - wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin
Exports - partners - Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, France, Belgium
Fiscal year - 1 October - 30 September
Flag description - 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 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture:
51%

industry:
22%

services:
27% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 30 N, 112 00 E 18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group landlocked
Highways - total:
14,000 km

paved:
3,360 km

unpaved:
10,640 km (1991)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%:
4.2%

highest 10%:
26.4% (1992)
Illicit drugs - world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 1999 - 21,800 hectares, a 16% decrease over 1998; estimated potential production in 1999 - 140 metric tons, about the same as in 1998); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis
Imports - $540 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities - machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel
Imports - partners - Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Hong Kong
Independence - 19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate - 7.5% (1999 est.)
Industries - tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Infant mortality rate - 92.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 33% (2000 est.)
International organization participation - ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)

note:
rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 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)
Labor force - 1 million - 1.5 million
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 80% (1997 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: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)		 arable land:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
3%

forests and woodland:
54%

other:
40% (1993 est.)
Languages - Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system - based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice
Legislative branch - unicameral National Assembly (99 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - by presidential decree, on 27 October 1997, the number of seats increased from 85 to 99)

elections:
last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 99
Life expectancy at birth - total population:
53.48 years

male:
51.58 years

female:
55.44 years (2001 est.)
Literacy - definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
57%

male:
70%

female:
44% (1999 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references Southeast Asia Southeast Asia
Maritime claims NA none (landlocked)
Merchant marine - total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT

ships by type:
cargo 1 (2000 est.)
Military - note occupied by China -
Military branches - Lao People's Army (LPA; includes riverine element), Air Force, National Police Department
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $55 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 4.2% (FY96/97)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
1,319,537 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
710,627 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
64,437 (2001 est.)
National holiday - Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality - noun:
Lao(s) or Laotian(s)

adjective:
Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards typhoons floods, droughts, and blight
Natural resources none timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - petroleum products 136 km
Political parties and leaders - Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders - noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)		 5,635,967 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line - 46.1% (1993 est.)
Population growth rate - 2.48% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded none
Radio broadcast stations - AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios - 730,000 (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions - Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%
Sex ratio - at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - general assessment:
service to general public is poor but improving, with over 20,000 telephones currently in service and an additional 48,000 expected by 2001; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas

domestic:
radiotelephone communications

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use - 25,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 4,915 (1997)
Television broadcast stations - 4 (1999)
Terrain mostly low and flat mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate - 5.12 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate - 5.7% (1997 est.)
Waterways none 4,587 km approximately

note:
primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
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