Compare Sao Tome and Principe (2007) - Laos (2003)

Compare Sao Tome and Principe (2007) z Laos (2003)

	Sao Tome and Principe (2007)	Laos (2003)

Administrative divisions	2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome note: Principe has had self government since 29 April 1995	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: 47.3% (male 47,796/female 46,589) 15-64 years: 49% (male 47,386/female 50,412) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 3,383/female 4,013) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 42.2% (male 1,255,172; female 1,242,823) 15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,592,697; female 1,639,431) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,192; female 104,230) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports	2 (2007)	51 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)	total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 42 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 26 (2002)
Area	total: 1,001 sq km land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative	more than five times the size of Washington, DC	slightly larger than Utah
Background	Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. Although the first free elections were held in 1991, the political environment has been one of continued instability with frequent changes in leadership and coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to have a significant impact on the country's economy.	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, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.
Birth rate	39.72 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $42.96 million expenditures: $59.61 million (2006 est.)	revenues: $211 million expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est. est.)
Capital	name: Sao Tome geographic coordinates: 0 12 N, 6 39 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	Vientiane
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline	209 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990	promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name	conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe	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	6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$318 million (2002)	$2.53 billion (1999)
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands	chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas A. HARTWICK 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: First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580 FAX: [1] (212) 935-7348 consulate(s): Atlanta	chief of mission: Ambassador PHANTHONG Phommahaxay chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923
Disputes - international	none	demarcation of boundaries with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam is nearing completion, but with Thailand several areas including Mekong River islets remain in dispute; ongoing disputes with Thailand and Vietnam over squatters
Economic aid - recipient	$31.9 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program (2005)	$345 million (1999 est.)
Economy - overview	This small, poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement, but strengthening prices helped boost export earnings in 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program, which helped bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In August 2005, Sao Tome signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program worth $4.3 million. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is optimistic about the development of petroleum resources in its territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria. The first production licenses were sold in 2004, though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed Sao Tome's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year. Real GDP growth exceeded 4% in 2006, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment.	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% in 1988-2001 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. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid from the IMF and other international sources and from new foreign investment in food processing and mining.
Electricity - consumption	16.74 million kWh (2005)	824.7 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	400 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	18 million kWh (2005)	1.317 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 1.4% hydro: 98.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion	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, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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	mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)	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	dobras per US dollar - 12,050 (2006), 9,900.4 (2005), NA 9,902.3 (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002)	kips per US dollar - 7,562 (2002), 8,954.58 (2001), 7,887.64 (2000), 7,102.02 (1999), 3,298.33 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ (since 21 April 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held July 2011); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5%	chief of state: President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 26 February 1998) and Vice President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 27 March 2001) head of government: Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit (since 27 March 2001); First Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since NA May 2002), Deputy Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisolit (since 27 March 2001), and Deputy Prime Minister 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 24 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); 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	NA bbl/day	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil	wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin
Exports - partners	Netherlands 47.9%, Belgium 19%, Portugal 9.3% (2006)	Vietnam 25.7%, Thailand 19%, France 7.5%, Germany 5.3% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 October - 30 September
Flag description	three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia	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 - $10.4 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 15% industry: 13.7% services: 71.3% (2006 est.)	agriculture: 53% industry: 23% services: 24% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.4% (2006 est.)	5.7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	1 00 N, 7 00 E	18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note	the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous	landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Highways	-	total: 21,716 km paved: 9,664 km unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)
Illicit drugs	-	world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 2002 - 23,200 hectares, a 5% increase over 2001; estimated potential production in 2002 - 180 metric tons, a 10% decrease from 2001); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis; growing methamphetamine abuse problem
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners	Portugal 48.8%, France 19.7%, Belgium 5.1%, US 5.1% (2006)	Thailand 58.9%, Vietnam 12.3%, China 7.9% (2002)
Independence	12 July 1975 (from Portugal)	19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	7.5% (1999 est.)
Industries	light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber	tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 40.54 deaths/1,000 live births male: 42.42 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 88.94 deaths/1,000 live births male: 99.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 78.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	23.1% (2006 est.)	10% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)	ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, 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	100 sq km (2003)	1,640 sq km note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)	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	35,050 (1991)	2.4 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation	note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers	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: 8.33% permanent crops: 48.96% other: 42.71% (2005)	arable land: 3.47% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 96.3% (1998 est.)
Languages	Portuguese (official)	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system	based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 26 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, others 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1	unicameral National Assembly (109 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - total number of seats increased from 99 to 109 for the 2002 election) elections: last held 24 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 109
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 67.64 years male: 66.03 years female: 69.3 years (2007 est.)	total population: 54.3 years male: 52.34 years female: 56.33 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.9% male: 92.2% female: 77.9% (2001 census)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 52.8% male: 67.5% female: 38.1% (2003 est.)
Location	Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references	Africa	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 20,455 GRT/27,871 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 6 foreign-owned: 2 (Egypt 1, Greece 1) (2007)	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note	Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resources at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay, working conditions, and alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers have been problems in the past, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance aimed at improving the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)	-
Military branches	Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Navy, Presidential Guard (2007)	Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force, National Police Department
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$55 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.8% (2006)	4.2% (FY96)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 1,411,042 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 759,499 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 67,260 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 12 July (1975)	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality	noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards	NA	floods, droughts
Natural resources	fish, hydropower	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate	-2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	-	refined products 540 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da COSTA]; New Way Movement or NR; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties	Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
Population	199,579 (July 2007 est.)	5,921,545 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	54% (2004 est.)	40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate	3.13% (2007 est.)	2.45% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	none
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Railways	-	0 km
Religions	Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.026 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.843 male(s)/female total population: 0.976 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: adequate facilities domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	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	7,100 (2005)	25,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	12,000 (2005)	4,915 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2001)	4 (1999)
Terrain	volcanic, mountainous	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate	5.53 children born/woman (2007 est.)	4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	5.7% (1997 est.)
Waterways	-	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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