Compare Uruguay (2003) - Laos (2003)

Compare Uruguay (2003) z Laos (2003)

	Uruguay (2003)	Laos (2003)

Administrative divisions	19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres	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: 24.3% (male 425,642; female 404,987) 15-64 years: 62.6% (male 1,057,187; female 1,079,549) 65 years and over: 13.1% (male 182,696; female 263,268) (2003 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	rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish	sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Airports	64 (2002)	51 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 2 (2002)	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: 49 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 31 (2002)	total: 42 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 26 (2002)
Area	total: 176,220 sq km land: 173,620 sq km water: 2,600 sq km	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than the state of Washington	slightly larger than Utah
Background	A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement, the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to military control of his administration in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.	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	17.19 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $3.7 billion expenditures: $4.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $500 million (2000)	revenues: $211 million expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est. est.)
Capital	Montevideo	Vientiane
Climate	warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown	tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Coastline	660 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997	promulgated 14 August 1991
Country name	conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay conventional short form: Uruguay local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay local short form: Uruguay former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province	conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none
Currency	Uruguayan peso (UYU)	kip (LAK)
Death rate	8.97 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$11.8 billion (2002 est.)	$2.53 billion (1999)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Martin J. SILVERSTEIN embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200 mailing address: APO AA 34035 telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777 FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611	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: Ambassador Hugo FERNANDEZ-FAINGOLD chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York	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	uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina	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	$NA	$345 million (1999 est.)
Economy - overview	Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for nearly half of Uruguay's exports. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year. Unemployment rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF and the US has limited the damage, which is still extensive. Moves to reschedule debt and promote economic recovery may help limit a further decline in output in 2003.	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	6.152 billion kWh (2001)	824.7 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	1.377 billion kWh (2001)	400 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	123 million kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	7.963 billion kWh (2001)	1.317 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 0.7% hydro: 99.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.3% (2001)	fossil fuel: 1.4% hydro: 98.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m	lowest point: Mekong River 70 m highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Environment - current issues	water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal	unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban	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	white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian, practically nonexistent	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	Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 21.26 (2002), 13.32 (2001), 12.1 (2000), 11.34 (1999), 10.47 (1998)	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 Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 31 October 1999, with runoff election on 28 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Jorge BATLLE Ibanez elected president; percent of vote - Jorge BATLLE Ibanez 52% in a runoff against Tabare VAZQUEZ 44%	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 (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	meat, rice, leather products, wool, vehicles, dairy products	wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin
Exports - partners	Brazil 21%, Argentina 15%, US 8.1%, Germany 5.1%, Italy 4% (2002)	Vietnam 25.7%, Thailand 19%, France 7.5%, Germany 5.3% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 October - 30 September
Flag description	nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy	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 - $26.82 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 6% industry: 27% services: 67% (2001)	agriculture: 53% industry: 23% services: 24% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $7,900 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-10.8% (2002 est.)	5.7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	33 00 S, 56 00 W	18 00 N, 105 00 E
Geography - note	second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising	landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
Highways	total: 8,983 km paved: 8,081 km unpaved: 902 km (1999 est.)	total: 21,716 km paved: 9,664 km unpaved: 12,052 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 25.8% (1997)	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 (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum	machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners	Argentina 25.6%, Brazil 22.7%, US 7.7%, Venezuela 6.2% (2002)	Thailand 58.9%, Vietnam 12.3%, China 7.9% (2002)
Independence	25 August 1825 (from Brazil)	19 July 1949 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	-12% (2002 est.)	7.5% (1999 est.)
Industries	food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages	tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 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)	14.1% (2002 est.)	10% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	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)	14 (2001)	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	1,800 sq km (1998 est.)	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 nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General 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	1.2 million (2001)	2.4 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70%	agriculture 80% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 1,564 km border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 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: 7.21% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 92.52% (1998 est.)	arable land: 3.47% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 96.3% (1998 est.)
Languages	Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)	Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Legal system	based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice
Legislative branch	bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 12, Colorado Party 10, Blanco 7, New Sector/Space Coalition 1; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 40, Colorado Party 33, Blanco 22, New Sector/Space Coalition 4	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: 75.87 years male: 72.54 years female: 79.38 years (2003 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: 98% male: 97.6% female: 98.4% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 52.8% male: 67.5% female: 38.1% (2003 est.)
Location	Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Map references	South America	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,918 GRT/9,775 DWT ships by type: chemical tanker 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 4, Greece 1 (2002 est.)	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force, Police (Coracero Guard, Grenadier Guard)	Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force, National Police Department
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$250 million (1999)	$55 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.1% (2000)	4.2% (FY96)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 831,297 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 1,411,042 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 672,030 (2003 est.)	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, 25 August (1825)	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Nationality	noun: Uruguayan(s) adjective: Uruguayan	noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s) adjective: Lao or Laotian
Natural hazards	seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts	floods, droughts
Natural resources	arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries	timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Net migration rate	-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	gas 192 km (2003)	refined products 540 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE Ibanez]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera]; New Sector/Space Coalition or Nuevo Espacio [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio [Tabare VAZQUEZ]	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	3,413,329 (July 2003 est.)	5,921,545 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	6% (1997)	40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate	0.79% (2003 est.)	2.45% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Colonia, Fray Bentos, Juan La Caze, La Paloma, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Punta del Este, Piriapolis	none
Radio broadcast stations	AM 91, FM 149, shortwave 7 (2001)	AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)
Railways	total: 2,073 km standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2002)	0 km
Religions	Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31%	Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 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 and compulsory	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: fully digitalized domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)	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	929,141 (2001)	25,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	350,000 (2001)	4,915 (1997)
Television broadcast stations	20 (2001)	4 (1999)
Terrain	mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland	mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Total fertility rate	2.35 children born/woman (2003 est.)	4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	19.4% (2002)	5.7% (1997 est.)
Waterways	1,600 km (used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft)	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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