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Compare Virgin Islands (2001) - Laos (2004)
Compare Virgin Islands (2001) z Laos (2004)
| Virgin Islands (2001) | Laos (2004) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas | 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, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
27.27% (male 17,121; female 16,204) 15-64 years: 63.92% (male 35,391; female 42,727) 65 years and over: 8.81% (male 4,638; female 6,130) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 41.9% (male 1,277,152; female 1,265,761)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 1,642,895; female 1,688,175) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,995; female 106,139) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice, water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry |
| Airports | 2
note: international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix (2000 est.) |
46 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total:
352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km |
total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than Utah |
| Background | During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. | Laos was 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. 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 | 15.9 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 36.47 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$364.4 million expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.) |
revenues: $298.5 million
expenditures: $429.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
| Capital | Charlotte Amalie | Vientiane |
| Climate | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) |
| Coastline | 188 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 | promulgated 14 August 1991 |
| Country name | conventional long form:
United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies |
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | kip (LAK) |
| Death rate | 5.47 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 12.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $NA | $2.49 billion (2001) |
| Dependency status | organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH
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 | none (territory of the US) | 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 largely complete, but with Thailand several areas including Mekong River islets remain in dispute; ongoing disputes with Thailand and Vietnam over squatters; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels |
| Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $243 million (2001 est.) |
| Economy - overview | Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, support construction projects in the private sector, expand tourist facilities, and protect the environment. | 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 | 948.6 million kWh (1999) | 824.7 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 400 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 1.02 billion kWh (1999) | 1.317 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m |
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m |
| Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water |
| Environment - international agreements | - | 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 | black 80%, white 15%, other 5%
note: West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in the West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%, other 8% |
Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | kips per US dollar - 10,443 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.58 (2001), 7,887.64 (2000), 7,102.02 (1999) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Gererd LUZ James II (since 5 January 1999) cabinet: NA elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2002) election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL elected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles W. TURNBULL (Democrat) 58.9%, former Governor Roy L. SCHNEIDER (ICM) 41.1% |
chief of state: President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphadon (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 Bouasone BOUPHAVANH (since 3 October 2003) Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since 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 in 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 | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | refined petroleum products | garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin |
| Exports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | Thailand 20.7%, Vietnam 15.9%, France 7.3%, Germany 5.3%, Belgium 4% (2003) |
| Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 October - 30 September |
| Flag description | white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel | 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 - $1.8 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $10.32 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 49.4%
industry: 24.5% services: 26.1% (2003 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 5.5% (2003 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | 18 00 N, 105 00 E |
| Geography - note | important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater harbors in the Caribbean | 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:
856 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (2000) |
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 2003 - 18,900 hectares, a 19% decrease over 2002; estimated potential production in 2003 - 200 metric tons, a 11% increase from 2002); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis; growing methamphetamine abuse problem |
| Imports | $NA | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | Thailand 59.4%, China 12.8%, Vietnam 10.2% (2003) |
| Independence | - | 19 July 1949 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 9.7% (2001 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics | tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism |
| Infant mortality rate | 9.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 87.06 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 97.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 76.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | 15.3% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC | ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 50 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 1,640 sq km
note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) | 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 | 47,443 (1990 est.) | 2.6 million (2001 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.) | 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:
15% permanent crops: 6% permanent pastures: 26% forests and woodland: 6% other: 47% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 3.8%
permanent crops: 0.35% other: 95.85% (2001) |
| Languages | English (official), Spanish, Creole | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages |
| Legal system | based on US laws | based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 6, ICM 2, independents 7 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2002); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) elected |
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 in 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:
78.27 years male: 74.38 years female: 82.39 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 54.69 years
male: 52.71 years female: 56.75 years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.4% male: 77.4% female: 55.5% (2002) |
| Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | - |
| Military branches | - | Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $10.9 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.5% (2003) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 1,456,500 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 783,800 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 68,563 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) | Republic Day, 2 December (1975) |
| Nationality | noun:
Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander |
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian |
| Natural hazards | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | floods, droughts |
| Natural resources | sun, sand, sea, surf | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones |
| Net migration rate | 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | refined products 540 km (2004) |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHON]; Republican Party [Gary SCROUVE] | 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 | 122,211 (July 2001 est.) | 6,068,117 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 40% (2002 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 1.06% (2001 est.) | 2.44% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix | none |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) |
| Radios | 107,000 (1997) | - |
| Railways | 0 km | - |
| Religions | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%) |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2001 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: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA |
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: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 62,000 (1997) | 61,900 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,000 (1992) | 55,200 (2002) |
| Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 4 (1999) |
| Terrain | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus |
| Total fertility rate | 2.25 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 4.86 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% (March 1999) | 5.7% (1997 est.) |
| Waterways | none | 4,600 km
note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2003) |
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