Laos

§1. Laos Introduction

Background:
  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.

§2. Laos Geography

Location:
  Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:
  18 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references:
  Southeast_Asia

Area:
  total: 236,800 km²
  land: 230,800 km²
  water: 6,000 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Utah

Land boundaries:
  total: 5,083 km
  border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand
    1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km

Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
  none (landlocked)

Climate:
  tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to
  April)

Terrain:
  mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
  highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m

Natural resources:
  timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Land use:
  arable land: 4.01%
  permanent crops: 0.34%
  other: 95.65% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  1,640 km²
  note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 km²; dry season irrigation - 750 km²
    (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  floods, droughts

Environment - current issues:
  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

Geography - note:
  landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the
  Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand

§3. Laos People

Population:
  6,368,481 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.4% (male 1,324,207/female 1,313,454)
  15-64 years: 55.4% (male 1,744,206/female 1,786,139)
  65 years and over: 3.1% (male 89,451/female 111,024) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.9 years
  male: 18.6 years
  female: 19.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.39% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  35.49 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  11.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 83.31 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 92.95 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 55.49 years
  male: 53.45 years
  female: 57.61 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  1,700 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 200 (2003 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:
  Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland)
  including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Religions:
  Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian
  denominations 1.5%)

Languages:
  Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 66.4%
  male: 77.4%
  female: 55.5% (2002)

§4. Laos Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
  conventional short form: Laos PDR or Laos
  local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
  local short form: none

Government type:
  Communist state

Capital:
  Vientiane

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, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet,
  Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong,
  Xiangkhoang

Independence:
  19 July 1949 (from France)

National holiday:
  Republic Day, 2 December (1975)

Constitution:
  promulgated 14 August 1991

Legal system:
  based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and
  socialist practice

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  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 Siphadon elected president; percent of National
    Assembly vote - NA

Legislative branch:
  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

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)

Political parties and leaders:
  Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALY Sayasone, party
  president]; other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the
  country in 1975

International organization participation:
  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, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
  (observer)

Diplomatic representation in 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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH
  embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, B. P. 114, Vientiane
  mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, Box V, APO AP 96546
  telephone: [856] (21) 267000
  FAX: [856] (21) 267190

Flag description:
  three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a
  large white disk centered in the blue band

§5. Laos Economy

Economy - overview:
  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% in 1988-2004 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 food processing
  and mining. Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially
  as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. In late 2004, Laos
  gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based
  producers to face lower tariffs on exports. This new status may help spur
  growth. In addition, the European Union has agreed to provide $1 million to
  the Lao Government for technical assistance in preparations for WTO
  membership. If the avian flu worsens and spreads in the region, however,
  prospects for tourism could dim.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $11.92 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $2.541 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  7.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $1,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 48.6%
  industry: 25.9%
  services: 25.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  2.8 million (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 80% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  5.7% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  40% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 3.2%
  highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  37 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  9.4% (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $319.3 million
  expenditures: $434.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Agriculture - products:
  sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea,
  peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry

Industries:
  copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural
  processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement

Industrial production growth rate:
  13% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  3.767 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  3.298 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  435 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  230 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  2,950 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-58.35 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $379 million (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  garments, wood products, coffee, electricity, tin

Exports - partners:
  Thailand 19.3%, Vietnam 13.4%, France 8%, Germany 5.3%, UK 5% (2004)

Imports:
  $541 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
  Thailand 60.5%, China 10.3%, Vietnam 7.1%, Singapore 4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $217 million (August 2005)

Debt - external:
  $2.49 billion (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $243 million (2001 est.)

Currency (code):
  kip (LAK)

Exchange rates:
  kips per US dollar - 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003),
  10,056.3 (2002), 8,954.6 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

§6. Laos Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  90,067 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  520,546 (2006)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving; 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)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 2 (2006)

Internet country code:
  .la

Internet hosts:
  1,152 (2005)

Internet users:
  20,900 (2005)

§7. Laos Transportation

Airports:
  44 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 9
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
  914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 35
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 21 (2005)

Pipelines:
  refined products 540 km (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 32,620 km
  paved: 4,590 km
  unpaved: 28,030 km (2002)

Waterways:
  4,600 km
  note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are
    intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
  by type: cargo 1 (2005)

§8. Laos Military

Military branches:
  Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
  15 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
  obligation - minimum 18 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 15-49: 1,500,625 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 954,816 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 73,167 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $11.04 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.4% (2005 est.)

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)

§9. Laos Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  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 several areas along Mekong River and Thai
  squatters; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's
  construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels

Illicit drugs:
  estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease from 2003;
  estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons, a significant
  decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005)


<Factbook 2006>
