Statistical information Laos 1993Laos

Map of Laos | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Laos - Introduction 1993
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Background: 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.


Laos - Geography 1993
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Location: Southeast Asia, between Vietnam and Thailand

Geographic coordinates

Map referenceSoutheast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 236,800 km²
Land: 230,800 km²

Land boundaries: total 5,083 km, 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

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

Land use
Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 3%
Forest and woodland: 58%
Other: 35%

Irrigated land: 1,200 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


Laos - People 1993
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Population: 4,569,327 (July 1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
Adjective: Lao or Laotian

Ethnic groups:
Lao 50%, Phoutheung (Kha) 15%, tribal Thai 20%, Meo,
Hmong, Yao, and other 15%


Languages: Lao (official), French, English

Religions: Buddhist 85%, animist and other 15%

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 43.82 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 15.22 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
Current issues note: landlocked

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 104.4 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 51.18 years
Male: 49.67 years
Female: 52.77 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.16 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15-45 can read and write (1985)
Total population: 84%
Male: 92%
Female: 76%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Laos - Government 1993
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Country name
Conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
Conventional short form: Laos
Local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
Local short form: none

Government type: Communist state

Capital

Administrative divisions:
16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo,
Bolikhamsai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang,
Oudomxai, Phongsali, Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane, Vientiane*,
Xaignabouri, Xiangkhoang


Dependent areas

Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)

National holiday:
National Day, 2 December (1975) (proclamation of the Lao
People's Democratic Republic)


Constitution: promulgated August 1991

Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister and two deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: National Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
ACCT (associate), AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO


Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador HIEM Phommachanh
In the us chancery: 2,222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 332-6,416 or 6,417
From the us embassy: Rue Bartholonie, Vientiane
From the us mailing address: B. P. 114, Vientiane, or AMEMB, Box V, APO AP 96,546
From the us telephone: (856) 2,220, 2,357, 2,384
From the us fax: (856) 4,675

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Laos - Economy 1993
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Economy overview: One of the world's poorest nations, Laos has had a Communist centrally planned economy with government ownership and control of productive enterprises of any size. In recent years, however, the government has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise. Laos is a landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure; that is, it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, limited external and internal telecommunications, and electricity available in only a limited area. Subsistence agriculture is the main occupation, accounting for over 60% of GDP and providing about 85-90% of total employment. The predominant crop is rice. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend for its survival on foreign aid from the IMF and other international sources; aid from the former USSR and Eastern Europe has been cut sharply.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1991)

Real gdp per capita: $200 (1991)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 60% of GDP and employs most of the work force; subsistence farming predominates; normally self-sufficient in nondrought years; principal crops - rice (80% of cultivated land), sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; livestock - buffaloes, hogs, cattle, poultry

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 12% (1991 est.), accounts for about 18% of GDP (1991 est.)

Labor force: 1-1.5 million
By occupation: agriculture 85-90% (est.)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 21% (1989 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $83 million; expenditures $188.5 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (1990 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $72 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: electricity, wood products, coffee, tin
Partners: Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, USSR, US, China

Imports: $238 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures
Partners: Thailand, USSR, Japan, France, Vietnam, China

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1 - 710 (May 1992), 710 (December 1991), 700 (September 1990), 576 (1989), 385 (1988), 200 (1987)


Laos - Energy 1993
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Electricity
Production: 226,000 kW capacity; 990 million kWh produced, 220 kWh per capita (1992) processing, construction

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Laos - Communication 1993
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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Laos - Military 1993
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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Laos - Transportation 1993
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 54
Usable: 41
With permanentsurface runways: 8
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 15

Heliports

Pipelines: petroleum products 136 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


Laos - Transnational issues 1993
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Disputes international: boundary dispute with Thailand

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, opium poppy for the international drug trade, third-largest opium producer


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