Map of Laos | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location: Southeastern Asia northeast of Thailand west of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates: 18 00 N 105 00 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 236,800 km²
Land: 230,800 km²
Water: 6,000 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Utah

Land boundaries
Total: 5,083 km
Border countries: (5) 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
Extremes highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m

Natural resources: timber hydropower gypsum tin gold gemstones

Land use
Arable land: 3.8%
Permanent crops: 0.35%
Other: 95.85% (2001)

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

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: floods droughts

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


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Population: 6,217,141 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 2.42% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: 40% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Lao or Laotian
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%

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.6% (male 1,300,094/female 1,289,227)
15-64 years: 55.2% (male 1,693,494/female 1,737,196)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 88,744/female 108,386) (2005 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.74 years
Male: 18.42 years
Female: 19.08 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.42% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 35.99 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 11.83 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2005 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 85.22 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 95.04 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 75.01 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 55.08 years
Male: 53.07 years
Female: 57.17 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1700 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 66.4%
Male: 77.4%
Female: 55.5% (2002)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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: 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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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
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 [KHAMTAI Siphadon party president]; other parties proscribed

International organization participation: ACCT APT 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)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador PHANTHONG Phommahaxay
In the us chancery: 2,222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-6,416
In the us fax: [1] (202) 332-4,923
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH
From the us embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, B. P. 114, Vientiane
From the us mailing address: American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96,546
From the us telephone: [856] (21) 212,581, 212,582, 212,585
From the us fax: [856] (21) 212,584

Flag description: 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


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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. The government has sponsored major improvements in the road system. 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. In late 2004 Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on their exports; this may help spur growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $11.28 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1900 (2004 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 49.5%
Industry: 27.5%
Services: 23% (2004 est.)

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

Industries: tin and gypsum mining timber electric power agricultural processing construction garments tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 9.7% (2001 est.)

Labor force: 2.6 million (2001 est.)
By occupation: agriculture 80% (1997 est.)