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.

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

Land boundaries: Total 5,083 km, Myanmar 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:

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

Irrigated land: 1,554 km² (1992 est.)

Population:
Growth rate:

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

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water
Current issues Natural hazards: floods, droughts, and blight
International agreements: party to_Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified_Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
International agreements note: Landlocked

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.69 years (1996 est.); 52.2 years (1995 est.)
Male: 51.14 years (1996 est.); 50.66 years (1995 est.)
Female: 54.31 years (1996 est.); 53.81 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 56.6%
Male: 69.4%
Female: 44.4%

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) and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural; Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xekong, Xiangkhoang

Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)

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

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 NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN (since 25 November 1992)
Head of government: Prime Minister Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since 15 August 1991) was appointed for a five-year term by the president with the approval of the National Assembly; Deputy Prime Minister KHAMPHOUI KEOBOUALAPHA (since NA)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president, approved by the Assembly

Legislative branch: Unicameral National Assembly:Members elected for five-year terms; elections last held 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1997; results_percent of vote NA; seats_(85 total) LPRP 85

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

International organization participation: ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

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

Economy overview: The government of Laos_one of the few remaining official communist states_has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise since 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, have been striking_growth has averaged 7.5% annually since 1988. Even so, Laos is a landlocked 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 predominant crop is rice. In non-drought years, Laos is self-sufficient overall in food, but each year flood, pests, and localized drought cause shortages in various parts of the country. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend on aid from the IMF and other international sources; aid from the former USSR/Eastern Europe has been cut sharply. As in many developing countries, deforestation and soil erosion will hamper efforts to maintain the high rate of GDP growth.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Agriculture products: 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 7.5% (1992 est.), accounts for 17% of GDP

Labor force: 1 million-1.5 million
By occupation: Agriculture 80% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1992 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $198 million
Expenditures: $351 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

Fiscal year: 1 October_30 September

Exports: total value. $278 million (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports: total value:$486 million (c.i.f., 1994)
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $2 billion (1995 est.)

Exchange rates: New kips (NK) per US$1_920 (1995), 717 (1994 est.), 720 (July 1993), 710 (May 1992), 710 (December 1991), 700 (September 1990), 576 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 260,000 kW
Production: 870 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 44 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 6,000 telephones (1991 est.); service to general public very poor; radio communications network provides generally erratic service to government users
Domestic: radio communications
International: satellite earth station_1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $105 million, 8.1% of GDP (FY92/93)

Airports: 39
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 16

Pipelines: Petroleum products 136 km

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: total:1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT

Illicit drugs: Illicit producer of cannabis, opium poppy for the international drug trade, fourth largest opium producer (85 metric tons in 1994; heroin producer; increasingly used as transshipment point for heroin produced in Burma