第 152 页

paved: 16,854 km

unpaved: 1,646 km (2000)

Waterways:

600 km (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)

Military Kyrgyzstan

Military branches:

Army, Air Force, National Guard (2005)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,398,878

females age 16-49: 1,419,374 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,061,942

females age 16-49: 1,211,249 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 60,706

females age 16-49: 58,721 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

1.4% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Kyrgyzstan

Disputes - international:

Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstan; disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of delimitation with Tajikistan; delimitation of 130 km of border with Uzbekistan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other areas

Illicit drugs:

limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe; major consumer of opiates

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Laos

Introduction Laos

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 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination 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.

Geography Laos

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 sq km

land: 230,800 sq km

water: 6,000 sq km

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:

1,750 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

333.6 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic / industrial / agricultural):

total: 3 cu km/yr (4%/6%/90%)

per capita: 507 cu m/yr (2000)

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

People Laos

Population:

6,677,534 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 41% (male 1,374,966/female 1,362,945)

15-64 years: 55.9% (male 1,846,375/female 1,885,029)

65 years and over: 3.1% (male 91,028/female 117,191) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 19.2 years

male: 18.9 years

female: 19.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.344% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

34.46 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

11.02 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 79.61 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 88.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 69.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 56.29 years

male: 54.19 years

female: 58.47 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

4.5 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

1,700 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria

note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)

adjective: Lao or Laotian

Ethnic groups:

Lao 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups) 26% (2005 census)

Religions:

Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8% (1995 census)

Languages:

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

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 68.7%

male: 77%

female: 60.9% (2001 est.)

Government Laos

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:

name: Vientiane

geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E

time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 capital city* (nakhon luang, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006); Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006)

head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit (since 8 June 2006), SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 27 March 2001)

cabinet: Ministers appointed by president, approved by National Assembly

elections: president and vice president elected by National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by president and elected by National Assembly for five-year term

election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 97%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote from a list of candidates selected by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 113, independents 2

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 [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador PHIANE Philakone

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 Ravic R. HUSO

embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam, Vientiane

mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546

telephone: [856] 21-26-7000

FAX: [856] 21-26-7190

Flag description:

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

Economy Laos

Economy - overview:

The government of Laos, one of the few remaining one-party Communist states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% per year in 1988-2007 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 underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. 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 support from Japan and China. Electricity is available in urban areas and in most rural districts. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about 40% of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid from international donors and from foreign investment in hydropower and mining. Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. Several policy changes since 2004 may help spur growth. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to benefit from lower tariffs on exports. Laos is taking steps to join the World Trade Organization in the next few years; the resulting trade policy reforms will improve the business environment. On the fiscal side, a value-added tax (VAT) regime, slated to begin in 2008, should help streamline the government's inefficient tax system.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$12.65 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$4.028 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,100 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 41.3%

industry: 32.2%

services: 26.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.1 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 80%

industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

2.4% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:

30.7% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.4%

highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

34.6 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4.5% (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $472.3 million

expenditures: $646.1 million (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

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

Industrial production growth rate:

12% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

1.715 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 1.4%

hydro: 98.6%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

1.193 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:

728 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

326 million kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

2,950 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

2,898 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$930 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$970 million (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold

Exports - partners:

Thailand 42.1%, Vietnam 9.5%, China 4% (2006)

Imports:

$1.376 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods

Imports - partners:

Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.6% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$379 million (2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$541 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$3.179 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

kip (LAK)