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Laos
Physical. Laos is located in Southeastern Asia northeast of Thailand and
west of Vietnam. Laos is slightly larger than Utah. The climate is tropical
monsoon with a rainy season (May to November) and a dry season (December to
April). The terrain is mostly rugged mountains, with some plains and plateaus.
Natural resources include timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold and gemstones.
People. Approaching 6.4 million people live in Laos. Lao is the
official language while English, French and various ethnic languages are spoken
as well. The Lao Loum (lowland) are the most predominant ethnic group (68% of
the population), while Lao Theung (upland) are 22% of the population, Lao Soung
(highland, including the Hmong and the Yao) are 9% of the population with some
ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese. The predominant religion practiced in Laos is
Buddhism (60%).
Government. Laos’s capital, Vientane, is located in Mekong Valley. The
ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century, gradually came
under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century and then became
part of French Indochina in the late 19th century. In 1975, the Communist Pathet
Lao instituted a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. Currently
the National Assembly is elected every five years from 16 provinces.
Noncommunist political groups are proscribed and most opposition leaders fled
the country in 1975.
Economy. One of the few official Communist states, Laos began to
encourage private enterprise in 1986. Growth averaged 6% for most of 1988-2004.
Yet Laos still has only a primitive infrastructure. 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. Foreign aid, a loan for
technical assistance and construction are strong economic drivers. Normal Trade
Relations status with the US established in 2004 may help spur growth in Laos.
In addition, the European Union has agreed to provide $1 million to Laos.
However, the avian flu may drastically reduce tourism.
Areas of Concern. Converting a GDP that is dependent on subsistence
farming in a country with little infrastructure is a challenge. Unexploded
ordnance, deforestation, soil erosion, and a lack of access to potable water for
most of the population are areas of concern. The economy will require continued
economic support from foreign countries.
For more information, you may write to the chancery at 2222 S Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008; check the U.S. State Department or World Factbook country
sites; or type in the country's name on the Internet using a broad-based World
Wide Web search engine.
Laos statistics
Geography
Area: 236,800 sq km
Capital: Vientiane (200,000)
Environmental concerns: unexploded ordnance, deforestation, soil erosion, and a
lack of access to potable water
Geographical features: mostly rugged mountains with some plains and plateaus
Climate: tropical monsoon with a rainy season (May to November) and a dry season
(December to April)
People
6,368,000 (July 2006 est.) Lao Loum (lowland - 68%), Lao Theung (upland - 22%),
Lao Soung (highland including the Hmong and the Yao - 9%), ethnic
Vietnamese/Chinese (1%)
Annual growth rate: 2.39% (2006 est.)
Major languages are Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic
languages
Religions: Buddhist (60%), animist and other (40%) (including various Christian
denominations 1.5%)
Health and social issues
Life expectancies: male 53; female 58
Infant mortality: 83.31 deaths/1,000 live births
Population below the poverty line: 34% (2002 est.)
1 physician to 3,555 people
HIV/AIDS Rate in Adults: 0.1% (2003 est.)
66.4% of adults are literate
Compulsory education (Ages): for 5 years between the ages of 6-15
Communication and transportation
90,067 (2006) main telephone lines in use
20,900 (2005) Internet users
32,620 km of roadways
no railroads
44 (2005) airports
18,000 motor vehicles (2004)
Government
Laos is a communist state. The chief of state is President Gen. Khamtai Siphadon
(since 26 February 1998). The head of the government is Prime Minister Boungnang
Volachit (since 27 March 2001).
Universal suffrage 18 years of age
Military
Military expenditures as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product 0.4% (2005
est.).
Current disputes: increased border surveillance to check the spread of avian
flu; disputes with Thailand over several areas along Mekong River; concern that
China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Economy
Currency: kip
Per capita GDP: $1,900 (2005 est.)
GDP: $12.13 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate: 7.2% (2005 est.)
Inflation rate: 10% (2005 est.)
Labor force: agriculture (80%), industry and services (20%) (1997 est.)
Resources and industry
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Agriculture: sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco,
cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Industry: copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural
processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement
Exports: $379 million (2005 est.)
Imports: $541 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Suggested web sites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/laos
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/latoc.html
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