Laos

Lao People's Democratic RepublicSathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao

Communist stateIndependence 19 July 1949 (from France)

Laos as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalVientiane

Area236,800 km2

LocationSoutheast Asia, between Vietnam and Thailand

Populationas each edition published it

4.57 million July 1993 est. · 4.02m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.86% 1993 est. · 1.22% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

51.18 years 1993 est. · 69 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.16 children per woman 1993 est. · 5.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

104.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 126 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$200 1991 · $8,600 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

4% 1991 · 4.3% in 2025

Geography

Southeast Asia, between Vietnam and Thailand

14 fields

Land useshare of 236,800 km2

arable land 4%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 3%forest and woodland 58%other 35%irrigated 1,200 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

236,800km2

land area: 230,800 km2comparative area: slightly larger than Utah

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Land boundaries

5,083km

total · Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km

Location

Southeast Asia, between Vietnam and Thailand

Map references

Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Climate

tropical monsoon;
rainy season (May to November);
dry season (December to April)

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Natural resources

timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Environment

deforestation;
soil erosion;
subject to floods

People

14 fields

Population

4,569,327

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.86% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

43.82Death

15.22Net migration

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years51.18

49.67 · 52.77

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy84%

92% · 76%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15-45 can read and write (1985)

Infant mortality rate

104.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective:: Lao or Laotian

Ethnic divisions

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

Labor force

1-1.5 million; by occupation: agriculture 85-90% (est.)

Government

Communist state

21 fields

Names

conventional long form:: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form:: Laos
local long form:: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
local short form:: none

16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng, nakhon, singular and Houaphan, Khammouan, Louang Namtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Saravan, Savannakhet, Sekong, Vientiane, Vientiane*, Xaignabouri,, Xiangkhoang

Independence

19 July 1949 (from France)

Constitution

promulgated August 1991

Legal system

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

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president;
includes Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC);
other parties moribund

Other political or pressure groups

non-Communist political groups moribund; most leaders fled the country in 1975

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Elections

Third National Assembly:: last held on 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (85 total) number of seats by party NA

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

National Assembly

Judicial branch

Supreme People's Court

Leaders

Chief of State:: President NOUHAK Phoumsavan (since 25 November 1992)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 15 August 1991)

Member of

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 US

chief of mission:: Ambassador HIEM Phommachanh
chancery:: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 332-6416 or 6417

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Charles B. SALMON, Jr.
embassy:: Rue Bartholonie, Vientiane
mailing address:: B. P. 114, Vientiane, or AMEMB, Box V, APO AP 96546
telephone:: (856) 2220, 2357, 2384
FAX:: (856) 4675

Flag

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

Economy

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.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$200

(1991)

Real growth rate

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

Inflation, consumer prices

10%

(1991)

Unemployment rate

21%

(1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$83 millionExpenditures

$188.5 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $94 million (1990 est.)

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.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $900 million (1991)

Exports

$72 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:: electricity, wood products, coffee, tin
partners:: Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, USSR, US, China

Imports

$238 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)

commodities:: food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures
partners:: Thailand, USSR, Japan, France, Vietnam, China

External debt

$1.1 billion (1990 est.)

Electricity

226,000 kW capacity; 990 million kWh produced, 220 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

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

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $605 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $995 million

Currency

1 new kip (NK) = 100 at

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

7 fields

Railroads

none

Highways

about 27,527 km total;
1,856 km bituminous or bituminous treated;
7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth;
18,220 km unimproved earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September

Inland waterways

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

Pipelines

petroleum products 136 km

Ports

none

Airports

total:: 54
usable:: 41
with permanent-surface runways:: 8
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 15

Telecommunications

service to general public practically non-existant;
radio communications network provides generally erratic service to government users;
7,390 telephones (1986);
broadcast stations - 10 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
1 satellite earth station