Laos
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Communist stateIndependence 19 July 1949 (from France)
Laos as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 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.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Geography
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand
18 fieldsLand useshare of 236,800 sq km
Environment - current issues
- deforestation;
- soil erosion;
- a majority of the population does not have access to potable water
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban
- signed, but not ratified:
- Law of the Sea
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 45% (male 1,174,029; female 1,144,634)
- 15-64 years:
- 52% (male 1,277,175; female 1,354,220)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 76,544; female 90,357) (July 1997 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.85 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Government
Communist state
21 fieldsNational Assembly, 85 seats, elected 20 December 1992one dot, one seat
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
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, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
National holiday
National Day, 2 December (1975) (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic)
Executive branch
- chief of state :
- President NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN (appointed 25 November 1992 by the Supreme People's Assembly to succeed KAYSONE PHOMVIHAN who died in office; elected by the new National Assembly 22 February 1993);
- Vice President SISAVAT KEOBOUNPHAN (since 20 April 1996 when the position of vice president was first created)
- head of government :
- Prime Minister Gen. KHAMTAI SIPHANDON (since 15 August 1991); Deputy Prime Ministers KHAMPHOUI KEOBOUALAPHA (since 15 August 1991) and BOUNGNANG VOLACHIT (since 20 April 1996)
- 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 22 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998);
- prime minister appointed by the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term
- election results:
- NOUHAK PHOUMSAVAN elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (85 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 20 December 1992 (next to be held NA 1997)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 85;
- note - the distribution of seats as of January 1997 is as follows - LPRP 78, independents 5, vacant 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 (LPRP), KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president; other parties proscribed
Political pressure groups and leaders
noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders fled the country in 1975
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)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador HIEM PHOMMACHANH
- chancery:
- 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 332-6416
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Wendy Jean CHAMBERLIN
- embassy:
- Rue Bartholonie, B.P. 114, Vientiane
- mailing address:
- American Embassy, Box V, APO AP 96546
- telephone:
- [856] (21) 212581, 212582, 212585
Flag description
three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band
Economy
The government of Laos - one of the few remaining | official communist states - has been decentralizing control and | encouraging private enterprise since 1986.
22 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1995 est.)
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.
Agriculture - products
sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, cotton; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Exports
- total value:
- $240 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
- commodities:
- electricity, wood products, coffee, tin, garments
- partners :
- Thailand, Japan, France, Germany, Netherlands
Imports
- total value:
- $570 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
- commodities:
- food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures
- partners:
- Thailand, China, Japan, France, US
Exchange rates
new kips (NK) per US$1 - 961.00 (January 1997), 921.14 (1996), 804.69 (1995), 717.67 (1994), 716.25 (1993), 716.08 (1992) note: as of September 1995, a floating exchange rate policy was adopted
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
service to general public very poor; radiotelephone communications network provides generally erratic service to government users
- domestic:
- radiotelephone communications
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Waterways
about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
Military
Lao People's Army (LPA; includes riverine naval and | militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Lao People's Army (LPA; includes riverine naval and militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
- world's third largest opium producer (200 metric tons from some 25,250 hectares in 1996);
- heroin producer;
- increasingly used as transshipment point for heroin produced in Burma;
- illicit producer of cannabis LATVIA
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Laos.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/laos/1997.