Laos
Lao People's Democratic Republic conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none
Communist stateIndependence 19 July 1949 (from France)
Laos as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.
Geography
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
18 fieldsLand boundaries
total: 5,083 km border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Land use
arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 54% other: 40% (1993 est.)
Environment - current issues
- unexploded ordnance;
- 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, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 42.75% (male 1,212,577; female 1,196,795) 15-64 years: 53.94% (male 1,494,927; female 1,544,851) 65 years and over: 3.31% (male 85,632; female 101,185) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 53.48 years male: 51.58 years female: 55.44 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57% male: 70% female: 44% (1999 est.)
Government
Communist state; President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 26 February 1998) and Vice President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since NA March 2001) head of government: Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit (since NA March 2001)
20 fieldsNational Assembly, 99 seatsone 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
Executive branch
chief of state: President Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 26 February 1998) and Vice President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since NA March 2001) head of government: Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit (since NA March 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers THONGLOUN Sisolit (since NA March 2001), SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998) 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 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term election results: KHAMTAI Siphandon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%
Legislative branch
- unicameral National Assembly (99 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - by presidential decree, on 27 October 1997, the number of seats increased from 85 to 99) elections: last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
- seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 99
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 [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, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador VANG Rattanavong chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Karen Brevard STEWART embassy: 19 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 - began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986.
32 fieldsElectricity
Economy - overview
The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official communist states - began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 7% during 1988-97. Reform efforts subsequently slowed, and GDP growth dropped an average of 3 percentage points.
Because Laos depends heavily on its trade with Thailand, it was damaged by the regional financial crisis beginning in 1997. Government mismanagement deepened the crisis, and from June 1997 to June 1999 the Lao kip lost 87% of its value. Laos' foreign exchange problems peaked in September 1999 when the kip fell from 3,500 kip to the dollar to 9,000 kip to the dollar in a matter of weeks.
Now that the currency has stabilized, however, the government seems content to let the current situation persist, despite limited government revenue and foreign exchange reserves. A landlocked country with a primitive infrastructure, Laos 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. For the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend on aid from the IMF and other international sources; Japan is currently the largest bilateral aid donor; aid from the former USSR/Eastern Europe has been cut sharply.
Budget
revenues: $211 million expenditures: $462 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.)
Industries
tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism
Agriculture - products
- sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton;
- tea, peanuts, rice;
- water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Exchange rates
kips per US dollar - 7,578.00 (December 2000), 7,102.03 (1999), 3,298.33 (1998), 1,259.98 (1997), 921.02 (1996)
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- service to general public is poor but improving, with over 20,000 telephones currently in service and an additional 48,000 expected by 2001;
- the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas domestic: radiotelephone communications international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)
Transportation
9 fieldsWaterways
4,587 km approximately note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m
Merchant marine
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 25 (2000 est.)
Military
Lao People's Army (LPA; includes riverine element), Air Force, National Police Department
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Lao People's Army (LPA; includes riverine element), Air Force, National Police Department
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
- world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 1999 - 21,800 hectares, a 16% decrease over 1998; estimated potential production in 1999 - 140 metric tons, about the same as in 1998);
- potential heroin producer;
- transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma;
- illicit producer of cannabis
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Laos.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/laos/2001.