Laos

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

agricultural land:

10.6%;

• arable land 6.2%;
• permanent crops 0.7%;
• permanent pasture 3.7%

forest:

67.9%

other:

21.5% (2011 est.)

total:

3.49 cu km/yr (4%/5%/91%)

per capita:

588.9 cu m/yr (2005)

• unexploded ordnance;
• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• most of the population does not have access to potable water

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

• landlocked;
• most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested;
• the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand

noun:

Lao(s) or Laotian(s)

adjective:

Lao or Laotian

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.83 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

degree of risk:

very high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever 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 (2013)

total number:

175,138

percentage:

11% (2006 est.)

conventional long form:

Lao People's Democratic Republic

conventional short form:

Laos

local long form:

Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao

local short form:

Pathet Lao (unofficial)

name:

Vientiane (Viangchan)

geographic coordinates:

17 58 N, 102 36 E

time difference:

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

• 17 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 capital city* (nakhon luang, singular and plural);
• Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaimsomboun, Xekong, Xiangkhouang

• previous 1947 (preindependence);
• latest promulgated 13-15 August 1991;
• amended 2003 (2003)

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 THONGSING Thammavong (since 24 December 2010); Deputy Prime Ministers SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 27 March 2001), Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), BOUNPON Bouttanavong (since July 2014), PHANKHAM Viphavan (since July 2014)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly

elections/appointments:

• president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (no term limits);
• election last held on 30 April 2011 (next to be held in 2016);
• prime minister nominated by the president, elected by the National Assembly for 5-year term

election results:

• CHOUMMALI Saignason (LPRP) reelected president;
• BOUN-GNANG Volachit reelected vice president;
• percent of National Assembly vote - NA;
• THONGSING Thammavong elected prime minister;
• percent of National Assembly vote - NA

highest court(s):

People's Supreme Court (consists of NA judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• president of People's Supreme Court elected by National Assembly on recommendation of National Assembly Standing Committee;
• vice president of People's Supreme Court and judges appointed by National Assembly Standing Committee;
• judge tenure NA

subordinate courts:

provincial, municipal, district, and military courts

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mai SAYAVONGS (since 3 August 2015)

chancery:

2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 332-6416

FAX:

[1] (202) 332-4923

consulate(s):

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador David A. CLUNE (since 16 September 2013)

embassy:

Thadeua Road, Kilometer 9, Ban Somvang Thai, Haysatfong District, Vientiane

mailing address:

American Embassy Vientiane, Unit 8165, APO AP 96546

telephone:

[856] 21-48-7000

FAX:

[856] 21-48-7190

• three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band;
• the red bands recall the blood shed for liberation;
• the blue band represents the Mekong River and prosperity;
• the white disk symbolizes the full moon against the Mekong River, but also signifies the unity of the people under the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, as well as the country's bright future

name:

"Pheng Xat Lao" (Hymn of the Lao People)

lyrics/music:

SISANA Sisane/THONGDY Sounthonevichit

note: music adopted 1945, lyrics adopted 1975; the anthem's lyrics were changed following the 1975 Communist revolution that overthrew the monarchy

agriculture:

73.1%

industry:

6.1%

services:

20.6% (2012 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.3%

highest 10%:

30.3% (2008)

general assessment:

service to general public is improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas

domestic:

4 service providers with mobile cellular usage growing very rapidly

international:

country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China (2012)

• 6 TV stations operating out of Vientiane - 3 government-operated and the others commercial;
• 17 provincial stations operating with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the government-operated stations in Vientiane;
• Chinese and Vietnamese programming relayed via satellite from Lao National TV;
• broadcasts available from stations in Thailand and Vietnam in border areas;
• multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations;
• state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies - 1 AM, 1 SW, and 3 FM;
• LNR's AM and FM programs are relayed via satellite constituting a large part of the programming schedules of the provincial radio stations;
• Thai radio broadcasts available in border areas and transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are also accessible (2012)

total:

39,568 km

paved:

530 km

unpaved:

39,038 km (2007)

country comparison to the world: 89

males age 16-49:

1,574,362

females age 16-49:

1,607,856 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

1,111,629

females age 16-49:

1,190,035 (2010 est.)

male:

71,400

female:

73,038 (2010 est.)

• serving one of the world's least developed countries, the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced;
• its mission focus is border and internal security, primarily in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups;
• together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the government, the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the third pillar of state machinery, and as such is expected to suppress political and civil unrest and similar national emergencies;
• there is no perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains strong ties with the neighboring Vietnamese military (2012)

• southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu;
• talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over islands in the Mekong River;
• concern among Mekong River Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River and its tributaries will affect water levels;
• Cambodia and Vietnam are concerned about Laos' extensive upstream dam construction

current situation:

• Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
• Lao economic migrants may encounter conditions of forced labor or sexual exploitation in destination countries, most often Thailand;
• Lao women and girls are exploited in Thailand’s commercial sex trade, domestic service, factories, and agriculture;
• Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries;
• some Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos while others are trafficked through Laos to neighboring countries, particularly Thailand;
• some Lao adults and children are subject to sex and labor exploitation domestically

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List – Laos does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• authorities sustained moderate efforts to prosecute and convict trafficking offenders;
• the government failed to identify victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad;
• the government relies almost entirely on local and international organizations to implement its anti-trafficking programs, including providing assistance to trafficking victims (2014)

• estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007;
• estimated potential opium production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons;
• unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production;
• growing domestic methamphetamine problem (2009)