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.)

• 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 (2016 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 (2016)

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)

etymology:

name means "Land of the Lao [people]"

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, Xaisomboun, Xekong, Xiangkhouang

• previous 1947 (preindependence);
• latest promulgated 13-15 August 1991;
• amended 2003, 2015 (2016)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Laos

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

chief of state:

President BOUNNYANG Vorachit (since 20 April 2016); Vice President PHANKHAM Viphavan (since 20 April 2016)

head of government:

Prime Minister THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 20 April 2016); Deputy Prime Ministers BOUNTHONG Chitmani, SONXAI Siphandon, SOMDI Douangdi (since 20 April 2016)

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 20 April 2016 (next to be held in 2021);
• prime minister nominated by the president, elected by the National Assembly for 5-year term

election results:

• BOUNNYANG Vorachit (LPRP) elected president;
• PHANKHAM Viphavan (LPRP) elected vice president;
• percent of National Assembly vote - NA;
• THONGLOUN Sisoulit (LPRP) elected prime minister;
• percent of National Assembly vote - NA

description:

unicameral National Assembly or Sapha Heng Xat (132 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote from candidate lists provided by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 20 April 2016 (next to be held in 2021)

election results:

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 128, independent 4

highest court(s):

People's Supreme Court (consists of the court president and organized into criminal, civil, administrative, commercial, family, and juvenile chambers, each with a vice president and several judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• president of People's Supreme Court appointed by National Assembly on recommendation of the president of the republic for a 5-year term;
• vice presidents of People's Supreme Court appointed by the president of the republic on recommendation of the National Assembly;
• appointment of chamber judges NA;
• tenure of court vice-presidents and chamber judges NA

subordinate courts:

appellate courts; provincial, municipal, district, and military courts

chief of mission:

Ambassador MAI Xaignavong (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 Tai, Hatsayfong 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:

22.2%

industry:

32.4%

services:

38.7% (2015 est.)

agriculture:

73.1%

industry:

6.1%

services:

20.6% (2012 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.3%

highest 10%:

30.3% (2008)

general assessment:

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

domestic:

• mobile cellular usage has slowed as the regulator imposed a strict policy on pricing and competition is effectively discouraged;
• network performance has suffered because of insufficient maintenance and upgrades

international:

country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China (2015)

• 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)

number of registered air carriers:

1; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 11

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

1,181,187

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

1,356,497 mt-km (2015)

total:

39,586 km

paved:

5,415 km

unpaved:

34,171 km (2009)

country comparison to the world: 89

• 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;
• a small, possibly growing, number of Lao women and girls are sold as brides in China and South Korea and subsequently sex trafficked;
• Lao men and boys are victims of forced labor in the Thai fishing, construction, and agriculture industries;
• some Lao children, as well as Vietnamese and Chinese women and girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Laos;
• other Vietnamese and Chinese, and possibly Burmese, adults and girls transit Laos for sexual and labor exploitation in neighboring countries, particularly Thailand

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 investigate, prosecute, and convict trafficking offenders;
• the government failed to make progress in proactively identifying victims exploited within the country or among those deported from abroad;
• the government continues to rely almost entirely on local and international organizations to provide and fund services to trafficking victims;
• although Lao men and boys are trafficked, most protective services are only available to women and girls, and long-term support is lacking;
• modest prevention efforts include the promotion of anti-trafficking awareness on state-controlled media (2015)

• 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)