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 | LAOSgeneral data of the country |
| General useful information |
| Note: some data are of constant value, while other are due to changes, fluctuations etc. |
| Nation and population |
| official name (short form): Laos |
| country code ISO: LA //; - FIPS: LA |
| location: Southeast Asia |
| time zone: +7 UT |
| surface (land) area: 236800 sq.km = 91429 sq.mi //; - area incl. inland waters: sq.km = sq.mi |
| geographical position in extreme co-ordinates: North: 23° N / South: 14° N / East: 108° E / West: 100° E |
| borders (land): Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, China |
| borders (coastline): none |
| climate: tropical to subtropical |
| Government |
| independent since: 1953-10-23 |
| type of government: people's republic |
| capital: Viangchan (Vientiane) |
| administrative division: province (17) + special region (1) |
| Population |
| population according to the latest census (1995): 4581,258 |
| total population according to the estimate of midyear 2000: 5497,459; or: 5279,000 // - ; 2001: 5574,000 |
| population density: 23 per sq.km = 60 per sq.mi |
| population growth: 2,8% //; - doubling time: 25 years |
| birth rate: 38 - 42 per 1000 |
| death rate: 13 - 14 per 1000 |
| fertility rate: 7 children per female |
| maternal mortality: per 100,000 |
| infant mortality (1-4 years): 89 per 1000 |
| life expectancy: 54 years (male: 52; female: 55) |
| age breakdown: 0-14 years: 44% //; - 15-59 years: 52% //; - 60+ years: 5% |
| urbanisation: 23% //; - urbanisation growth: 5% |
| percentage of urban population in the greatest city: 48% |
| Ethnic composition, language, religion |
| ethnic groups: Lao Loum 68%; Leo Theung 22%; Lao Soung [Lao Thai] (including Hmong & Yao) 9% |
| languages: Lao (official); French, English |
| religious affiliation: Buddhist 58%; tribal religions 34%; Christian 2%; Muslim 1%; other 5% |
| Health |
| daily food intake: 2175 calories per capita |
| population with access to safe water: 39% |
| people per physician: 3555 |
| people per hospital bed: |
| Education, literacy |
| school enrolment: primary education 6-11 years: 100% |
| school enrolment: secondary education: 27% |
| school enrolment: tertiary education 20-24 years: 2% |
| adult literacy: 84% (male: %; female: %) [source CA states as total figure: 62%] |
| Economy and infrastructure |
| Economy and trade |
| currency: Kip = 100 at |
| annual inflation rate: 27% |
| population below poverty line: 46% |
| Gross Domestic Product: USD 1300 per capita |
| GNI USD 290 per capita //; - [ppp: 1540] |
| GDP growth: 4% |
| income: USD 230 per capita |
| import: USD 564 per capita //; - export: USD 300 per capita |
| trade: USD 62 per capita //; - or 53% of GDP |
| trade partners: TH JP CH FR DE IT |
| human development index: 0,476 //; - position of the country in the world no.: 131 |
| female labour force: 45% |
| unemployment: 2,4% |
| tourism: 0,2 million |
| Economic activities in agriculture, fisheries, industry, mining, services, energy |
| land use: arable land: 4% //; - grass land: 3% //; - wooded area: 55% //; - arid land and desert: % |
| agriculture: labour force: 76% //; - part of agriculture in GDP: 59% |
| agricultural products: timber, coffee, rice, maize, fruit, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, fishing, cassava, cotton, vegetables |
| livestock (million): cattle: 1,1 / goats: 0,2 / horses: 0,03 / pigs: 1,3 / poultry: 14 / water buffalo 1 |
| fish catch: 30000 - 40000 metric tonnes |
| industry: labour force: 7% //; - part of industry in GDP: 17% |
| industrial products: of little importance, some garment manufacturing and wood processing |
| mining products: tin, gypsum, iron, copper, potash, lead, limestone, antimony, gold |
| CO2 emission per capita: 0,1 |
| services: labour force: 17% //; - part of services in GDP: 24% |
| energy use (kg per capita): 42 |
| electricity use (per capita): ? |
| annual water use (per capita): 260 |
| Traffic, communication |
| road network: 13971, or: 22321 km //; - of which paved: 14% //; - of which are motorways: 0 km |
| vehicles: 4 per 1000 |
| railways: 0 km //; - railways passenger/km: - |
| navigable inland waterways: 4600 km |
| ownership telephone: 4 -7 per 1000 |
| ownership radio receivers: 121 -145 per 1000 |
| ownership tv-sets: 7 - 17 per 1000 |
| newspaper circulation: 3 per 1000 |
| persons per post office: 11600 |
| personal computers:? per 1000 |
| Some physical landmarks |
| mountains: Phou Bia 2820 m, Rao Co 2286, Phou Loi 2263 |
| lowest point: in the southermost tip of the country where the Mekong river leaves the country |
| lakes (natural): none, or unknown |
| lakes (artificial reservoirs): Nam Ngum |
| lakes (deepest): unknown |
| rivers: Mekong, Tha, Ou, Ngum, Bangfai, Banghiang, Kong |
| canals: none, or unknown |
| waterfalls: none, or unknown |
| caves: longest system: none, or unknown / deepest: |
| islands: none |
| deserts: none |
| other natural features: |
| Additional remarks, especially on the statistical information |
| other important features: |
| apart from physical landmarks most of the above figures are changeable, in most cases they date from the 1990's |
| primary sources used for the general information: |
| BB CA EV PW WA WB WR, and some national statistical yearbooks |
| particulars concerning population data: |
To the page containing the population growth statistics of the country
To the page containing the historical population growth statistics of the provinces
To the page containing urban historical population statistics
Back to the homepage of this website: POPULATION STATISTICS
Internet website:Latest modification of this page on 2004-02-21 by Jan Lahmeyer
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