Seatap

Laos’s country conventional long form name is Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Locally, it is called Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao or Mueang Lao for short.

Laos’s national symbol is elephant, while its national colors are red, white, and blue. Its national anthem is “Pheng Xat Lao” or Hymn of the Lao People in English. Its capital is Vientiane , with geographic coordinates of 17 58 N, 102 36 E.

Sources: The World Factbook, UNDP, World Bank Open Data

Unemployment rate: 1.5% in 2016

Population below poverty line: 22% in 2013

Household income or consumption by percentage share: 3.3% for the lowest 10% and 30.3% for the highest 10% in 2008

Economics

Political parties and leaders: Lao People’s Revolutionary Party or LPRP [BOUNNYANG Vorachit]

International organizations: –

Politics

President: Bounnhang Vorachith

Vice President: Phankham Viphavanh

Female representation in parliament: –

Government type: Unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic

Administrative districts: 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

Independence: 19 July 1949 (from France)

National holidays: Republic Day (National Day), 2 December (1975)

Military expenditure: 0.2% of GDP in 2013

Military branches: Lao People’s Armed Forces (LPAF): Lao People’s Army (LPA, includes Riverine Force), Air Force in 2011

Government

Nationality: Lao or Laotian

Population: 7,126,706 in July 2017

Ethnic groups: Lao 53.2%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 9.2%, Phouthay 3.4%, Tai 3.1%, Makong 2.5%, Katong 2.2%, Lue 2%, Akha 1.8%, and other 11.6%

Religions: Buddhist 64.7%, Christian 1.7%, none 31.4%, other/not stated 2.1% in 2015

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.76% (male 1,180,227/female 1,154,550), 15-24 years: 21.17% (male 749,312/female 759,677), 25-54 years: 36.7% (male 1,290,768/female 1,324,390), 55-64 years: 5.48% (male 190,627/female 199,673), and 65 years and over: 3.89% (male 125,682/female 151,800) in 2017

Dependency ratio: total dependency ratio: 60.2, youth dependency ratio: 54, elderly dependency ratio: 6.2, and potential support ratio: 16.1 in 2015

Population growth rate: 1.51% in 2017

Birth rate: 23.6 births/1,000 population in 2017

Death rate: 7.4 deaths/1,000 population in 2017

Urban population: 40.7% of total population in 2017

Rate of urbanization: 4.13% annual rate of change in 2015-20

Demographics

Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP in 2014

Literacy rate (age 15 and over can read and write): 79.9% of total population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 11 years total in 2010

Unemployment: 1.5% in total

Female labour force participation rate: –

Education

Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, and gemstones

Agriculture products: sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; cassava (manioc, tapioca), water buffalo, pigs, cattle, and poultry

Industries: mining (copper, tin, gold, gypsum); timber, electric power, agricultural processing, rubber, construction, garments, cement, and tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 8% in 2017

Labor force: 3.582 million in 2016

Labor force by occupation: agriculture (73.1%), industry (6.1%), and services (20.6%) in 2010

Exports: $2.881 billion in 2016

Commodities: wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold, and cassava

Imports: $5.852 billion in 2016

Commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, and consumer goods

Natural Resources

World Press Freedom Index: –

Total subscriptions of fixed lines: 1,266,605 and the subscriptions per 100 inhabitants was 18 in July 2016

Total subscriptions of mobile cellular: 3.727 million and the subscriptions per 100 inhabitants was 54 in July 2016

International country code: 856 (international service is available)

Broadcast media: 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 in 2012

Internet country code: .la

Internet users: 1.258 million in total that is 18.2% of population in July 2016

Culture

Flora and Fauna

Area: 236,800 sq km in total with 230,800 sq km of land and 6,000 sq km of water

Land boundaries: 5,274 km in total

Border country: Burma 238 km, Cambodia 555 km, China 475 km, Thailand 1,845 km, and Vietnam 2,161 km

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

Land use: 10.6% for agricultural land (6.2% arable land; 0.7% permanent crops; and 3.7% permanent pasture); 67.9% for forest; and 21.5% for other in 2011

Irrigated land: 3,100 sq km in 2012

Borderline

Maternal mortality ratio: 197 deaths/100,000 live births in 2015

Infant mortality rate: 49.9 deaths/1,000 live births in total in 2017

Life expectancy at birth: 64.6 years in total population in 2017

Total fertility rate: 2.7 children born/woman in 2017

Contraceptive prevalence: 49.8 % in 2011

Health expenditures: 1.9% of GDP in 2014.

Physicians density: 0.18 physicians/1,000 population in 2011

Hospital bed density: 1.5 beds/1,000 population in 2010.