: Information from the CIA World Factbook INTRODUCTION GEOGRAPHY

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COUNTRY DATA: LAOS : Information from the CIA World Factbook INTRODUCTION Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM.

1 COUNTRY DATA: LAOS : Information from the CIA World Factbook INTRODUCTION Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in Laos became a member of ASEAN in GEOGRAPHY Location Area Climate Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam total: 236,800 sq km Land: 230,800 sq km Water: 6,000 sq km tropical monsoon; rainy season May to November; dry season December to April Natural Resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones Total Renewable Water Resources Freshwater Withdrawal Natural Hazards cu km total: 3 cu km/yr Per capita: 507 cu m/yr floods, droughts Environmental Issues unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water PEOPLE Population 6,477,211 (July 2011 est.) Ethnic Groups Lao 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups) 26% (2005)

2 Religions Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages Literacy Rate total: 73% Major Infectious Diseases Male: 83% Female: 63% GOVERNMENT Type Independence communist state 19 July 1949 (from France) Constitution promulgated 14 August 1991; amended in 2003 Legal System based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ECONOMY Agricultural Products Industries Import commodities sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry copper, tin, gold, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, cement, tourism machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods Import Partners Thailand 66.2%, China 11.45%, Vietnam 5.3% Export Commodities wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold Export Partners Thailand 29.18%, China 15.04%, Vietnam 14.96%, UK 4.29% Per Capita GDP $2,400 (2010 est.) $2,300 (2009 est.) $2,200 (2008 est.) Population below poverty line 26% (2010 est.) *CITATIONS: All information included above is extracted from the CIA World Factbook except where noted.

3 Country Data: Information from Human Development Report COUNTRY: LAOS General Life Expectancy at Birth (in years) 65.9 Average number of years in School (in years) 4.6 Gross National Income Per Capita (In US Dollars) 2,321 Gender Inequality Female Seats in Parliament (%) 25.2 Population with at least a Secondary Education Female (% 0f 25 and older) 22.9 Population with at least a Secondary Education Male (% 0f 25 and older) 36.8 Labor Force Participation Female (%) 81.4 Labor Force Participation Male (%) 80.6 Births Attended by Skilled Health Professionals (%) 20 Poverty Population surviving on $1.25 per day (%) 44.0 Empowerment Number of Journalists Imprisoned 0 Corruption Victims (% of people who face a bribe situation in the last year) 15 Political Engagement (% percent of people who voiced opinion to public officials) 42

4 Sustainability Fossil Fuels as Primary Energy Source (%).. Renewable Resources as Primary Energy Source (%).. Population without Access to Water (%) 43 Population Without Access to Sanitation Services (%) 47 Population affected by natural disasters (% between ) 24,535 Human Security Number of Refugees leaving this country 8.6 Number of Internally Displaced People in This Country.. Prevalence of Undernourishment (%) 19 Demographics Urban Residents (% of total Population) 33.2 Health HIV Prevalence in Female Youth (% ages 15-24) 0.1 HIV Prevalence in Male Youth (% ages 15-24) 0.2 HIV Prevalence in Adults (% ages 15-49) 0.2 Other Official Development Assistance Per Capita (in US dollars) 57.6 Population without Electricity (%) 43.5

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