General background: In 1975, the Communist
Pathet Lao took control of the government, ending a
six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam
and socialization were replaced with a gradual return
to private enterprise, an easing of foreign investment
laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.
Area comparative: Slightly larger than Utah.
Climate: Tropical monsoon; rainy season
(May to November); dry season (December to April)
Terrain: Mostly rugged mountains; some plains
and plateaus.
Population: 5,777,180 (July 2002 est.)
Ethnic groups: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao
Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including
the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%,
ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religions: Buddhist 60%, animist and other
40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Language: Lao (official), French, English,
and various ethnic languages
Government type: Communist state
Capital: Vientiane
Legal system: Based on traditional customs,
French legal norms and procedures, and Socialist practice.
Economic overview: The government of Laos
- one of the few remaining official Communist states
- began decentralizing control and encouraging private
enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an
extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged
7% in 1988-2001 except during the short-lived drop
caused by the Asian financial crisis beginning in
1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains
a country with a primitive infrastructure; it has
no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited
external and internal telecommunications. Electricity
is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence
agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides
80% of total employment. The economy will continue
to benefit from aid from the IMF and other international
sources and from new foreign investment in food-processing
and mining.
Communication/Telephone system: Service to general
public is poor but improving, with over 20,000 telephones
currently in service and an additional 48,000 expected
by 2001; the government relies on a radiotelephone
network to communicate with remote areas.
Places of interest:
Travel tips: There are constant threats of
bombings and terrorist activities.
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