| |  |  |
|   | Country (long form)
Lao People's Democratic Republic | Capital
Vientiane | Total Area
91,428.99 sq mi
236,800.00 sq km
(slightly larger than Utah) | Population
5,497,459 (July 2000 est.) | Estimated Population in 2050
13,170,523 | Languages
Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages | Literacy
57.0% total, 70.0% male, 44% female (1999 est.) | Religions
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% | Life Expectancy
51.22 male, 55.02 female (2000 est.) | Government Type
Communist state | Currency
1 new kip (NK) = 100 at | GDP (per capita)
$1,300 (1999 est.) | Labor Force (by occupation)
agriculture 80% (1997 est.) | Industry
tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments | Agriculture
sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry | Arable Land
3% | Exports
wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin | Imports
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel | Natural Resources
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | Current Environmental Issues
unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water | Telephones (main lines in use)
20,000 (1995) | Telephones (mobile cellular)
1,600 (1997) | Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
N/A | | (U.S. Government sources) | | |
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