Surface: 231.800km²
Population: 4.262.000 inhabitants
Density of population: 16 inhabitants/km²
Capital: Vientiane (176.637 inhabitants)
Official language: Laotian
Official currency: Kip
Imported products: car pieces, petroleum products, chemicals, agricultural machines
Exported products: lumber, coffee, stanium, electric energy
Brut Intern Product: 700 million $
State type: Democratic Republic

Geographical Characteristics
Laos has no sea side. The highest regions are in the north and east where mountains have 2.820 m in the Phon Bia Peak. The Mekong River has 4.160 km with his spring in Laos and flows through Luang Prabang down on the west border with Thailand, through Cambodia and Vietnam to South China Sea. In Cambodia unite with Tonle Sap River which has the sprin g in the lake with the same name.

Climate
The climate is tropical musonic with a rainy season between May and October. In the mountains region the rainfall is almost 500 cm per year but in depressions the climate is more arid. From November to February the climate is arid and between March and May is warm and sunny. The medium temperatures in Vientiane are 21°C in January and 28°C in July and the total rainfall is 170 cm per year.

Agriculture
Over 70% of the people work in agriculture, 4% of the country's surface is cultivated and 4% are grasslands. In the depressions near Mekong they cultivate rice, over 1.5 tones per year, but another source of food is the corn. They cultivate for export rubber, pepper, tobacco, tea, coffee and cotton. 57% of the country's surface is covered with forests and the lumber is an important product. Fishing in Mekong is also an important source of food.

Mining and Industry
Laos has 2 stanium mines and a lot of deposits low exploited like: gold, jewels, iron and potassium. The industrial development was disturbed by the war but there are some factories for processing of rice and lumber. It also started to develop the cigarettes, matches, beer and bricks industries. 89 % of the electric energy is obtained from the hydro electric power stations.

Cities and Transports
Vientiane is the capital of Laos but is a small city with 176.637 inhabitants. Other important cities are Luang Prabang (44.244 inhabitants) and Savannakhet (50.690 inhabitants). Laos hasn't railways, only 4.062 km of roads. It is dependent of the river transport. Mekong and its tributaries represent the biggest part of the 4.587 km of interior navigable ways.

---

Tags: vientiane, laotian, kip, democratic republic, mekong

Date Added: 12 December '06

---

Add a link to this page on any related website, blog or forum using this code :

---