official communist states - has been decentralizing control and
encouraging private enterprise since 1986. The results, starting from
an extremely low base, have been striking - growth has averaged 7.5%
annually since 1988. Even so, Laos is a landlocked 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 predominant crop is rice. In non-drought years, Laos
is self-sufficient overall in food, but each year flood, pests, and
localized drought cause shortages in various parts of the country. For
the foreseeable future the economy will continue to depend on aid from
the IMF and other international sources; aid from the former
USSR/Eastern Europe has been cut sharply. As in many developing
countries, deforestation and soil erosion will hamper efforts to
maintain the high rate of GDP growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,150 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 56%
industry: 19%
services: 25% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 15% (1996 est.)
Labor force: 1 million-1.5 million
by occupation: agriculture 80% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.6% in urban areas (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues : $218 million
expenditures: $379 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power,
agricultural processing, construction
Industrial production growth rate: 7.5% (1992 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 261,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 890 million kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 48 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee,
sugarcane, cotton; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Exports:
total value: $240 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: electricity, wood products, coffee, tin, garments
partners : Thailand, Japan, France, Germany, Netherlands
Imports:
total value: $570 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: food, fuel oil, consumer goods, manufactures
partners: Thailand, China, Japan, France, US
Debt - external: $2 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at
Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1 - 961.00 (January 1997), 921.14
(1996), 804.69 (1995), 717.67 (1994), 716.25 (1993), 716.08 (1992)
note: as of September 1995, a floating exchange rate policy was
adopted
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
@Laos:Communications
Telephones: 6,600 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: service to general public very poor; radiotelephone
communications network provides generally erratic service to
government users
domestic: radiotelephone communications
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean
Region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 560,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2
Televisions: 32,000 (1993 est.)
@Laos:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 18,153 km
paved: 2,505 km
unpaved: 15,648 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897
additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less
than 0.5 m
Pipelines: petroleum products 136 km
Ports and harbors: none
Merchant marine:
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT
(1996 est.)
Airports: 39 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 25
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m : 3
under 914 m: 16 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 13 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; includes riverine naval and
militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,123,934 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 606,542 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males : 54,712 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $105 million (FY92/93)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 8.1% (FY92/93)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: boundary dispute with Thailand
Illicit drugs: world's third largest opium producer (200 metric tons
from some 25,250 hectares in 1996); heroin producer; increasingly used
as transshipment point for heroin produced in Burma; illicit producer
of cannabis
______________________________________________________________________
LATVIA
@Latvia:Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia
and Lithuania
Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 64,100 sq km
land: 64,100 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,150 km
border countries : Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km,
Russia 217 km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea : 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain: low plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point : Gaizinkalns 312 m
Natural resources: minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite
Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 46%
other: 14% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: air and water pollution because of a
lack of waste conversion equipment; Gulf of Riga and Daugava River
heavily polluted; contamination of soil and groundwater with chemicals
and petroleum products at military bases
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous
Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Latvia:People
Population: 2,421,163 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 238,793; female 229,160)
15-64 years : 66% (male 762,635; female 836,839)
65 years and over: 15% (male 112,989; female 240,747) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: -1.56% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 8.21 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 15.72 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female
total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.91 years
male: 60.8 years
female: 73.33 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.21 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian
Ethnic groups: Latvian 51.8%, Russian 33.8%, Byelorussian 4.5%,
Ukrainian 3.4%, Polish 2.3%, other 4.2%
Religions: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Languages: Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population : 100%
male: 100%
female: 99% (1989 est.)
@Latvia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia
local long form: Latvijas Republika
local short form: Latvija
former : Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: LG
Government type: republic
National capital: Riga
Administrative divisions: 26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7
municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons,
Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles
Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons,
Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Leipaja*, Liepajas
Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons,
Preiju Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus
Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons,
Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons
Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 November (1918)
Constitution: the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922
constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Guntis ULMANIS (since 7 July 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Andris SKELE (since 21 December
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
appointed by the Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term;
election last held 7 July 1993 (next to be held by 20 June 1997);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Guntis ULMANIS elected president in the first round
of balloting; percent of parliamentary vote - 53%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections : last held 30 September-1 October 1995 (next to be held NA
October 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - Saimnieks 18%, LC 17%,
For Latvia 16%, TB 14%, LNNK 8%, Unity 8%, LSZ/LKDS 7%, Harmony 6%,
Socialist 6%; seats by party - Saimnieks 18, LC 17, For Latvia 16, TB
14, LNNK 8, Unity 8, LSZ/LKDS 7, Harmony 6, Socialist 6
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges' appointments are confirmed by
the Parliament
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party "Saimnieks" or DPS
[Ziedonis CEVERS, chairman]; Latvia's Way or LC [Valdis BIRKAVS]; For
Latvia [Joachim SIEGERIST]; Fatherland and Freedom or TB [Maris
GRINBLATS]; Latvian Unity Party or LVP [A. KAULS]; Latvian National
Conservative Party or LNNK [Anna SEILE]; Green Party or LSZ [O.
BATAREVSK]; Latvian Farmers Union or LZS [A. ROZENTALS]; Christian
Democrat Union or LKDS [Maris VITOLDS]; National Harmony Party or TSP
[Janis JURKANS]; Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [F. STROGANOVS];
Latvian Liberal Party or LLP [J. DANOSS]; Political Association of the
Underprivileged or MPA [B. PELSE, V. DIMANTS, J. KALNINS]; Latvian
Democratic Labor Party or LDDP [J. BOJARS]; Party of Russian Citizens
or LKPP [V. SOROCHIN, V. IVANOV]; Peoples Front of Latvia or LTF
[Uldis AUGSTKALNS]; Political Union of Economists or TPA [E. KIDE];
Latvian National Democratic Party or LNDP [A. MALINS]; "Our Land" or
MZ [M. DAMBEKALNE]; Anticommunist Union or PA [P. MUCENIEKS]; Latvian
Social-Democratic Workers Party or LSDSP; Party for the Defense of
Latvia's Defrauded People; Latvian Independence Party or LNP [Valdis
KONOVALOVS]
International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EBRD,
ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate
partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ojars Eriks KALNINS
chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214
FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER
embassy: Raina Boulevard 7, LV-1510, Riga
mailing address: PSC 78, Box R, APO AE 09723
telephone: [371] (2) 210-005
FAX : [371] (2) 226-530
Flag description: three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white
(half-width), and maroon
Economy
Economy - overview: In the five years following the implosion of the
USSR in December 1991, the Latvian economy has made substantial
progress toward establishing a modern market economy and widening
economic ties with the West. Two major long-term concerns are the
growing trade deficit and the impact of organized crime. The economy
in 1996 has largely recovered from the mid-1995 collapse of several
commercial banks - including Latvia's large bank, Bank Baltija - and a
severe government budget crisis. Prime Minister SKELE has stated that
he expects the country's GDP to grow 5% in 1997 through the
implementation of the government's new economic reform program. In
December 1996, the government passed a balanced 1997 budget - its
first - that SKELE predicts will reduce inflation to 10% to 12% in
1997. Unemployment, which has held steady at about 6% over the past
two years, reached roughly 7.5% in 1996. One of SKELE's key objectives
for 1997 is to speed up the privatization program, which has lagged
behind other areas of reform.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.4 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,800 (1996 estimate as
extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9%
industry : 34%
services: 57% (1994)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 13.2% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 1.268 million (1995)
by occupation: industry 41%, agriculture and forestry 16%, services
43% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1996 official est.)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures : $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers,
agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; dependent on
imports for energy, raw materials, and intermediate products
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 2.018 million kW (1993)
Electricity - production: 4.27 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 2,197 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables;
meat, milk, eggs; fish
Exports:
total value: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: machinery and equipment, timber, textiles, foodstuffs
partners : Russia, other CIS, Germany, Sweden, UK
Imports:
total value: $2.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities : fuels, machinery and equipment, chemicals
partners: Russia, other CIS, Germany, Sweden, UK, Finland
Debt - external: $NA
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $122 million (1993)
note: commitments from the West and international institutions, $525
million (1992-95)
Currency: 1 Latvian lat (LVL) = 100 santims; introduced NA March 1993
Exchange rates: lats (LVL) per US$1 - 0.563 (January 1997), 0.551
(1996), 0.528 (1995), 0.560 (1994), 0.675 (1993), 0.736 (1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Latvia:Communications
Telephones: 660,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: service is better than in most of the other former
Soviet republics
domestic: an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network covers 75% of
Latvia's population
international: international traffic carried by leased connection to
the Moscow international gateway switch, through the new Ericsson
digital telephone exchange in Riga, and through the Finnish cellular
net; Sprint data network carries electronic mail
Radio broadcast stations: 25 (unknown type)
Radios: 1.4 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 30
Televisions: 1.1 million (1993 est.)
@Latvia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,412 km
broad gauge: 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) (1992)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (1994)
Highways:
total: 60,046 km
paved: 22,998 km
unpaved: 37,048 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 300 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560
km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Daugavpils, Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils
Merchant marine:
total: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 491,582 GRT/639,414 DWT
ships by type: cargo 7, oil tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 18,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 7 (1996 est.)
Airports: 50 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 36
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 27 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 10 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces,
Security Forces, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 575,121 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 450,640 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 16,323 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: 176 million rubles (1994); note
- conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the
prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3% to 5% (1994)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: based on the 1920 Treaty of Riga, Latvia had
claimed the Abrene/Pytalovo section of border ceded by the Latvian
Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944; disputes maritime border
with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration rights)
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from
Southwest Asia and cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and
Scandinavia; produces illicit amphetamines for export
______________________________________________________________________
LEBANON
Introduction
Current issues: Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its
political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since
the end of the devastating 16-year civil war, which began in 1975.
Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation -
the Lebanese have established a more equitable political system,
particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process.
Since the end of the civil war, the Lebanese have formed five cabinets
and conducted two legislative elections. Most of the militias have
been weakened or disbanded. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has seized
vast quantities of weapons used by the militias during the war and
extended central government authority over about one-half of the
country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains most of its
weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel
maintains troops in southern Lebanon and continues to support a proxy
militia, the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of
territory contiguous to its border. The ASL's enclave encompasses this
self-declared security zone and about 20 kilometers north to the
strategic town of Jazzin. Syria maintains about 30,000 troops in
Lebanon. These troops are based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and
the Bekaa Valley. Syria's deployment was legitimized by the Arab
League during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if accord. Citing the
continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and failure of the
Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in
the Ta'if accord, Damascus has so far refused to withdraw its troops
from Lebanon.
@Lebanon:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel
and Syria
Geographic coordinates: 33 50 N, 35 50 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total: 10,400 sq km
land: 10,230 sq km
water : 170 sq km
Area - comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total : 454 km
border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea : 12 nm
Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry
summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal al Makmal 3,087 m
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a
water-deficit region
Land use:
arable land : 21%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 61% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 860 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion;
desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and
the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw
sewage and oil spills
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: Nahr al Litani only major river in Near East not
crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped
isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on
religion, clan, and ethnicity
@Lebanon:People
Population: 3,449,578 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 531,171; female 511,522)
15-64 years: 64% (male 1,036,728; female 1,150,847)
65 years and over: 6% (male 100,682; female 118,628) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.62% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 22.74 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 6.56 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over : 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 32.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population : 70.35 years
male: 67.82 years
female : 73 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.32 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Religions: Islam 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups - Alawite or
Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), Christian 30% (11 legally
recognized Christian groups - 4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1
Protestant), Judaism NEGL%
Languages: Arabic (official), French (official), Armenian, English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.4%
male: 94.7%
female: 90.3% (1995 est.)
@Lebanon:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form : Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan
Data code: LE
Government type: republic
National capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular -
muhafazah); Al Biqa', Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal Lubnan
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under
French administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution: 23 May 1926, amended a number of times
Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and
civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for
women at age 21 with elementary education