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NAVIGATION
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
Laos
COMMUNICATIONS
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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25,000 (1997) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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4,915 (1997) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: 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
domestic: radiotelephone communications international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998) |
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Radios:
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730,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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4 (1999) |
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Televisions:
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52,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.la |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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10,000 (2002) |
TRANSPORTATION
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Railways:
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0 km (2001) |
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Highways:
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total: 14,000 km
paved: 3,360 km unpaved: 10,640 km (1991) |
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Waterways:
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4,587 km approximately
note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m |
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Pipelines:
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petroleum products 136 km |
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Ports and harbors:
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none |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.) |
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Airports:
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51 (2001) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 42
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 26 (2002) |
MILITARY
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Military branches:
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Lao People's Army (LPA; including Riverine Force), Air Force, National Police Department |
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Military manpower - military age:
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18 years of age (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49: 1,365,027 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49: 734,945 (2002 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males: 64,437 (2002 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$55 million (FY98) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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4.2% (FY96/97) |
TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES
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Disputes - international:
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demarcation of boundaries with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam is nearing completion, but with Thailand, several areas including Mekong River islets, remain in dispute; ongoing disputes with Thailand and Vietnam over squatters |
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Illicit drugs:
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world's third-largest illicit opium producer (estimated cultivation in 2002 - 23,200 hectares, a 5% increase over 2001; estimated potential production in 2002 - 180 metric tons, a 10% decrease from 2001); potential heroin producer; transshipment point for heroin and methamphetamine produced in Burma; illicit producer of cannabis; growing methamphetamine abuse problem |