Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), commonly known as Laos, is a Land of Ample Opportunities and Successes.
Lao prides itself with abundant natural resources. It is home to tons of coal, hardwood lumber, gypsum, tin, gold, and gemstones. It shares 1,865-kilometers of the great Mekong River stretch. It is blessed with rugged mountains, and has huge forests and woodland, which covers 47% of Lao’s land area. Lao’s topography offers investors great opportunities particularly in hydropower, mining, logging, and agriculture.
Its unspoiled natural resources make Lao PDR an interesting tourist destination. In the recent years, Lao has been registering over 2 million tourist arrivals. Popular tourist sites are Lao’s breathtaking wats and ruins, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Luang Prabang, and the charming capital Vientiane.
The government’s opening of Lao to private enterprises and foreign investors have steadily led to development and drove Lao’s more than 7% growth from 2008 to 2012. It became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and was admitted to the WTO in 2012.
For more information, please see Lao’s Ministry of Planning and Investment.
| Capital | : | Vietiane |
|---|---|---|
| Demography | ||
| Land Area | : | 236,800 sqkm |
| Population | : | 6.4 million |
| Urban population rate | : | 33.2 percent |
| Age clustering | : | |
| Children below 5 yrs old | : | 14.6 percent |
| Youth 15-29 yrs old | : | 29.8 percent |
| Elderly over 65 years old | : | 3.7 percent |
| Active workforce 20-44 yrs old | : | 35.0 percent |
| Life expectancy | : | 67.1 years |
| Net enrollment in primary education | : | 94.0 percent |
| Adult literacy rate | : | 72.7 percent |
| Economy (as of 2011) | ||
| GDP | : | US$ 8.2 million |
| GDP per capita | : | US$ 1,279 |
| Inflation | : | 7.7 percent |
| FDI | : | US$ 301,000 |
| Total trade | : | US$ 3.96 million |
| Tourist arrival | : | 2.72 million |
| Currency | : | Lao kip |
| Infrastructure (as of 2011) | ||
| International airports | : | 2 international airports |
| Major sea ports | : | none |
| Road length | : | 41,030 square kilometers |
| Paved network | : | 5,703 square kilometers |
| Percentage of paved roads | : | 14 percent |
| Vehicles per 1000 persons | : | 171 |
| Internet subscriber per 1000 persons | : | 90 |
| Cellphone per 1000 persons | : | 872 |
| Other Information | ||
| Languages | : | Lao is the official language; French is spoke, and English emerging s business language. |
| Religion | : | Buddhism is the dominant religion. |
| Race | : | Lao Loum (lowland), Lao Theung (midland), Lao Sung (highland). |
Note: Some figures may vary with figures in the AMS’ website due to different covered periods or record years. Quantitative data were culled from the ASEAN Secretariat Statistics Leaflet Year 2012.
