not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
30,300 km total; 22,600 km paved or graveled, 7,700 km earth(1990)
Inland waterways:
NA km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
NA
Ports:
none - landlocked
Civil air:
NA
Airports:
NA
Telecommunications:
poorly developed; connections with other CIS countries by landline or
microwave and with other countries by leased connections with Moscow
international gateway switch; satellite earth stations - Orbita and INTELSAT
(TV receive only)

:Kyrgyzstan Defense Forces

Branches:
Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops); National Guard, Civil
Defense; CIS Forces (Ground, Air, and Air Defense)
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP

:Laos Geography

Total area:
236,800 km2
Land area:
230,800 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries:
5,083 km; Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km,
Vietnam 2,130 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
boundary dispute with Thailand
Climate:
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to
April)
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Land use:
arable land 4%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 3%; forest and
woodland 58%; other 35%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
Note:
landlocked

:Laos People

Population:
4,440,213 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
16 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
107 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
49 years male, 52 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Lao(s) or Laotian(s); adjective - Lao or Laotian
Ethnic divisions:
Lao 50%, Phoutheung (Kha) 15%, tribal Thai 20%, Meo, Hmong, Yao, and other
15%
Religions:
Buddhist 85%, animist and other 15%
Languages:
Lao (official), French, and English
Literacy:
84% (male 92%, female 76%) age 15 t