anent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 3%
forest and woodland: 58%
other: 35%

Irrigated land: 1,554 sq km (1992 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the
population does not have access to potable water
natural hazards: floods, droughts, and blight
international agreements: party to - Environmental Modification,
Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change,
Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic note: landlocked

People
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Population: 4,975,772 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 1,142,825; female 1,114,628)
15-64 years: 51% (male 1,237,660; female 1,316,591)
65 years and over: 4% (male 75,748; female 88,320) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.81% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 41.94 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 13.83 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.98 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 96.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.69 years
male: 51.14 years
female: 54.31 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.87 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian

Ethnic divisions: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%,
Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien)
9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Religions: Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%

Languages: Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic
languages

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 56.6%
male: 69.4%
female: 44.4%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos
local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
local short form: none

Data code: LA

Type of government: Communist state

Capital: Vientiane

Administrative divisions: 16 provinces (khoueng, singular and
plural) and 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural);
Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan,
Louangnamtha, Louangphabang, Oudomxa