S commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $276
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $546 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $995 million

_#_Currency: new kip (plural--kips); 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at

_#_Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1--695 (April 1991),
700 (September 1990), 576 (1989), 385 (1988), 200 (1987), 108 (1986),
95 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

_*_Communications
_#_Highways: about 27,527 km total; 1,856 km bituminous or bituminous
treated; 7,451 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 18,220 km
unimproved earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to
mid-September

_#_Inland 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: 136 km, refined products

_#_Ports: none

_#_Airports: 65 total, 51 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

_#_Telecommunications: service to general public considered poor;
radio network provides generally erratic service to government users;
7,390 telephones (1986); stations--10 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 satellite earth
station

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; including naval, aviation, and
militia elements), Air Force, National Police Department

_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 991,864; 531,084 fit for
military service; 45,548 reach military age (18) annually;
conscription age NA

_#_Defense expenditures: $NA, 3.8% of GDP (1987)
_%_
_@_Lebanon
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 10,400 km2; land area: 10,230 km2

_#_Comparative area: about 0.8 times the size of Connecticut

_#_Land boundaries: 454 km total; Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

_#_Coastline: 225 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Disputes: separated from Israel by the 1949 Armistice Line;
Israeli troops in southern Lebanon since June 1982; Syrian troops in
northern Lebanon since October 1976

_#_Climate: Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry
summers

_#_Terrain: narrow coastal plain; Al Biqa (Bekaa Valley)
separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

_#_Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt; water-surplus state
in a water-deficit region

_#_Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 9%; meadows and pastures
1%;