Exchange rates:
kips per US dollar - 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004),
10,569 (2003), 10,056.3 (2002)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Laos

Telephones - main lines in use:
90,067 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
520,546 (2006)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service to general public is poor but
improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to
communicate with remote areas
domestic: radiotelephone communications
international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2007)

Radios:
730,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
7; note - including one station relaying Vietnam Television from
Hanoi (2006)

Televisions:
52,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.la

Internet hosts:
1,108 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
25,000 (2005)

Transportation Laos

Airports:
44 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 21 (2006)

Pipelines:
refined products 540 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 31,210 km
paved: 4,494 km
unpaved: 26,716 km (2003)

Waterways:
4,600 km
note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are
intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006)

Military Laos

Military branches:
Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
15 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - minimum 18 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,500,625
females age 15-49: 1,521,116 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 954,816
females age 15-49: 1,006,082 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 73,167
females age 15-49: 71,432 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$11.04 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.4% (2005 est.)

Military - note:
Laos is one of the world's least de