oes not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
30,300 km total; 22,600 km paved or graveled, 7,700 km earth(1990)
Pipelines:
natural gas 200 km
Ports:
none; landlocked
Airports:
total:
52
useable:
27
with permanent-surface runways:
12
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
13
Telecommunications:
poorly developed; 56 telephones per 1000 persons (December 1990);
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); new
intelsat earth station provide TV receive-only capability for Turkish
broadcasts

*Kyrgyzstan, Defense Forces

Branches:
National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops), Civil Defense
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,093,694; fit for military service 890,961 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP

*Laos, Geography

Location:
Southeast Asia, between Vietnam and Thailand
Map references:
Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
236,800 km2
land area:
230,800 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries:
total 5,083 km, Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754
km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International 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:
0%
meadows and pastures:
3%
forest and woodland:
58%
other:
35%
Irrigated land:
1,200 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
deforestation; soil erosion; subject to floods
Note:
landlocked

*Laos, People

Population:
4,569,327 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.86% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
43.82 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
15.22 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
104.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
51.18 years
male:
49.67 years
femal