million kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 50 million kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee,
sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs,
cattle, poultry

Exports: $271 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities: wood products, garments, electricity, coffee,
tin

Exports - partners: Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, France, Belgium

Imports: $497 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel

Imports - partners: Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Hong
Kong

Debt - external: $2.32 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $345 million (1999 est.)

Currency: 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at

Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1 - 7,674.00 (January
2000),7,102.03 (1999), 3,298.33 (1998), 1,259.98 (1997), 921.02
(1996), 804.69 (1995)
note: as of September 1995, a floating exchange rate policy was
adopted

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

@Laos:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 20,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,600 (1997)

Telephone system: service to general public is poor but improving,
with over 20,000 telephones currently in service and an additional
48,000 expected by 2001; the government relies on a radiotelephone
network to communicate with remote areas
domestic: radiotelephone communications
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean
region)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios: 730,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 4 (1999)

Televisions: 52,000 (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA

@Laos:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 21,716 km
paved: 9,673.5 km
unpaved: 12,042.5 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897
additional km are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5
m

Pipelines: petroleum products 136 km

Ports and harbors: none

Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (1999 est.)

Airports: 52 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 43
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 25 (1999 est.)

@Laos:Military

Military branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; includes militia element