Chapter XXXVI: Front Matter (36)

Political parties and leaders:
Ar-Namys (Dignity) Party [Emil ALIYEV]; Asaba (Banner National
Revival Party) [Azimbek BEKNAZAROV and Roza OTUNBAYEVA]; Ata-Meken
(Fatherland) [Omurbek TEKEBAYEV]; Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan
or DDK [Viktor TCHETRNOMORETS]; Erkindik (Freedom) Party [Topchubek
TURGUNALIYEV]; Moya Strana (My Country Party of Action) [Medet
SADYRKULOV]; Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Ishak
MASALIYEV]; Party of Justice and Progress [Muratbek IMANALIEV];
Party of Peasants [Esengul ISAKOV]; Republican Party of Labor and
Unity [Tabaldy OROZALIYEV]; Sanjira (Tree of Life) [Ednan
KARABAYEV]; Social Democratic Party [Almaz ATAMBAYEV]; Sodruzhestvo
(Cooperation) [Alisher SABIROV]; Union of Democratic Forces
[Kubatbek BAIBOLOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Adilet Legal Clinic [Cholpon JAKUPOVA]; Coalition for Democracy and
Civil Society [Edil BAISALOV]; For Reforms [Omurbek TEKEBAYEV and
Almazbek ATAMBAYEV]; Interbilim [Asiya SASYKBAYEVA]

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIC,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zamira SYDYKOVA
chancery: 2360 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 338-5141
FAX: [1] (202) 386-7550
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marie L. YOVANOVITCH
embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, Bishkek 720016
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [996] (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217
FAX: [996] (312) 551-264

Flag description:
red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays
representing the 40 Kyrgyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run
counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the
sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized
representation of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt

Economy Kyrgyzstan

Economy - overview:
Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a predominantly
agricultural economy. Cotton, tobacco, wool, and meat are the main
agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton are exported
in any quantity. Industrial exports include gold, mercury, uranium,
natural gas, and electricity. Following independence Kyrgyzstan was
progressive in carrying out market reforms, such as an improved
regulatory system and land reform, but political instability during
2005-06 has undercut the investment climate. Kyrgyzstan was the
first CIS country to be accepted into the World Trade Organization.
Much of the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops
in production had been severe after the breakup of the Soviet Union
in December 1991, but by mid-1995, production began to recover and
exports began to increase. The economy is heavily weighted toward
gold export and a drop in output at the main Kumtor gold mine
sparked a 0.5% decline in GDP in 2002, but GDP growth bounced back
the following year. In 2005 Kyrgyzstan again experienced a decline
in GDP, this time 0.6%. The government has made steady strides in
controlling its substantial fiscal deficit, virtually balancing
revenues and expenditures in 2006. The government and international
financial institutions have been engaged in a comprehensive
medium-term poverty reduction and economic growth strategy; in 2005
Bishkek agreed to pursue much-needed tax reform and in 2006 became
eligible for the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative.
Progress fighting corruption, further restructuring of domestic
industry, and success in attracting foreign investment are keys to
future growth.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10.49 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.24 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,000 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 34.5%
industry: 19.5%
services: 46.1% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
2.7 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 55%
industry: 15%
services: 30% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
18% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
40% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.9%
highest 10%: 23.3% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
29 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.4% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
15.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $498.3 million
expenditures: $544.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries;
sheep, goats, cattle, wool

Industries:
small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn
logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth
metals

Industrial production growth rate:
-4.5% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
14.06 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 7.6%
hydro: 92.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
6.777 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
6.4 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
100 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
1,378 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption:
10,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
29 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
919 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
890 million cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-287.3 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$701.8 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas,
hydropower; machinery; shoes

Exports - partners:
UAE 35.6%, Russia 18.6%, China 13.4%, Kazakhstan 13% (2005)

Imports:
$1.177 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
China 43%, Russia 19.7%, Kazakhstan 12.1%, Turkey 4.4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$621.2 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.483 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$50 million from the US (2001)

Currency (code):
som (KGS)

Currency code:
KGS

Exchange rates:
soms per US dollar - 40.673 (2006), 41.012 (2005), 42.65 (2004),
43.648 (2003), 46.937 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Kyrgyzstan

Telephones - main lines in use:
438,200 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
541,700 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: development of telecommunications
infrastructure is slow; fixed line penetration remains low and
concentrated in Bishkek
domestic: mobile cellular subscribership has risen sharply since
2000 reaching 541,700 in 2005 as three companies compete for the
rapidly expanding market; main line availability has been virtually
flat over the same timeframe; four major providers compete for
shares of the main line market
international: country code - 996; connections with other CIS
countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other
countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway
switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik
and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe
(TAE) fiber-optic line

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12 (plus 10 repeater stations), FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
520,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (2006)

Televisions:
210,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.kg

Internet hosts:
18,928 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Internet users:
280,000 (2005)

Transportation Kyrgyzstan

Airports:
37 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
under 914 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 16 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 254 km; oil 16 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 470 km
broad gauge: 470 km 1.520-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 18,500 km
paved: 16,854 km
unpaved: 1,646 km (1999)

Waterways:
600 km (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)

Military Kyrgyzstan

Military branches:
Army, Air Force, National Guard (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,193,529
females age 18-49: 1,219,080 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 871,493
females age 18-49: 1,024,568 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 61,091
females age 18-49: 59,784 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$19.2 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Kyrgyzstan

Disputes - international:
Kyrgystan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with
Kazakhstan; disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of
delimitation with Tajikistan; delimitation of 130 km of border with
Uzbekistan is hampered by serious disputes around enclaves and other
areas

Illicit drugs:
limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS
markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit
point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of
Europe

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

======================================================================

@Laos

Introduction Laos

Background:
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan
Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three
hundred years Lan Xang included large parts of present-day Cambodia
and Thailand, as well as all of what is now Laos. After centuries of
gradual decline, Laos came under the control of Siam (Thailand) from
the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became
part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined
the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet
Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy
and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to
Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the
liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became
a member of ASEAN in 1997.

Geography Laos

Location:
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:
18 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Utah

Land boundaries:
total: 5,083 km
border countries: 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)

Climate:
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season
(December to April)

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Land use:
arable land: 4.01%
permanent crops: 0.34%
other: 95.65% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,750 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
floods, droughts

Environment - current issues:
unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the
population does not have access to potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly
forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western
boundary with Thailand

People Laos

Population:
6,368,481 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.4% (male 1,324,207/female 1,313,454)
15-64 years: 55.4% (male 1,744,206/female 1,786,139)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 89,451/female 111,024) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.9 years
male: 18.6 years
female: 19.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.39% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
35.49 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
11.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 83.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 92.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.49 years
male: 53.45 years
female: 57.61 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.68 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,700 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

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

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

Religions:
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian
denominations 1.5%)

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.4%
male: 77.4%
female: 55.5% (2002)

Government Laos

Country name:
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos
local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
local short form: none

Government type:
Communist state

Capital:
name: Vientiane
geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality*
(kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone**
(khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai,
Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang,
Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*,
Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang

Independence:
19 July 1949 (from France)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 2 December (1975)

Constitution:
promulgated 14 August 1991

Legal system:
based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures,
and socialist practice

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8
June 2006) and Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June
2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May
2002), Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit (since 8 June 2006), SOMSAVAT
Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 27
March 2001)
cabinet: Ministers appointed by president, approved by National
Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected by National Assembly
for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next to be held
in 2011); prime minister nominated by president and elected by
National Assembly for five-year term
election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG
Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote -
100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of
National Assembly vote - 97%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
LPRP 113, independents 2

Judicial branch:
People's Supreme Court (the president of the People's Supreme Court
is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the
National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of the
People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National
Assembly Standing Committee)

Political parties and leaders:
Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason];
other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders:
noncommunist political groups proscribed; most opposition leaders
fled the country in 1975

International organization participation:
ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador PHIANE Philakone
chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416
FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia M. HASLACH
embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam Road, Vientiane
mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, Box V, APO AP 96546
telephone: [856] 21-26 7000
FAX: [856] 21-26 7074

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red
with a large white disk centered in the blue band

Economy Laos

Economy - overview:
The government of Laos, one of the few remaining official Communist
states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private
enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low
base, were striking - growth averaged 6% per year in 1988-2006
except during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial
crisis beginning in 1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos
remains a country with a primitive infrastructure. It has no
railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and
internal telecommunications, though the government is sponsoring
major improvements in the road system with possible support from
Japan. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas.
Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about half
of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will
continue to benefit from aid by the IMF and other international
sources and from new foreign investment in hydropower and mining.
Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially as
hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. Several policy
changes since 2004 may help spur growth. In late 2004, Laos gained
Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based
producers to benefit from lower tariffs on exports. Laos is taking
steps to join the World Trade Organization in the next few years;
the resulting trade policy reforms will improve the business
environment. On the fiscal side, a value-added tax (VAT) regime,
slated to begin in 2008, will streamline the government's
inefficient tax system.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$13.43 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.768 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 43.4%
industry: 30.6%
services: 26% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
2.8 million (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:
2.4% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
34% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 30.6% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.9% (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $400 million
expenditures: $537.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

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

Industries:
copper, tin, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power,
agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement

Industrial production growth rate:
13% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
3.936 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 1.4%
hydro: 98.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
3.26 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
600 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
200 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
3,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-381.7 million (2006 est.)

Exports:
$593.6 million (2006 est.)

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

Exports - partners:
Thailand 29.4%, Vietnam 12.5%, France 6%, Germany 4.5% (2005)

Imports:
$1.092 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
Thailand 66.8%, China 9.1%, Vietnam 5.8% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$316.9 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.49 billion (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
$243 million (2001 est.)

Currency (code):
kip (LAK)

Currency code:
LAK

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 developed countries; the Lao
People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively
resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding
to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely
to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry
centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics
transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on
the Lao-Burma border (2005)

Transnational Issues Laos

Disputes - international:
Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check
the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation
with Thailand but disputes remain over islands in the Mekong River;
concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of
dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Laos is a source country for men and women
trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation;
a significant number are economic migrants who are subjected to
commercial sexual exploitation or conditions of forced or bonded
labor in Thailand; to a lesser extent, Laos is a transit and
destination country for women who are trafficked for sexual
exploitation including a small number of victims from China and
Vietnam trafficked to work as street vendors and for sexual
exploitation in prostitution
tier rating: Tier 3 - Laos does not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
significant efforts to do so

Illicit drugs:
estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease
from 2003; estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons,
a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005)

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

======================================================================

@Latvia

Introduction Latvia

Background:
After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars,
Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized
by the US and many other countries. It reestablished its
independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the
Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to
Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Geography Latvia

Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and
Lithuania

Geographic coordinates:
57 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km
water: 1,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,368 km
border countries: Belarus 167 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km,
Russia 282 km

Coastline:
531 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain:
low plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m

Natural resources:
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 28.19%
permanent crops: 0.45%
other: 71.36% (2005)

Irrigated land:
200 sq km
note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of drainage, not
irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land
has been improved by drainage (2003)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service
industries after the country regained independence; the main
environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality
and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as
well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU
accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full
enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with
some hills in the east

People Latvia

Population:
2,274,735 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14% (male 162,562/female 155,091)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 769,004/female 815,042)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 121,646/female 251,390) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.4 years
male: 36.3 years
female: 42.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.67% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
9.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
13.66 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.33 years
male: 66.08 years
female: 76.85 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
7,600 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian

Ethnic groups:
Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%,
Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)

Religions:
Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox

Languages:
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3%
(2000 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2003 est.)

Government Latvia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia
local long form: Latvijas Republika
local short form: Latvija
former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Riga
geographic coordinates: 56 57 N, 24 06 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles
Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons,
Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons,
Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas
Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons,
Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons,
Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu
Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*,
Ventspils Rajons

Independence:
18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is
the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4
May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August
1991 is the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:
15 February 1922; restored to force by the Constitutional Law of
the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council on 21 August
1991; multiple amendments since

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Aigars KALVITIS (since 2 December
2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
appointed by the Parliament
elections: president reelected by Parliament for a four-year term
(no term limits); election last held 20 June 2003 (next to be held
by July 2007); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA reelected president;
parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 88 of 94 votes cast

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by
proportional representation from party lists across five districts
through direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 October 2006 (next to be held October 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - TP 19.5%, ZZS 16.7%, JL
16.4%, SC 14.4%; LPP/LC 8.6%; TB/LNNK 7%; PCTVL 6%; seats by party -
TP 23, ZZS 18, JL 18, SC 17, LPP/LC 10, TB/LNNK 8, PCTVL 6

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament);
Constitutional Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by
Parliament)

Political parties and leaders:
First Party of Latvia or LPP [Ainars SLESERS]; For Human Rights in
a United Latvia or PCTVL [Jakovs PLINERS]; For the Fatherland and
Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or TB/LNNK [Roberts
ZILE, Maris GRINBLATS]; Harmony Center or SC [Janis URBANOVICS, Nils
USAKOVS]; Latvian Farmer's Union or LZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS]; Latvian
Social Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris
BOJARS]; Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [Alfreds RUBIKS]; Latvia's
Way or LC [Ivars GODMANIS, Ainars BERZINS]; New Democrats or JD
[Maris GULBIS]; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE, Krisjanis
KARINS]; People's Party or TP [Aigars KALVITIS]; The Union of
Latvian Greens and Farmers Party or ZZS [Indulis EMSIS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB)
[Aleksandr KAZAKOV]

International organization participation:
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO,
NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Maris SELGA
chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Catherine Todd BAILEY
embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510
mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE
09723
telephone: [371] 703-6200
FAX: [371] 782-0047

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and
maroon

Economy Latvia

Economy - overview:
Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian
financial crisis, largely due to the government's budget stringency
and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries,
lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of
companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the
state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia
officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. EU
membership, a top foreign policy goal, came in May 2004. The current
account deficit - 15.7% of GDP in 2006 - remains a major concern.
The perception that many of Latvia's banks facilitate illicit
activity could damage the country's vibrant financial sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$35.08 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$16.13 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$15,400 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.7%
industry: 26.3%
services: 70% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
1.136 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 15%
industry: 25%
services: 60% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
6.7% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 26.1% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.03 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.3% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
31.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $6.172 billion
expenditures: $6.45 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
11% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs;
fish

Industries:
buses, vans, street and railroad cars; synthetic fibers,
agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note -
dependent on imports for energy and raw materials

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
4.55 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 29.1%
hydro: 70.9%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
6.329 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
636 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
2.733 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
47,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2004)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.91 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
1.91 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-2.538 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$6.98 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles,
foodstuffs

Exports - partners:
Lithuania 11%, Estonia 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, UK 10.2%, Russia 7.9%,
Sweden 7.8%, Denmark 5.3%, Poland 5.3% (2005)

Imports:
$10.33 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.9%, Lithuania 13.6%, Russia 8.6%, Estonia 7.9%, Poland
6.4%, Finland 5.9%, Belarus 5.8%, Sweden 5.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.61 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$18.9 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$96.2 million

Currency (code):
Latvian lat (LVL)

Currency code:
LVL

Exchange rates:
lati per US dollar - 0.55991 (2006), - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402
(2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Latvia

Telephones - main lines in use:
731,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.872 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing competition
to the telecommunications sector, beginning in 2003; the number of
fixed lines is decreasing as wireless telephony expands
domestic: two wireless service providers in addition to Lattelekom,
the incumbent monopoly
international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now
connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
1.76 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
1.22 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.lv

Internet hosts:
65,858 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
41 (2001)

Internet users:
1.03 million (2005)

Transportation Latvia

Airports:
46 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 19 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 1,097 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,303 km
broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 69,532 km
paved: 69,532 km (2004)

Waterways:
300 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 250,559 GRT/336,136 DWT
by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2,
passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1
registered in other countries: 105 (Antigua and Barbuda 5, Bahamas
1, Belize 6, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 4, Dominica 1, Gibraltar 2, Liberia
14, Malta 40, Marshall Islands 7, Panama 3, Russia 2, Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines 18) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Riga, Ventspils

Military Latvia

Military branches:
Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force,
Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers; plans are to
phase out conscription, tentatively moving to an all-professional
force by 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve
in the armed forces for life (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 517,713
females age 19-49: 519,631 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 361,098
females age 19-49: 422,913 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 19,137
females age 19-49: 18,505 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$87 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.2% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Latvia

Disputes - international:
Russia refuses to sign the 1997 boundary treaty due to Latvian
insistence on a unilateral clarificatory declaration referencing
Soviet occupation of Latvia and territorial losses; Russia demands
better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; as of January
2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete
and mapped with final ratification documentation in preparation; the
Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary
treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil
exploration rights; as a member state that forms part of the EU's
external border, Latvia must implement the strict Schengen border
rules with Russia

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and
Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American
cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; despite
improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent
enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of
offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime
(including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and
prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

======================================================================

@Lebanon

Introduction Lebanon

Background:
Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by
Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this
territory and separated out a region of Lebanon in 1920. France
granted this area independence in 1943. A 15-year civil war
(1976-1991) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made
progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the
Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the
Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly
by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while
institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the
end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections,
most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country.
Hizballah, a radical Shi'a organization listed by the US State
Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons.
During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if
Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly
east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Damascus justified its
continued military presence in Lebanon by citing Beirut's requests
and the failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the
constitutional reforms in the Ta'if Accord. Israel's withdrawal from
southern Lebanon in May 2000, however, encouraged some Lebanese
groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The passage
of UNSCR 1559 in early October 2004 - a resolution calling for Syria
to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese
affairs - further emboldened Lebanese groups opposed to Syria's
presence in Lebanon. The assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafiq HARIRI and 20 others in February 2005 led to massive
demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar
Revolution"). Syria finally withdrew the remainder of its military
forces from Lebanon in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held
its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free
of foreign interference, handing a majority to the bloc led by Saad
HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son. Hizballah kidnapped two
Israeli soldiers in July 2006 leading to a 34-day conflict with
Israel. UNSCR 1701, which passed in August 2006, called for the
disarmament of Hizballah.

Geography Lebanon

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and
Syria

Geographic coordinates:
33 50 N, 35 50 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 10,400 sq km
land: 10,230 sq km
water: 170 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:
total: 454 km
border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

Coastline:
225 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers;
Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Terrain:
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and
Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

Natural resources:
limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit
region, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 16.35%
permanent crops: 13.75%
other: 69.9% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,040 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in
Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes;
pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
Conservation

Geography - note:
Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an
international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate,
protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion,
clan, and ethnicity

People Lebanon

Population:
3,874,050 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.5% (male 523,220/female 502,372)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 1,235,915/female 1,342,540)
65 years and over: 7% (male 122,155/female 147,848) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.8 years
male: 26.7 years
female: 28.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.23% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
18.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.72 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.88 years
male: 70.41 years
female: 75.48 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,800 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese

Ethnic groups:
Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but
rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be
called Phoenicians

Religions:
Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri),
Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic,
Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian
Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant),
other 1.3%
note: 17 religious sects recognized

Languages:
Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.4%
male: 93.1%
female: 82.2% (2003 est.)

Government Lebanon

Country name:
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan
former: Greater Lebanon

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Beirut
geographic coordinates: 33 53 N, 35 30 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
8 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Aakkar,
Baalbek-Hermel, Beyrouth, Beqaa, Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban,
Nabatiye

Independence:
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 November (1943)

Constitution:
23 May 1926; amended a number of times, most recently Charter of
Lebanese National Reconciliation (Ta'if Accord) of October 1989

Legal system:
mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and civil law;
no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at
age 21 with elementary education

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emile LAHUD (since 24 November 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Fuad SINIORA (since 30 June
2005); Deputy Prime Minister Elias MURR (since April 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
the president and members of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year
term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 15
October 1998 (next to be held in 2007 based on three-year
extension); note - on 3 September 2004 the National Assembly voted
96 to 29 to extend Emile LAHUD's six-year term by three years; the
prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president
in consultation with the National Assembly; by agreement, the
president is a Maronite Christian, the prime minister is a Sunni
Muslim, and the speaker of the National Assembly is a Shi'a Muslim
election results: for 15 October 1998 election: Emile LAHUD elected
president; National Assembly vote - 118 votes in favor, 0 against,
10 abstentions

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis Alnuwab (Arabic) or
Assemblee Nationale (French) (128 seats; members elected by popular
vote on the basis of sectarian proportional representation to serve
four-year terms); note - Nahib BERRI is the National Assembly
Speaker (since 1992)
elections: last held in four rounds on 29 May, 5, 12, 19 June 2005
(next to be held 2009)
election results: percent of vote by group - NA; seats by group (as
of December 2006) - Future Movement Bloc 36; Democratic Gathering
15; Development and Resistance Bloc 15; Loyalty to the Resistance
14; Free Patriotic Movement 15; Lebanese Forces 5; Qornet Shewan 6;
Popular Bloc 4; Tripoli Independent Bloc 3; Syrian National
Socialist Party 2; Kataeb Reform Movement 2; Tachnaq Party 2;
Democratic Renewal Movement 1; Democratic Left 1; Nasserite Popular
Movement 1; Ba'th Party 1; Kataeb Party 1; independent 4

Judicial branch:
four Courts of Cassation (three courts for civil and commercial
cases and one court for criminal cases); Constitutional Council
(called for in Ta'if Accord - rules on constitutionality of laws);
Supreme Council (hears charges against the president and prime
minister as needed)

Political parties and leaders:
note - organized in three major political blocs; 14 March Coalition
(bloc includes Democratic Gathering [Walid JUNBLATT, leader of
Progressive Socialist Party]; Democratic Left [Ilyas ATALLAH];
Democratic Renewal Movement [Nassib LAHUD]; Future Movement Bloc
[Sa'ad HARIRI]; Kataeb Reform Movement [Amine GEMAYEL]; Lebanese
Forces [Samir JA'JA]; Nasserite Popular Movement [Ussama SAAD];
Qornet Shewan Gathering (a grouping composed of political parties
and independent members of the National Assembly [no individual
leader]; Tripoli Independent Bloc); Change and Reform Alliance (bloc
includes Free Patriotic Movement [Michel AWN]; Metn Bloc [Michel
MURR]; Popular Bloc [Elias SKAFF]; Tachnaq); Hizballah and Amal
Alliance (bloc includes Ba'th Party [Muhammad MUHAMMADIYAH];
Development and Resistance Bloc [Nabih BERRI, leader of Amal
Movement]; Kataeb Party [Karim PAKRADONI]; Loyalty to the Resistance
[Mohammad RA'AD]; Syrian National Socialist Party [Ali QANSU])

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU,
ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Carla
JAZZAR; note - ambassador designate is Antoine CHEDID
chancery: 2560 28th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-6320
FAX: [1] (202) 939-6324
consulate(s) general: Detroit, New York, Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Ambassador Designate Antoine
CHEDID
embassy: Awkar, Lebanon; (Akwar facing the Municipality)
mailing address: P. O. Box 70-840, Antelias, Lebanon; PSC 815, Box
2, FPO AE 09836-0002; from US: US Embassy Beirut, 6070 Beirut Place,
Washington, DC 20521-6070
telephone: [961] (4) 542600, 543600
FAX: [961] (4) 544136

Flag description:
three horizontal bands consisting of red (top), white (middle,
double width), and red (bottom) with a green cedar tree centered in
the white band

Economy Lebanon

Economy - overview:
The 1975-91 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic
infrastructure, cut national output by half, and all but ended
Lebanon's position as a Middle Eastern entrepot and banking hub. In
the years since, Lebanon has rebuilt much of its war-torn physical
and financial infrastructure by borrowing heavily - mostly from
domestic banks. In an attempt to reduce the ballooning national
debt, the Rafiq HARIRI government began an austerity program,
reining in government expenditures, increasing revenue collection,
and privatizing state enterprises, but economic and financial reform
initiatives stalled and public debt continued to grow despite
receipt of more than $2 billion in bilateral assistance at the Paris
II Donors Conference. The Israeli-Hizballah conflict caused an
estimated $3.6 billion in infrastructure damage in July and August
2006, and internal Lebanese political tension continues to hamper
economic activity.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$21.45 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.62 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-5% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,500 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7%
industry: 21%
services: 72% (2005)

Labor force:
1.5 million
note: in addition, there are as many as 1 million foreign workers
(2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Unemployment rate:
20% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
28% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.8% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
17.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.444 billion
expenditures: $7.429 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2006 est.)

Public debt:
209% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
citrus, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives,
tobacco; sheep, goats

Industries:
banking, tourism, food processing, jewelry, cement, textiles,
mineral and chemical products, wood and furniture products, oil
refining, metal fabricating

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
9.762 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 97.2%
hydro: 2.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
9.529 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
450 million kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - consumption:
107,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Current account balance:
$-5.339 billion (October 2006)

Exports:
$1.881 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
authentic jewelry, inorganic chemicals, miscellaneous consumer
goods, fruit, tobacco, construction minerals, electric power
machinery and switchgear, textile fibers, paper

Exports - partners:
Syria 25.3%, UAE 11.4%, Switzerland 8.1%, Turkey 6%, Saudi Arabia
5.4% (2005)

Imports:
$9.34 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, cars, medicinal products, clothing, meat and
live animals, consumer goods, paper, textile fabrics, tobacco

Imports - partners:
Italy 11.1%, Syria 10.7%, France 9.2%, Germany 6.4%, China 5.4%, US
5.3%, UK 4.4%, Saudi Arabia 4.3% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$16.78 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$31.1 billion (2006 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$2.2 billion received (2003), out of the $4.2 billion in soft loans
pledged at the November 2002 Paris II Aid Conference

Currency (code):
Lebanese pound (LBP)

Currency code:
LBP

Exchange rates:
Lebanese pounds per US dollar - 1,507.5 (2006), 1,507.5 (2005),
1,507.5 (2004), 1,507.5 (2003), 1,507.5 (2002)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Lebanon

Telephones - main lines in use:
990,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.178 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system,
severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
domestic: two commercial wireless networks provide good service;
political instability hampers privatization and deployment of new
technologies
international: country code - 961; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations);
coaxial cable to Syria; 3 submarine coaxial cables

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 20, FM 22, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios:
2.85 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
15 (plus 5 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
1.18 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.lb

Internet hosts:
3,307 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
22 (2000)

Internet users:
700,000 (2005)

Transportation Lebanon

Airports:
7 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 43 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 401 km
standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m
note: rail system became unusable because of damage done during
fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 7,300 km
paved: 6,198 km
unpaved: 1,102 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 39 ships (1000 GRT or over) 150,598 GRT/178,295 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 18, livestock carrier 10,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 3
foreign-owned: 4 (Greece 3, Syria 1)
registered in other countries: 59 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Barbados
1, Cambodia 6, Comoros 6, Egypt 2, Georgia 7, Honduras 1, North
Korea 6, Liberia 2, Malta 10, Mongolia 1, Panama 2, Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines 4, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Syria 7, unknown 2)
(2006)

Ports and terminals:
Beirut, Chekka, Jounie, Tripoli

Military Lebanon

Military branches:
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF): Army, Navy, and Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 12 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 974,363
females age 18-49: 1,024,273 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 821,762
females age 18-49: 865,770 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$540.6 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.1% (2004)

Transnational Issues Lebanon

Disputes - international:
Lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary,
portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several
sections in dispute; since 2000, Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms
area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights ; the roughly
2,000-strong UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been in place
since 1978

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 405,425 (Palestinian Refugees
(UNRWA)), 20,000-40,000 (Iraq)
IDPs: 17,000 (1975-90 civil war, Israeli invasions), 200,000
(July-August 2006 war) (2006)

Illicit drugs:
cannabis cultivation dramatically reduced to 2,500 hectares in
2002; opium poppy cultivation minimal; small amounts of Latin
American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin transit country on way
to European markets and for Middle Eastern consumption

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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