3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 3%
forests and woodland: 54%
other: 40% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)
note: rainy season irrigation--2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation--750
sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: floods, droughts, and blight

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

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: landlocked

People

Population: 5,407,453 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 1,235,797; female 1,203,520)
15-64 years: 52% (male 1,360,991; female 1,434,378)
65 years and over: 3% (male 78,195; female 94,572) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.74% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 39.93 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 12.56 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 89.32 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.21 years
male: 52.63 years
female: 55.87 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.55 children born/woman (1999 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 ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien)
9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Religions: Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40%

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60%
male: 70%
female: 48% (1998 est.)

Government

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

Data code: LA

Government type: Communist state

Capital: Vientiane

Administrative divisio