Region: South-east Asia

Capital: Vientiane

Population: 6 068 117 (July 2004 est.)

Surface area: 236 800

Currency: kip

GDP per capita: $1 700 (2003 est.)

Historic background:
Laos was 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. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.

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 7% in 1988-2001 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. Electricity is available in only a few urban areas. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid from the IMF and other international sources and from new foreign investment in food processing and mining.

United Nations Membership date: 14 December 1955

New York Mission:
Permanent Mission of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the United Nations, 317 East 51st Street,
New York, N.Y. 10022
Telephone: 212-832-2734/ 0095
Fax: 212-750-0039