Country information

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Area: 236,800 sq km (91,400 sq mi)
Population: 6,521,988 (July 2007)
Capital City: Vientiane (319,000 approx.)
People: Lao (52.5%), Phuthai (10.5%), Khmu (11%), Hmong (6.9%). Official total is 47 ethnic groups.
Languages: Lao
Religion(s): The population is 65.4% Buddhist, with 33.1% animist, 1.3 % Christian and 0.1% Other, including a tiny Islamic minority (1995 census).
Currency: Kip
Major political parties: Lao People's Revolutionary Party (Leader: Choummaly Savasone)
Government: One-party Republic
Head of State: President Choummaly Savasone
Prime Minister/Premier: HE Bouasone Bouphavanh
Foreign Minister: Dr Thomas Sisoulith (also Deputy Prime Minister)
Membership of international groupings/organisations: Laos is a member of the United Nations (UN), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G77), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). In addition: ACCT, APT, ARF, AsDB, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer). (Note on Lao Names: Lao people generally have two names, the first being the given name and the second the family name. Nevertheless, if only one name is used, it should be the first, eg. President Choummaly)

HEALTH

The average life expectancy at birth is 53.82 for men and 58.04 years for women. This compares with 70.24 years for men and 74.98 years for women in Thailand. Rates of HIV/AIDS infection are slowly increasing and estimated infection rate is 0.1% of the population. Around 120 people die each year as a result of ordnance explosions.

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