FAX: (312) 551-264

FAX: (202) 338-5139

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
John M. O'KEEFE

embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, 720016 Bishkek

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217

Flag description: red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kirghiz 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 Kirghiz yurt

Kyrgyzstan Economy

Economy - overview: Kyrgyzstan is a small, poor, mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, wool, and meat are the main agricultural products and exports. Industrial exports include gold, mercury, uranium, and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been one of the most progressive countries of the former Soviet Union in carrying out market reforms. Following a successful stabilization program, which lowered inflation from 88% in 1994 to 15% for 1997, attention is turning toward stimulating growth. Much of the government's stock in enterprises has been sold. Drops in production had been severe since the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995 production began to recover and exports began to increase. Pensioners, unemployed workers, and government workers with salary arrears continue to suffer. Foreign assistance played a substantial role in the country's economic turnaround in 1996-97. Growth was held down to 2.1% in 1998 largely because of the spillover from Russia's economic difficulties, but moved ahead to 3.6% in 1999 and an estimated 5.7% in 2000. The government has adopted a series of measures to combat such persistent problems as excessive external debt, inflation, and inadequate revenue collection.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $12.6 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 39%

industry: 22%

services: 39% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: 51% (1997 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.7%

highest 10%: 31.7% (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18.7% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 1.7 million

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 55%, industry 15%, services 30% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6% (1998 est.)

Budget: revenues: $207.4 million

expenditures: $238.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 12.981 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 6.67%

hydro: 93.33%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 10.236 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 2.02 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 184 million kWh (1999)

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

Exports: $482 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

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

Exports - partners: Germany 33%, Russia 16%, Kazakhstan 10%,
Uzbekistan 10%, China 6% (1999)

Imports: $579 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

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

Imports - partners: Russia 18%, Kazakhstan 12%, US 9%, Germany 8%,
Uzbekistan 8%, China (1999)

Debt - external: $1.4 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $329.4 million (1995)

Currency: Kyrgyzstani som (KGS)

Currency code: KGS

Exchange rates: soms per US dollar - 48.701 (January 2001), 47.704 (2000), 39.008 (1999), 20.838 (1998), 17.362 (1997), 12.810 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Kyrgyzstan Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 351,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: general assessment: poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfied applications for household telephones

domestic: principally microwave radio relay; one cellular provider, probably limited to Bishkek region

international: 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: NA (repeater stations throughout the country relay programs from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey) (1997)

Televisions: 210,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .kg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA

Internet users: 10,000 (2000)

Kyrgyzstan Transportation

Railways: total: 370 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines

broad gauge: 370 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Highways: total: 18,500 km (including 140 km of expressways)

paved: 16,854 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)

unpaved: 1,646 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1996)

Waterways: 600 km (1990)

Pipelines: natural gas 200 km

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

Airports: 50 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 4

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 46

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 6

under 914 m: 32 (2000 est.)

Kyrgyzstan Military

Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense, Security Forces,
Border Troops

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,203,001 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 975,744 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 50,590 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $12 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (FY99)

Kyrgyzstan Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: territorial dispute with Tajikistan on southwestern boundary in Isfara Valley area; periodic target of Islamic insurgents from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan

Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia and Western Europe from Southwest Asia

@Laos

Laos Introduction

Background: 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, an easing of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.

Laos Geography

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: 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

Laos People

Population: 5,635,967 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.75% (male 1,212,577; female 1,196,795)

15-64 years: 53.94% (male 1,494,927; female 1,544,851)

65 years and over: 3.31% (male 85,632; female 101,185) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.48% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 37.84 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 13.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 92.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.48 years

male: 51.58 years

female: 55.44 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.12 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.05% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,400 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 130 (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: 57%

male: 70%

female: 44% (1999 est.)

Laos 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

Government type: Communist state

Capital: Vientiane

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, Louangphabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, 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 Gen. KHAMTAI Siphandon (since 26 February 1998) and Vice President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since NA March 2001)

head of government: Prime Minister BOUNGNANG Volachit (since NA March 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers THONGLOUN Sisolit (since NA March 2001), SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by the National Assembly

elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president with the approval of the National Assembly for a five-year term

election results: KHAMTAI Siphandon elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - NA%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (99 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - by presidential decree, on 27 October 1997, the number of seats increased from 85 to 99)

elections: last held 21 December 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - LPRP or LPRP-approved (independent, non-party members) 99

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 [KHAMTAI Siphandon, party president]; other parties proscribed

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

International organization participation: ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN,
CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
VANG Rattanavong

chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: (202) 332-6416