Laos Overview
Photo credit
Steve DowallLaos, officially known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked ethnically diverse country sharing borders with China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. The Mekong River, almost half the length of which flows through Laos, forms most of the border with Thailand. Most main towns are on the Mekong.
While still a developing country, Laos has useful resources of land, timber, gems and minerals, and significant potential for hydroelectric power generation. Most of the Lao people live in rural areas and subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for approximately half of GDP and provides 80% of employment.
The New Zealand Ambassador in Bangkok has been cross-accredited to Laos since February 1963. The Laos Ambassador in Canberra is cross-accredited to New Zealand.
Key demographics
| Official Name | Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or Laos) |
| Land Area | 237,000 square kilometres (CIA) |
| Population | 6,677,534 (July 2008 estimate) Growth 2.344% (2008 estimate) |
| Capital City | Vientiane |
| Location | Southeast Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Viet Nam |
| Religion | 60% Buddhist, 40% animist and spirit cults (CIA) |
| Language | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages |
| Currency | Kip |
Key statistics
| GDP | US$4.11 billion (IMF estimate 2007) |
| GDP per capita | US$2,054 (PPP estimate 2007) |
| Total exports | US$0.98 billion |
| Total imports | US$1.4 billion |
| Total NZ exports to Laos | NZ$0.9 million (2007-8) |
| Total NZ imports from Laos | NZ$0.04 million (2007-8) |
Sources of data: IMF (GDP data), World Bank (export/imports) and Statistics New Zealand (NZ exports/imports).
Last updated: 16 December 2008
