Laos 2004

Laos People

Yearbook 2004

Laos. In order to prevent Thailand’s “cultural dominance” over L.A., in May, the Laotian regime imposed a ban on showing Thai TV programs in public places. In their homes, however, the Laotians could continue to watch Thai programs, which are far more popular than the propaganda that Laotian TV shows. Laos has a tense relationship with Thailand. The influence of the market-economy neighbor is seen with unblinking eyes by the communist regime, which is also dependent on the large investments Thailand is making in the country.

According to CountryAAH, the total population in Laos is 7,275,571 people in 2020. The human rights organization Amnesty International in September accused Laotian government soldiers of raping, abusing and murdering four girls and a boy in their 14- to 16-year-olds in connection with an attack on one of the villages of the Hmong people. The regime called the accusations for inventions. Members of the ethnic minority hmong for a low-intensity uprising against the regime. The Rebels are a remnant of a guerrilla group created with American help to fight Communists in Indochina in the 1960s and 1970s. During the year there were reports that hundreds of hmong rebels had surrendered to the authorities. In March, Washington offered nearly 16,000 Hmong refugees a refuge in the United States. According to abbreviationfinder, LA stands for Laos in text.

Laos People

Population

Southeast Asian state, on the Indochinese peninsula. At the 1995 census, the population was 4,581,258, up to about 6 million according to a 2005 estimate. The economic and social situation of the country continues to show a persistent situation of severe backwardness, which is confirmed by all the main demographic indicators. The birth rate has remained above 35 ‰ and infant mortality at 80 ‰, life expectancy does not go beyond 56 years, while in the overall population, compared to 41 % of the total with less than 15 years of age, the one with more than 65years is equal to 3 %. The urbanization rate remains very low (around 20 %). See baglib.com for Laos sights, UNESCO, climate, and geography.

The capital Vientiane itself does not exceed 200,000 residents (716,000 considering the urban agglomeration). According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in the early nineties of the 20th century. the 45 approximately% of the population were living below the poverty line; this rate by the beginning of the new century had dropped to 30 %.

Economic conditions

In the early 21st century. the country has entered a phase of sustained growth, and has found a certain macroeconomic stability, even if the external debt remains very high. A good boost comes from agriculture, which in 2003 ensured just under half of GDP and marked a strong increase in commercial crops (coffee above all). Rice remains the hegemonic crop, practiced on almost 60 % of agricultural land. Another great resource is represented by the production of electricity, coming from the large water plants built on the Nam Ngum and Se Set rivers.

The project for the construction of a gigantic dam on the Nam Theun river, which the Asian crisis of the years 1997-98 had forced to shelve, has been reactivated: it involves the construction of a large dam, destined to produce over 1000 MW of electricity, and the creation of an artificial lake of 450 km 2. Thanks to this grandiose hydraulic project, the country will sell 90 % of its electricity production to neighboring Thailand.

Climate

Tropical monsoon climate. Rainy season from May to October with high temperatures and high humidity. Average annual rainfall 2000 mm. High rainfall on the windward sides of the mountains. Temperatures of up to 40ºC can occur in the Mekong lowlands. During the rainy season from May to September, the climate is characterized by the southwest monsoon. Then an average rainfall of 2,000 mm falls. The average temperatures in summer (March to May) are around 35 ° C, those in winter (November to February) around 10 ° C. Due to the structure of the country (mountains, valleys), these temperatures and rainfall vary greatly in the regions.