Overview of Laos’ geographical resources

The economy

is dominated by agriculture and has a weak industrial base. It is one of the least developed countries in the world. Since 1986, it has implemented reform and opening up and adjusted its economic structure, that is, integrating agriculture and forestry, industry and service industries, giving priority to the development of agriculture and forestry; canceling the highly centralized economic management system and transferring it to operating accounting system, implement economic policies in which multiple forms of ownership coexist, gradually improve the market economy mechanism, and strive to transform the natural and semi-natural economy into a commodity economy; implement opening up to the outside world, promulgate foreign investment laws, and improve the investment environment; expand foreign economic relations and strive to introduce more More funds, advanced technology and management methods. From 1991 to 1996, the national economy grew at an average annual rate of 7%. After 1997, the Laos economy was severely impacted by the Asian financial crisis. The Lao government has taken measures such as strengthening macro-control, rectifying financial order, and expanding agricultural production, and has basically maintained social stability and economic stability. From 2001 to 2006, the Laos economy grew at an average annual rate of 6.8%. From 2006 to 2010, the Laos economy grew at an average annual rate of 7.9%. GDP: US$6.341 billion (2010) Lao currency

GDP per capita: US$984 (2010)

Resources

Tin , lead, potassium, copper, iron, gold, gypsum, coal, salt and other mineral deposits. Tin, gypsum, potassium, salt, coal, etc. have been mined in small quantities so far. Rich in water resources. The forest area is about 9 million hectares, and the national forest coverage rate is about 42%. It produces teak, rosewood and other precious woods.

Industry

The gross industrial production value in 2005 was approximately 448.6 billion kip. The main industrial enterprises include power generation, sawmilling, mining, iron-making, cement, clothing, food, beer, pharmaceuticals, etc., as well as small repair shops and weaving, bamboo and wood processing workshops. The employed population is approximately 100,000, accounting for approximately 4.2% of the total labor force. The output of major industrial products in recent years is as follows: Project 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Electricity (100 million kWh) 31.79 33.47 34.91 36.06 34.74

Plywood (10,000 pieces) 155 130 132 76.5 95.2

Salt (10,000 tons) 2.2 2.5 1.9 2.0 2.49

Cigarettes (million boxes) 68 84 104 116 124

Beer (10,000 liters ) 7020 8270 9270 10588 12088

Cloth (10,000 meters) 120 135 145 163 178

Cement (10,000 tons) 28 28.2 40 50.8 52.7

(Data source : 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Laos Statistical Yearbook)

Agriculture

The agricultural population accounts for about 90% of the national population. The total value of agricultural production in 2005 was approximately 682.3 billion kip. The main crops include rice, corn, potatoes, coffee, tobacco, peanuts, cotton, etc. The country’s cultivated land area is approximately 747,000 hectares. The output of main agricultural products in recent years is as follows: (Unit: 10,000 tons) Project 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Rice 237 253 256 266 271

Corn 14.3 20.3 44.9 37.2 69

Tubes 15 17.5 18.1 28.4 35.9

Vegetables 66.2 67 74.4 66.2 73.4

Peanuts 1.60 1.24 2.69 2.76 3.5

Tobacco leaves 2.57 3.30 2.81　 2.46 4.15

Cotton 0.18 0.22 0.20 0.23 0.27

Coffee 2.22 2.31 2.50 2.52 3.32

Laos log vase

The golden land of Laos People often refer to the place where their ancestors lived as the "golden land" (the kingdom of rice fields and fish ponds). It is said that this land is rich in gold. People use gold bars for gambling and cockfighting, so it is called the Golden Land. Ancient Indians also believed that this land was rich in gold. This view has a certain degree of credibility, because the old name of Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of Laos, was Xiang Thong, which means "Golden City". National flag: The parallel rectangle in the middle of the flag is blue, occupying half of the flag area, and the upper and lower parallel rectangles are red, each occupying a quarter of the flag area. There is a white round wheel in the middle of the blue part, and the diameter of the wheel is four-fifths of the width of the blue part. Blue symbolizes prosperity, red symbolizes revolution, and the white wheel represents the full moon. This flag was originally the flag of the Lao Patriotic Front. National emblem: round in shape, with symbolic patterns on the round surface decorated by two bunches of rice ears: the big pagoda is a famous monument and the symbol of Laos; gears, barrages, forests, fields, etc. symbolize industry, hydraulic power, and forestry respectively. ; The ears of rice symbolize agriculture. The ribbons on both sides read "Peace, Independence, Democracy, Unity and Prosperity", and the ribbon at the bottom reads "Lao People's Democratic Republic".

Service Industry

Laos’ service industry has a weak foundation and started late. Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy, Laos' service industry has achieved great development. In recent years, the output value of the service industry and its proportion in the gross national product are as follows (unit: 100 million kip): Project 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Output value 3379 3625 3869 4154 53450

Accounting for 25% of GDP 25.5% 25.2% 25.4% 31%

Foreign Trade

Laos has trade relations with more than 50 countries and regions, and has signed trade agreements with 19 countries , 35 countries (regions) including China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Switzerland, and Canada provide preferential trade tariff treatment to Laos. The main foreign trade partners are Thailand, Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, China, Japan, the European Union, the United States and Canada. The trade import and export data in recent years are as follows (unit: 100 million US dollars): Project 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Export volume 3.51 3.74 4.55 8.78 9.25

Import volume 5.56 5.61 6.86 9.31 9.16

Difference -2.05 -1.87 2.31 -0.5 +0.09

(Source: Same as above) Foreign capital The newly revised foreign capital promulgated by the Lao Parliament on April 21, 1994 The law stipulates that the government will not interfere in the affairs of foreign-invested enterprises and allow foreign-invested enterprises to remit their profits; foreign businessmen can establish wholly-owned enterprises and joint ventures in Laos, and the state will not impose taxes on foreign-invested enterprises in the first five years. In 2004, Laos continued to supplement and improve its foreign investment laws and relax its mining industry investment policies. In 2006, Laos attracted US$2.7 billion in foreign investment, more than double the year-on-year increase. In 2009, Laos approved 208 foreign investment projects with an agreement amount of US$4.3 billion. Major investing countries include China, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, the United States and Australia. Foreign aid: From 1991 to 1996, Japan received approximately US$1.34 billion in foreign aid, with an annual average of US$223 million. In 2006, it received approximately US$400 million in foreign aid. In 2009, it received approximately US$560 million in foreign aid. The main donor countries and organizations include: Japan, Sweden, Australia, France, China, the United States, Germany, Norway, Thailand and the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Program, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, etc. Foreign aid is mainly used for infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, docks, hydropower stations, communications, and water conservancy facilities. People's Life A low-wage system is implemented, and employees can receive 80% of the basic salary after retirement. The medical and health services are developing year by year, and state employees and ordinary residents enjoy free medical care. The average life expectancy of Laotians is about 60 years. By the end of 2006, there were 151 hospitals and 726 health stations across the country, with a total of 6,736 hospital beds and 11,000 doctors, with an average of one doctor per 527 people.

Edit this paragraph Transportation

There is no outlet to the sea, and it mainly relies on highway, water transportation, railway and air transportation. The Mekong River can be opened to ships with a carrying capacity of 20 tons to 200 tons in sections. The transportation situation is as follows:

Aviation

Capital International Airport

Air transportation: There are seven international routes: Vientiane-Xishuangbanna, Vientiane-Kunming, Vientiane-Bangkok, Vientiane - Chiang Mai, Vientiane - Hanoi, Vientiane - Ho Chi Minh City, Vientiane - Phnom Penh, Vientiane - Siem Reap. The passenger volume is 410,000 and the cargo volume is 700 tons. Vientiane Wattay Airport, Luang Prabang Airport and Pakse Airport are international airports. The aviation industry in Laos is not very developed, and there are currently no intercontinental routes. There are three major international airports in the country, namely Luang Prabang, which has routes to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam; Vientiane, which has routes to China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam; and Champasak, which has routes to Cambodia. Currently, there are only domestic flights from Kunming to Vientiane in China. Lao Airlines and China Eastern Airlines operate this route, and there are currently daily flights. Laos’ departure tax of US$10 is included in the ticket price and does not need to be paid separately at the airport. There are many ticket sales outlets in major tourist cities such as Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane, making it very convenient to buy tickets.

Highways

The total length is 33,861 kilometers, with a passenger volume of 34.88 million and a freight volume of 2.592 million tons. The entire Laos is shaped like a 45-degree strip, so most tourists take long-distance shuttle buses to visit one stop after another. The international long-distance shuttle bus from Kunming, China reaches as far as Vientiane in Laos, passing through Mengla and Mohan (ports) in China and Luang Prabang and Vangvieng in Laos. The bus departs from Kunming Nanyao Bus Station and the International Bus Station next to Kunming Railway Station at 5-6pm every evening. It takes 24 hours to reach Luang Prabang, 32 hours to Vangvieng, and 36 hours to Vientiane. The international long-distance shuttle bus from Nong Khai, Thailand, takes only 90 minutes to reach Vientiane, Laos, and there are several buses every day. Long-distance shuttle buses are also very developed in various tourist cities in Laos. There are usually VIP buses specially designed to serve travelers. The facilities are better than local buses and they do not pick up passengers midway. The price is about 50% more expensive than local buses.

Water transport

The Mekong River has many dangerous shoals, and the section navigable throughout the year ranges from the bottom of Vientiane to near the mouth of the Ben Han River.

During floods, the ferry can be traced from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. Small motorboats can also pass through the lower reaches of the Nanwu River. Most of the remaining rivers can only be passed by small wooden boats. The total length of the inland waterways is 4,600 kilometers, with a passenger volume of 1.57 million and a freight volume of 621,000 tons. There are no passenger ferries to Laos outside the country, and ferries are still busy operating in some parts of the country. The most well-known among tourists are Huay Xai and Nong Khiaw in Luang Prabang, as well as the four thousand There is a ferry between the island and Pakse.

Railway

On March 5, 2009, the first railway (Laos to Thailand) was completed, thus ending the history of Laos without railways.