|
Country
|
Bolivia | 
Laos |
|
Leader
|
President: Evo Morales
|
President: Choummaly Sayasone
|
|
Population
|
10,290,003
| 6,586,266
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
67.900 years
| 62.770 years
|
|
Capital City
|
La Paz (administrative capital)
| Vientiane (Viangchan)
|
|
Largest city
|
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra (population: 1,364,390) | Vientiane (population: 196,731) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.723
| 0.608
|
| GDP per capita |
$4,900 US
| $2,700 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
86.7%
| 68.7%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3
| 2
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
14.6%
| 25.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
5.500%
| 2.500%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished except for special circumstances
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic
| Communist state
|
|
Independence date
|
6 August 1825 (from Spain)
| 19 July 1949 (from France)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
| Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)
|
| Languages |
Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
| Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
|
| Exports |
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin
| wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold
|
| External Debt |
$5,491,000,000 $
| $5,953,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.253 (2008 est.), 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004)
| kips (LAK) per US dollar - 8,760.69 (2008 est.), 9,658 (2007), 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.300%
| 0.500%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
|
|
| Location |
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
| Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
|
| Area |
1,098,581 km sq
| 236,800 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
| tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
|
|
|
|
