|
Country
|
Israel | 
Laos |
|
Leader
|
Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu
|
President: Choummaly Sayasone
|
|
Population
|
7,590,758
| 6,586,266
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
81.070 years
| 62.770 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Jerusalem
| Vientiane (Viangchan)
|
|
Largest city
|
| Jerusalem (population: 714,000) | Vientiane (population: 196,731) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.93
| 0.608
|
| GDP per capita |
$31,400 US
| $2,700 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
97.1%
| 68.7%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
6
| 2
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
14.2%
| 25.2%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Sammy Ofer & family ($4.0bn US)
| NA
|
| Unemployment Rate |
5.600%
| 2.500%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished except for special circumstances
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
parliamentary democracy
| Communist state
|
|
Independence date
|
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
| 19 July 1949 (from France)
|
| Religions |
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
| Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)
|
| Languages |
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
| Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
| wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold
|
| External Debt |
$102,300,000,000 $
| $5,953,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.56 (2008 est.), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (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 |
7.300%
| 0.500%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
1
| 0
|
| Location |
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
| Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
|
| Area |
20,770 km sq
| 236,800 km sq
|
| Coastline |
273 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
| tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
|
|
|
|
