|
Country
|
Laos | 
Georgia |
|
Leader
|
President: Choummaly Sayasone
|
President: Mikhail Saakashvili
|
|
Population
|
6,586,266
| 4,570,934
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
62.770 years
| 77.320 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Vientiane (Viangchan)
| T'bilisi
|
|
Largest city
|
| Vientiane (population: 196,731) | Tbilisi (population: 1,049,500) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.608
| 0.763
|
| GDP per capita |
$2,700 US
| $5,600 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
68.7%
| 100%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2
| 3.9
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
25.2%
| 6%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
2.500%
| 16.300%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
Communist state
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
19 July 1949 (from France)
| 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
|
| Religions |
Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)
| Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)
|
| Languages |
Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
| Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
|
| Exports |
wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold
| scrap metal, wine, mineral water, ores, vehicles, fruits and nuts
|
| External Debt |
$5,953,000,000 $
| $11,080,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
kips (LAK) per US dollar - 8,760.69 (2008 est.), 9,658 (2007), 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004)
| laris (GEL) per US dollar - 1.47 (2008 est.), 1.7 (2007), 1.78 (2006), 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.500%
| 1.900%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 6
|
| Location |
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
| Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
|
| Area |
236,800 km sq
| 69,700 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 310 km
|
| Climate |
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
| warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
|
|
|
|
