Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 58% other: 35%
Irrigated land: 1,554 sq km (1992 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the
population does not have access to potable water
natural hazards: floods, droughts, and blight
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Environmental
Modification, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Law of the
Sea
Note: landlocked
@Laos:People
Population: 4,837,237 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (female 1,084,615; male 1,111,928)
15-64 years: 51% (female 1,280,142; male 1,199,149)
65 years and over: 4% (female 86,390; male 75,013) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.84% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 42.64 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 14.28 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)