Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: landlocked
@Laos:People
Population: 5,116,959 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 1,174,029; female 1,144,634) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,277,175; female 1,354,220) 65 years and over: 3% (male 76,544; female 90,357) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.78% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 41.25 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 13.4 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (1997 est.)