LAOS in making

8/7/2019 LAOS in making

1/32

LAOS

LAND OF THE MILLION ELEPHANTS


2/32


3/32

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA

Area in square miles (kilometers): 91,400(236,800)

Capital (population): Viangchan (vientiane)

(531,800) Environmental Concern: Unexploded ordnance,

deforestation, soil erosion, lack of access topotable water

Geographical Features: Mostly rugged mountains;some plains and plateaus.

Climate: Tropical Monsoon


4/32

HISTORY AND POLITICS

Laotian people migrated from South Chinasettled in the 13rd century when the area wascontrolled by the Cambodian Empire.

Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia were combinedinto a new political entity, whcich the frenchnamed INDOCHINA.

France, Britain and Thailand effectivelycontrolled mainland Southeast Asia for severaldecades.


5/32

Before independence, Prince Souphanouvong

organized a Communist guerilla army.

The Pathet Lao government was sustainedmilitarily and economically by the Soviet

Union and other East Bloc Nations for more

than 15 years.

French administrators have fled Laos, leaving

leadership vacuum.


6/32

CURRENCY USED IN LAOS ..


7/32

ECONOMY

Currency ($ U.S Equivalent): 7600 kip= $1

Per capita income\GDP: $2100 (2008 est.)

GDP Growth Rate: 6.4%

Inflation Rate: 7.6% (2008 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 2.4%

Natural Resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum,

tin, gold, gemstones Agriculture: rice, sweet patato, vegetables,

coffee, tabacco, sugarcane, cotton, livestock, etc.


8/32

Industry: mining, timber, garments, electricpower, agricultural processing, construction.

Exports: Wood products, garments and textiles,

electricity, coffee, tin. Imports: Machinery and equipment, vehicles,

fuel.

Balance Of Trade: Exports: US$271 million (1999

est.). Imports: US$497 million (1999 est.).


9/32

CUISINE


10/32

CUISINE

Laotian cuisine is distinct from other

Southeast Asian cuisines.

The staple food of Laotians is sticky rice.Galangal, lemongrass andpadaek(Laotian fish

sauce) are important ingredients.

The most famous Laotian dish is Larb.

Another Laotian staple dish is a spicy green

papaya salad dish known as tam mak hoong


11/32

Population

The Lao PDR differs from many other Asian countries in that it has anextremely low population density of only 23.2 persons per squarekilometer (60 per square mile). Its population density is almost the sameas the state of Minnesota. In July of 2000 its population was estimated as5,497,459

The current population growth rate is a relatively high 2.5 percent. If thisrate were to continue, the country's population would double to over 10million by the year 2028.

The major cause of this high population growth is the high fertility rate ofLao women. The Lao women on average currently have 5.21 children.

Thus, it is not uncommon to find families of 4 to 10 children, even in urbanareas.


12/32

The ethnically diverse Lao PDR population is comprised of 3major ethnic groups: Lao Lum, lowland; Lao Theung,

upland; and Lao Sung, highland. Among prominenthighland groups are the Hmong and Yao. Thus, the Lao PDRis one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Asia

With the country's low population density and the need to

import labor (often Vietnamese guest workers ), thegovernment has been reluctant to adopt a strict birthcontrol or family planning policy

With such high fertility, the Lao PDR

has a very youngpopulation. Roughly 54.2 percent of the population isunder the age of 20. With poor health conditions,particularly in rural areas and related high mortality rates,only 2.2 percent of the population is over 70 years of age.


13/32

INDUSTRYFORESTRY AND LOGGING.

The Lao PDR has extensive tropical forests containing manyvaluable hardwoods such as teak. With a total ban onlogging in Thailand, there is considerable demand for Laowood products from other Asian countries such as

Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan. Malaysia has projects forteak cultivation in southern Laos. The Lao military isinvolved in timber exploitation.

Deforestation and the need for sustainable forestry aremajor environmental issues facing the Lao PDR and its

agricultural/rural sector. The Lao are very conscious thatmuch of Thailand's northeast was deforested as the resultof expanded rice field acreage. Also, upland agriculturalproduction can result in serious deforestation.


14/32

MANUFACTURING.

The following are the principal products manufactured in the LaoPDR: oxygen-acetylene, battery acid, industrial alcohol, detergentpowder, soap, shoes made of animal skin, leather, medical drugs,fans, vaccines, plastic goods, timber, lumber, plywood, floodlumber, rattan furniture, books, fabrics, clothing, bricks, blocks,cement, tiles, chalk, lime, electric poles, agricultural tools, tinplates, nails, electric wire, and barbed wire.

For the economy, the most significant of these are clothing/fabricsand rattan furniture. Except for fabrics and clothing, most of thesemanufactured products are for local consumption.

Laos' manufacturing export potential is currently limited by itsstatus as a "non-market economy" restricting its access to U.S. and

other developed country markets. Admission to the WTO andcompletion of a trade agreement with the United States areessential to enable Laos to have more secure access for its exports.


15/32

MINING.

The Lao PDR has an abundant supply ofminerals. Gypsum, for example, is exported toVietnam. Tin, coal, lignite, and limestone arealso mined. In the Vanvieng area, there is a

major cement works, established with theassistance of the Chinese. Mining andquarrying, however, represented only .051percent of the GDP in 1999, and minerals are

not yet a significant export. The majorproblem in exploiting Lao mineral resources istheir inaccessibility.


16/32

TOURISM In the Lao service economy, tourism has been a major growth area.

Between 1991 and 1995, tourism grew approximately 60-fold, and from1995 to 2000 it has more than doubled. On a per capita basis, Laos haseven more tourists than Thailand.

The major tourist attractions of the country are its rich culture and manyBuddhist temples; Luang Prabang, the former royal capital in the northand a world cultural heritage site; the majestic Mekong River which flowsthrough the country; and shopping for Lao textiles and handicrafts inVientiane.

Despite such economic contributions, tourism employs at most only 3percent of the non-farm workforce. Tourist facilities have improvedsignificantly in recent years. There are now large numbers of hotels,guesthouses, and restaurants in major cities. Both Vientiane and LuangPrabang now offer some up-scale tourist facilities.


17/32

NATURAL RESOURCES

Division of land

arable land: 3%

permanentcrops: 0%

permanentpastures: 3%forests and woodland: 54%

other: 40% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,250 km (1993 est.)Natural resources: timber, hydropower,

gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones


18/32

Culture


19/32

Laos has its own distinct culture. Through Theravada

Buddhism it has influences from India and has also

influences from China. These influences are reflected

throughout Laos in its language as well as in art, literature

and the performing arts.

Lao way of life is very much influenced by the Buddhism as

can be seen through the way that Lao people live and

behave. They are taught to be patient and acceptance

people. Buddhism was the only thing that bound peopletogether and taught people to be good people and stay away

from doing wrong things in the past when the law

enforcement was not in place.


20/32

An important festival in Laos is Boun Pha Vet celebrated

once a year. This is a two day Buddhist festival thatinvolves the entire community. Traditionally the Boun Pha

Vet is held in January or February depending on the moon

cycle. During the ceremony the monks give a sermon of all

chapters of the Maha Wetsandon Chadok, otherwise called

the Great Birth Sermon.

Laotian music is dominated by its national instrument, the

khaen (a type of bamboo pipe). Bands typically include a

singer/rapper (mor lam) and a khaen player (mor khaen)alongside fiddlers and other musicians. Lam saravane is the

most popular genre of Laotian music, but ethnic Lao in

Thailand have developed an internationally-best selling

form called mo lam sing.


21/32

One significant archive of ancient Laotian culture is thePlain of Jars in Xieng Khouang province.

The primary language in Laos is Lao, however there are

other Laotian dialects spoken by the ethnic minority groupsliving in Laos. The Lao language is a very polite language

with multiple tiers of politeness including common polite

particles such as "Jao" and "Doi".

Laos has no copyright legislation, which is unusual

compared to most other countries.


22/32


23/32

Marriage

Polygamy is officially a crime in Laos, though the

penalty is minor. The constitution and Family

Code bars the legal recognition of polygamous

marriages, stipulating that monogamy is to be

the principle key of contracting a marriage in

the country. While rare, there have been cases

of polygamy practiced within the Hmongpeople.


24/32

Clothing


25/32

Laos Clothing, in its traditional form, consists of dresses

original to the Hmong community of Laos. Laos clothingwas a symbol of the individuality of the sub-group of

Hmong living in Laos. However with time the influence of

the outside world has limited the wearing of traditional

Laos clothing to special occasions only.

The traditional clothing of Laos is different for men and

women. While men's clothing is simpler the clothing of

women of Laos is elaborate and decorated with embroidery

and designs. The men of Laos wear pants with a shirt andvests. The women wear a sarong like cloth with a shirt or a

jacket.


26/32


27/32

The Western influence on the people of Laos has also

affected the style of clothes they wear. People of Laos have

started wearing Western clothing for regular purposes. The

traditional Laos clothing has been limited to festive

occasions only.


28/32

Religion

Of the people of Laos 67% are Theravada Buddhist, 1.5% are

Christian, and 31.5% are other or unspecified according to the

2005 census.

The proportion of Buddhists could be as high as 98%; that

religion remains one of the most important social forces inLaos.

Theravada Buddhism along with the common animism

practiced among the mountain tribes, coexists peacefully with

spirit worship. Christians are mostly restricted to the Vientiane area, and

Muslims to the Myanmar border region. Christian missionary

work is regulated by the government.


29/32

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

Punctuality is appreciated

Lightweight suits, shirt and tie should be worn

English is not spoken by all officials andknowledge of French is useful .

Business cards should have a Laotian

translation on the reverse. Best time to visit is during the dry season,

from November to April.


30/32


31/32

IMPORTANT FESTIVALS

Bun Pha Vet

Marha Puha (or Makka Bu-sao)

Boun Khoun Khao Boun Pimai

Haw Khao Padap Din

Awk Phansao Boat Racing festival

Laos national day


32/32

THANK YOU !

By Karan Miglani

Raghav seth

Dilasha Sethi

Sneha Sharma

B.B.A - B

Documents

LAOS in making