PEOPLE LAOS/LEBANON Population: 3,673,000 (January 1980), average annual growth rate 2.4% (current); this estimate does not take into account emigration from Laos during the past few years Nationality: noun— -Lao (sing., Lao or Laotian); adjec tive-Lao or Laotian Ethnic divisions: 48% Lao; 14% Tribal Tai; 25% Phoutheung (Kha); 13% Meo, Yao, and other Religion: 50% Buddhist, 50% animist and other Language: Lao official, French predominant foreign language Literacy: about 12% Labor force: about 1-1.5 million; 80%-90% agriculture Organized labor: only labor organization is subordinate to the Communist Party GOVERNMENT Legal name: Lao People's Democratic Republic Type: Communist state Capital: Vientiane Political subdivisions: 13 provinces subdivided into districts, cantons, and villages Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: 2 December Branches: President; 45-member Supreme People's Council; cabinet; cabinet is totally Communist but council contains a few nominal neutralists and non-Communists; National Congress of People's Representatives established the current government structure in December 1975 Government leaders: President, Souphanouvong; Prime Minister, Kaysone Phomvihan; Deputy Prime Ministers, Nouhak Phoumsavan, Phoumi Vongvichit, Phoun Sipaseut, and Khamtai Siphandon Suffrage: universal over age 18 Elections: elections for National Assembly, originally scheduled for April 1, 1976, have not yet been held Political parties and leaders: Lao People's Revolutionary Party (Communist) includes Lao Patriotic Front and Alliance Committee of Patriotic Neutralist Forces; other parties are moribund Other political or pressure groups: non-Communist political groups are moribund; most leaders have fled the country Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF, IPU, ITU, Mekong Committee, NAM, SEAMES, U.N., UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO ECONOMY GNP: $290 million, $90 per capita (1977 est.) Agriculture: main crops-rice (overwhelmingly dominant), corn, vegetables, tobacco, coffee, cotton; formerly self-sufficient; food shortages (due in part to distribution deficiencies), including rice Major industries: tin mining, timber, tobacco, textiles, electric power Shortages: capital equipment, petroleum, transportation system, trained personnel Electric power: 141,000 kW capacity (1978); 340 million kWh produced (1978), 95 kWh per capita Exports: $15 million (f.o.b., 1979 est.); electric power, forest products, tin concentrates; coffee, undeclared exports of opium and tobacco Imports: $80 million (c.i.f., 1979 est.); rice and other foodstuffs, petroleum products, machinery, transportation equipment Major trade partners: imports from Thailand, U.S.S.R., Japan, France, China, Vietnam; exports to Thailand and Malaysia; trade with Communist countries insignificant; Laos was once a major transit point in world gold trade, value of 1973 gold reexports $55 million Aid: economic-Communist: Eastern Europe, $4.0 million (1974-75); U.S.S.R., $66 million committed (1975-76), China, $42 million committed (1975-76); OPEC, $1.0 million (1975); Western: $151.4 million (1970-76); U.S., economic, $272.3 million (1970-75), military, $1,119.5 million (1970-75) Budget: (1979 est.) receipts, 54.7 million; expenditures, 174.2 million; deficit 119.5 million Monetary conversion rate: US$1=400 KL (since June 1978) Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June COMMUNICATIONS Highways: about 18,000 km total; 1,300 km bituminous or bituminous treated, 5,900 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 10,800 km unimproved earth and often impassable during rainy season mid-May to mid-September Inland waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m Ports (river): 5 major, 4 minor Airfields: 88 total, 77 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: service to general public considered poor; radio network provides generally erratic service to government users; poor international service via radio relay link to Thailand; approx. 10 AM stations; over 2,000 est. telephones LEBANON Population: 2,981,000 (January 1980), average annual growth rate 2.6% (current); this estimate does not take into account any demographic consequences of the 1975-76 civil war Nationality: noun--Lebanese (sing. and pl.); adjective— Lebanese Ethnic divisions: 93% Arab, 6% Armenian, 1% other Religion: 55% Christian, 44% Muslim and Druze, 1% other (official estimates); Muslims, in fact, constitute a majority Language: Arabic (official); French is widely spoken Literacy: 86% Labor force: about 1 million economically active; 49% agriculture, 11% industry, 14% commerce, 26% other; moderate unemployment Organized labor: about 65,000 GOVERNMENT NOTE: Between early 1975 and late 1976, Lebanon was torn by civil war between its Christians-then aided by Syrian troops-and its Muslims and their Palestinian allies. The cease-fire established in October 1976 between the domestic political groups has generally held, despite occasional fighting, although the country is still under the occupation of Arab peacekeeping forces, almost entirely Syrian. In March 1978 southern Lebanon was invaded by Israeli troops. When the Israelis withdrew in June, they turned much of the south over to a United Nations interim force, but left Christian militias in control of zones along the border. The country's own army is gradually being reestablished but is still too fragile to give the central government effective power. Israel's support of the Christians and Syria's recent support of the Palestinians have brought the two sides into rough equilibrium, but no progress has been made on national reconciliation or political reforms-the original cause of the war. The following description is based on the present constitutional and customary practices of the Lebanese system. Legal name: Republic of Lebanon Type: republic Capital: Beirut Political subdivisions: 5 provinces Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, and civil law system; constitution mandated in 1920; no judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at University of Lebanon; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November Branches: power lies with President elected by parliament (Chamber of Deputies); cabinet appointed by President, approved by parliament; independent secular courts on French pattern; religious courts for matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance, etc.; by custom, President is a Maronite Christian, Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, and president of parliament a Shia Muslim; each of 9 religious communities represented in parliament in proportion to national numerical strength Government leader: President Ilyas Sarkis Suffrage: compulsory for all males over 21; authorized for women over 21 with elementary education Elections: Chamber of Deputies held every 4 years or within 3 months of dissolution of Chamber; latest April 1972 Political parties and leaders: political party activity is organized along sectarian lines; numerous political groupings exist, consisting of individual political figures and followers motivated by religious, clan, and economic considerations; all parties have well-armed militias which are still involved in occasional clashes Communists: only legal Communist party in Middle East; legalized in 1970; members and sympathizers estimated at 2,000-3,000 Other political or pressure groups: Palestinian guerrilla organizations Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ITU, IWCInternational Wheat Council, NAM, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO ECONOMY Agriculture: fruits, wheat, corn, barley, potatoes, tobacco, olives, onions; not self-sufficient in food Major industries: service industries, food processing, textiles, cement, oil refining, chemicals, some metal fabricating, tourism Electric power: 540,000 kW capacity (1978); 1.2 billion kWh produced (1978), 470 kWh per capita Exports: $626 million (f.o.b., 1978) Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1978) Budget: (1978) public revenue $474.3 million, current expenditures $679.7 million, development expenditures $83.8 million Monetary conversion rate: 2.96 Lebanese pounds= US$1 as of August 1978 Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 378 km total; 296 km standard gage (1.435 m), 82 km 1.050-meter gage; all single track LEBANON/LESOTHO Organized labor: negligible GOVERNMENT Legal name: Kingdom of Lesotho Type: constitutional monarchy under King Moshoeshoe II; independent member of Commonwealth since 1966 Capital: Maseru Political subdivisions: 10 administrative districts Legal system: based on English common law and Roman-Dutch law; constitution came into effect 1966; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal; legal education at National University of Lesotho; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: 4 October Branches: executive, divided between a largely ceremonial King and a Prime Minister who leads cabinet of at least 7 members; Prime Minister dismissed bicameral legislature in early 1970 and subsequently ruled by decree until 1973 when he appointed Interim National Assembly to act as legislative branch; judicial-63 Lesotho courts administer customary law for Africans, High Court and subordinate courts have criminal jurisdiction over all residents, Court of Appeal at Maseru has appellate jurisdiction Government leader: King Moshoeshoe II; Prime Minister Chief Leabua Jonathan Suffrage: universal for adults Elections: elections held in January 1970; nullified allegedly because of election irregularities; subsequent elections promised at unspecified date Political parties and leaders: National Party (BNP), Chief Leabua Jonathan; Basutoland Congress Party (BCP), Ntsu Mokhehle Voting strength: in 1965 elections for National Assembly, BNP won 32 seats; BCP, 22 seats; minor parties, 4 seats Communists: negligible, Communist Party of Lesotho banned in early 1970 Member of: Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, IDA, IFC, IMF, ITU, NAM, OAU, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO ECONOMY GNP: $203.5 million (1978), $160 per capita; average growth rate, 4.9% (FY77/78) Agriculture: exceedingly primitive, mostly subsistence farming and livestock; principal crops are corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley Major industries: none Electric power: approximately 20 million kWh imported from South Africa (1977) Exports: labor to South Africa (remittances $113 million est. in 1976); $34.8 million (f.o.b., 1978), wool, mohair, wheat, cattle, diamonds, peas, beans, corn, hides, skins Imports: $261.9 million (c.i.f., 1978); mainly corn, building materials, clothing, vehicles, machinery, POL Major trade partner: South Africa Aid: economic-Western (non-U.S.) countries (1970-77), $130 million; U.S. (1970-77), $31.7 million; OPEC (ODA) (1973-76), $22 million LESOTHO/LIBERIA Budget: (FY76) revenues, $68.7 million; current expenditures, $46.0 million; development budget, $22.0 million Monetary conversion rate: Lesotho uses the South African rand; 1 SA rand=US$1.15 (as of March 1978) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 1.6 km; owned, operated, and included in the statistics of the Republic of South Africa Highways: approx. 3,916 km total; 218 km paved; 993 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; 1,046 km improved, 1,659 km unimproved earth Civil air: no major transport aircraft Airfields: 21 total, 21 usable; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m, 1 with permanent surface runway Telecommunications: system a modest one consisting of a few landlines, a small radio-relay system, and minor radiocommunication stations; Maseru is the center; 4,500 telephones (0.3 per 100 popl.); 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV station planned Nationality: noun-Liberian(s); adjective-Liberian Ethnic divisions: 5% descendants of immigrant Negroes; 95% indigenous Negroid African tribes including Kpelle, Bassa, Kru, Grebo, Gola, Kissi, Krahn, and Mandingo Religion: probably more Muslims than Christians; 70%-80% animist Language: English official; 28 tribal languages or dialects, pidgin English used by about 20% Literacy: about 24% over age 5 Labor force: 600,000, of which 120,000 are in monetary economy; about 2,000 non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top level management and engineering jobs Organized labor: 2% of labor force GOVERNMENT Legal name: Republic of Liberia Type: republic in form; strong executive dominates, with few constraints Capital: Monrovia Political subdivisions: country divided into 9 counties; President appoints all officials of significance Legal system: based on U.S. constitutional theory; recent codes drawn up by Cornell University; constitution adopted 1847; amended 1907, 1926, 1934, 1955, and 1975; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July Branches: President, elected by popular vote, limited to a single eight-year term, controls through appointive powers, authority over national expenditures, and a variety of informal sanctions; 2-house legislature elected by popular vote; judiciary consisting of Supreme Court and variety of lower courts Government leader: President William R. Tolbert, Jr. Suffrage: universal 18 years and over Elections: members of House of Representatives elected for 4-year terms, most recently in October 1979; Senate members elected for 6-year terms, one-half elected in May 1973, other half elected October 1979; President Tolbert, constitutional successor to President Tubman who died in July 1971, completed the four year term to which Tubman was elected and was then elected in October 1975 for an eight-year term beginning in January 1976 Political parties and leaders: True Whig Party, in power since 1878, only legal party, led by President Tolbert; unauthorized parties are African Socialist-oriented Progressive Alliance of Liberia, led by Gabriel Matthews; and Marxist-oriented Movement for Justice in Africa, led by Togba Nah Tipoteh and Amos Sawyer Voting strength: 1975 elections uncontested; True Whig Party won all but a handful of votes Communists: no Communist Party and only a few sympathizers LIBERIA/LIBYA Member of: AFDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, U.N., UNESCO, UPU, WHO ECONOMY GDP: $699.7 million (1977), $440 per capita; 9.2% current annual growth rate (1977) Agriculture: rubber, rice, oil palm, cassava, coffee, cocoa; imports of rice, wheat, and live cattle and beef are necessary for basic diet Fishing: catch 1.8 million metric tons (1977) Industry: rubber processing, food processing, construction materials, furniture, palm oil processing, mining (iron ore, diamonds), 10,000 b/d oil refinery Electric power: 327,000 kW capacity (1977); 980 million kWh produced (1977), 620 kWh per capita Exports: $486.4 million (f.o.b., 1978 est.); iron ore, rubber, diamonds, lumber and logs, coffee, cocoa Imports: $482.0 million (c.i.f., 1978 est.); machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, manufactured goods, foodstuffs Major trade partners: U.S., West Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium Aid: economic-(1970-77), Western (non-U.S.), $245.0 million; U.S., $134.2 million; Communist, $23.0 million; military-U.S., $8.2 million Budget: (FY77) revenues $192.6 million, expenditures $121.1 million; development budget $41.6 million Monetary conversion rate: Liberia uses U.S. currency Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 499 km total; 354 km standard gage (1.435 m), 145 km narrow gage (1.067 m); all lines single track; rail systems owned and operated by foreign steel and financial interests in conjunction with Liberian Government Highways: 7,952 km total; 603 km bituminous treated; 2,055 km gravel, and 4,731 km improved and 563 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 370 km Ports: 1 major (Monrovia), 6 minor Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft Airfields: 82 total, 80 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runway 2,440-3,659 m, 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: telephone and telegraph service limited; main center is Monrovia; 8,500 telephones (0.5 per 100 popl.); 5 AM, 2 FM, and 3 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station DEFENSE FORCES Military manpower: males 15-49, 399,000; 213,000 fit for military service; no conscription |
