Laos

1 Chapter Basic Knowledge

    • Basic knowledge

      ■ Formal Country ➡ Lao People's Democratic Republic

      Lao language name: http://wiki-investment.com/Adminpanel/userfiles/rao-1-1(1).png

      （Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao / Sarter Rana Lat Pasa Tipa Thailand Paterson Lao）

       

      National flag

       

      The flag of Laos has red and blue on the side and white circle at the center. Red represents "socialism revolution and the lost blood of the revolution", blue does "the richness of the country", and white circle does "the moon rising from Mekong River" expressing the unification of the country by communism. 

       

      ■ Area · Country ➡ 236,800 ㎢ (the same size as mainland Japan) In Southeast

       Laos is an inland country that does not face the ocean and the border is surrounded by China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. A belt-shaped land covering 1,000 ㎢ in the north and south can be divided into 17 administrative divisions. Since 70% of the land is a mountainous area, as the aspect of trade and transport, they supply a sufficient hydropower to utilize valleys to obtain foreign currency as an indispensable resource.


       

      ■ Capital ➡ Vientiane / English Name: Vientiane

      Vientiane was a city built along the Mekong River in the mid 16th century and has developed as a political and economic center of Laos since then. The population of Vientiane is about 810,000 people, about 12% of the total population of Laos lives on the area of 3,920 ㎢  (about twice as large as Tokyo). It’s said that the name of Vientiane came from various theories such as the symbol of the village Bien as a symbol of Tiane wood, or the name of first ruler Buli Chan .

       

      ■ Year Number ➡ Buddhist calendar

      Laos uses the Buddhist calendar and adds 543 years to the Western one and becomes a Buddhist one (In Buddhist calendar year 2558 = In Western calendar year 2015 = Heisei year 27). The history of Buddha is based on the death of Buddha and used also in Thailand and Cambodia. There is a gap of one year between the Buddhist calendar used in Myanmar and Sri Lanka (In Buddhist calendar year of Laos 2558 = In Buddhist calendar year of Myanmar 2559 = 2015). 

       

      ■ Climate ➡ Tropical monsoon climate

      Laos has a tropical monsoon climate nationwide. It is divided into three seasons: the hot season (February to April), the rainy season (May to September), and the dry season (10 to January). The average annual nationwide temperature is around 28 ° C. the temperature reaches the highest from March to April and in Vientiane it does around 36 ° C. The lowest temperature in Vientiane falls to about 16 ° C and the coldest one in December.

       


       

      ■ Time difference ➡ -2 hours

      The time difference between Laos and Japan is -2 hours (UTC: +7:00) and the noon in Japan is 10am in Laos. Summer time is not introduced.

       

      ■ Population ➡ About 6.9 million people

      According to the "World Population White Paper 2014" announced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the total population of Laos is about 690,000 people. Laos is a multi-ethnic country with more than 50 ethnic groups and can be generally divided into three groups depending on the altitude of the place of residence. The most common is  the lowland Lao (Lao Room), which accounts for 56% of the population, the second is the hill Lao(Lao Tung), which accounts for 34%, and the last is highland Lao (Lao Soon), which accounts for 9%.

       

      ■ Language ➡ Lao

      An official language of Laos is Lao. Since the etymology is the same as Thai and Cambodian, the similar dialogues are used in the northeastern part of Thailand. The number of letters was arranged by character reform in 1960. In Laos, Thai television programs are broadcast, so most of the Lao people can understand Thai language. Also, as an influence of the former colonial era, many elderly people seem to understand French. In recent years, it’s been said that there are an increasing number of young people who learn English to cope with the trend of internationalization. 

       

      ■ Currency ➡ Kip

      The currency is Kip. Though there are 13 types of bills, since an inflation has advanced, currently the bills whose unit is more than 500 Kip are mainly used. Coins are not currently issued. As of 11th July, 2005, the rate is 1 yen = 66.1406 kips. Under the influence of Asian currency crisis, kip fell to 14.6 times as much as the US dollar ratio in a decade from 1996, but it was improved to rise around 2011. After that, there has been no major price fluctuation until 2015 now.


      ■ Language ➡ Lao The official language of Laos is Lao. Since the etymology is the same as that of Thai language and Cambodian language, in the northeastern part of Thailand, a dialect closely resembling Laos is used. The number of letters was sorted by character reform in 1960. In Laos, Thai television programs are being broadcast, so most of the Lao people can understand Thai language. Also, as a remnant of the former colonial era, many elderly people seem to understand French. In recent years, it is said that there are an increasing number of young people who learn English to cope with the trend of internationalization.  ■ Currency ➡ Keep The currency is kept (Kip). Though there are 1 3 types of banknotes, since inflation has advanced, currently more than 50 0 Keep bills are mainly used. Coins are not currently issued. As of July 11, 2005, 1 yen = 66.1406 keeps. Under the influence of the Asian currency crisis, keeping fell to 14.6 times as much as the US dollar ratio in the decade from 1996, but it was improved somewhat around 2011. After that, there has been no major price fluctuation until 2015 as of now■Religion ➡　Theravada

      Laos is the country of Buddhism that more than 60％of population is Theravada. Buddhists are constituted by some lowlanders and highlanders of Lao. 30% believes in Animism and the other minorities are Christians and Muslims. Animism believers also the dogma of Buddhism at the same time, thus 90% of population has the faith on Buddhism. Laos’ constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Since most people are Buddhist, in form it is a national religion.

      Although Japan is the same Buddhist country but people do not have to be stuck on its hard discipline but focus on the salvation of public by Mahayana Buddhism. On the other hand, there is a difference that Lao people have a brief that only those who can surpass a severe ascetic practice can obtain the salvation. Lao monks are imposed by a strict discipline; they are not permitted to eat a single mouth of dinner, marry and touch a woman.

       

      ■Main History of Laos

      The basement of Laos is established in the reign of Lanexang Kingdom in the 14th century. It’s said that it thrived the most in the reign of king Soulinyavongsa. Lenexang Kingdom is the united dynasty of Lao which expanded its governance but was divided as three Kingdoms of Champasak, Vientiane and Luang Prabang and also colonized under Thai and Cambodia. Later, in the end of 19th century, Laos became the dependency of France and a part of Indochina of colony of France. However, because Japan invaded occupied Indochina of French colony while the battle of WW2 it became independent from France in 8th April 1945. After this war, Laos was regarded as French colony but perfectly achieved obtaining independence.



      ■Politic System　➡ Republic Democratic Country

      Administrative Organization

      Nowadays the president of Laos is Choummaly Sayasone, the head of State and at the same time takes in charge of chief secretary of Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. The election of president requires more two third of total votes of the national parliament. Also, its office term is 5 years. By the constitution enacted in 1991, the national entity is separated as a legislation, administration and judicial organ but the dictatorship of Lao People’s Revolutionary Party was prescribed. As a result, its previous government system has been succeeded. Although a president conducts appointment of prime minister, each cabinet ministers and governors but these posts are monopolized by the members of Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.

      As the above mentioned, Lao People’s Revolutionary Party has a massive impact on national political policy and administration, and holds the big party convention to determine its policy and human resource for the organizations. Laos has 17 provinces called as Khoeng and specialized districts and cities of 18 prefecture governments. Prefectures are further divided into 141 districts called as Muang and districts into 10,574 villages called as Ban. These are administrated by the nation and Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.


      ■Parliament

      As a legislation of Laos, only one national assembly is set. The number of members is 132 and its office term is five years. In 1975, since socialist regime was born, the election had been held seven times but most of the seats are occupied with the members of this party. The election is held with a single transferrable balloting system. This system is that a voter is eligible for voting on one candidate. The candidate is selected from the top who won more votes as a member of parliament. There are 17 elected districts that the members from three to fourteen are chosen.

      On 30th April 2011 of election of national assembly the 128 members of Lao’s People Revolutionary Party and 4 members of other parties obtain the parliamentary seats.

       

      ■ Education system

      Laos education system is set as the term of five years for primary school, four years for early junior high school, four years for late junior high school and from two to seven years for high school and later at university. All students have to wear the uniform while they go to school. Also, the first five years of elementary school are compulsory education. The rate of entering into university is about 17.69% in 2013. The literacy rate is 72.7%; within 82.5% in male and 63.2% in female; in 2015. Because of these low rates, there is a challenge to develop education for Laos.

       

      ■ Politic and Economic Tendency

      In Laos the Revolutionary People Party executes its dictated politics alone and for a long time has monopolized the regime in politics.

      Although in April 2011 there was the national assembly once five years, because of this monopolized election which means votes of confidence, in practical 128 members of Lao People’s Revolutionary Party occupied seats in 132 seats.  

      In the aspect of economy, GDP of Laos is $1,400USD, ranked the lowest in ASEAN, and focus on leaving from LDC by 2020. On the other hand, the rate of development is 8% and they have dramatically developed their economic power. The background of this development is a transfer of basement of production as ‘Thai Plus One’ because of the disaster of flood and the rising human cost of Thai people.  

       

      It’s important for the countries which doesn’t have enough resource to consider how they can invite a foreign investments for their economic development. In October 2011, Laos government announced that they plan to build special economic districts. For instance, they are supposed to build casino specialized for a field of sightseeing and production and draw the attention of development from the other countries.

       

      ■The relation between Japan and Laos.

      Japan assisted a financial support of 243 billion JPY for Laos as to technical support, profit and non-profit. The relation between Laos and Japan has actively started since the year of resolution of innovation of Laos Great Party in 1986. Japan and Laos have built and kept the friendly relation such as the invitation events of a visiting Japan of primary minister of Laos Kaysone Phomvihane in 1989, a visiting Laos of Fumihito, prince Akishino and Kiko, princess Akishino of Japan in 1989 and a visiting Laos of prime minister of Japan Keizo Obuchi in 2000.

      The year of 2015 is the year of anniversary 60 years of diplomatic relation between Japan and Laos. In March, the prime minister Thongsing Thammavong visited Japan and there was the conference to discuss widely about economic cooperation, guarantee of social security and politics, trade and investment. Also, they agreed to enforce ‘strategic partnership’ newly in their relation from comprehensive partnership.’

      In the aspect of trade, the exporting amount from Japan to Laos is $138.31 million USD and the importing one is $116.56 million USD in 2014. The main exporting goods from Japan are automobile, contraction machine and others while the main importing ones are cloth and coffee.

       

      ■ Japanese residents

      As an increase of advance of Japanese incorporations, there are 677 Japanese residents who live in Laos in 2015 according to the sum of residents who lives in foreign countries.