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Extensible Markup Language  |  1995-06-15  |  3KB  |  19 lines
  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
  2. <!DOCTYPE card PUBLIC "-//Apple, Inc.//DTD card V 2.0//EN" "" >
  3. <card>
  4.     <id>27634</id>
  5.     <filler1>0</filler1>
  6.     <cantDelete> <false /> </cantDelete>
  7.     <showPict> <true /> </showPict>
  8.     <dontSearch> <false /> </dontSearch>
  9.     <owner>5472</owner>
  10.     <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet_3106.css" />
  11.     <content>
  12.         <layer>background</layer>
  13.         <id>31</id>
  14.         <text><span class="style42"></span><span class="style12">LAOS</span><span class="style14"></span><span class="style42">Official name:</span><span class="style13"> Saathiaranagroat Prachhathippatay Prachhachhon Lao (The Lao PeopleΓÇÖs Democratic Republic)</span><span class="style42">Member of: </span><span class="style13">UN</span><span class="style42">Area: </span><span class="style13">236800 km2 (91429 sq mi)</span><span class="style42">Population: </span><span class="style13">4533000 (1991 est)</span><span class="style42">Capital: </span><span class="style13">Vientiane (Viengchane) 422000 (1990 est)                               </span><span class="style42">Language: </span><span class="style13">Lao (official; 96%)</span><span class="style42">Religion: </span><span class="style13">Buddhism (57%), traditional local religions</span><span class="style42">GOVERNMENT</span><span class="style13">There is constitutional provision for a 79-member Supreme PeopleΓÇÖs Assembly elected for five years by universal adult suffrage. The President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers are effectively responsible to the Central Committee of the (Communist) Lao PeopleΓÇÖs Revolutionary Party. A new constitution is to be drafted.</span><span class="style42">GEOGRAPHY</span><span class="style13">Except for the Plain of Jars in the north and the Mekong Valley and low plateau in the south, Laos is mountainous. Phou Bia (2820 m / 9252 ft) is the highest peak. </span><span class="style42">Principal river: </span><span class="style13">Mekong 4350 km (2702 mi). </span><span class="style42">Climate: </span><span class="style13">Laos has a tropical climate with heavy monsoon rains between May and October.</span><span class="style42">ECONOMY</span><span class="style13">Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most Laotians work on collective farms, mainly growing rice. Western investment has been encouraged since 1990. </span><span class="style42">Currency: </span><span class="style13">Kip.</span><span class="style42">HISTORY</span><span class="style13">The powerful Laotian Buddhist kingdom of Lan Xang was established in the 14th century and divided into three in 1707. A French protectorate was established in 1893. Japanese occupation in World War II led to a declaration of independence which the French finally accepted in 1954. However, the kingdom was wracked by civil war, with royalist forces fighting Communist Pathet Lao. The Viet Cong used Laos as a supply route in the Vietnam War, and US withdrawal from Vietnam allowed the Pathet Lao to take over Laos (1975). Since 1990 the government has begun to introduce reforms, but there is no suggestion that a multi-party system will be tolerated.</span></text>
  15.     </content>
  16.     <name>Laos</name>
  17.     <script></script>
  18. </card>
  19.