Laos Communications - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Highways: about 21,300 km total; 1,300 km bituminous or bituminous treated; 5,900 km gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth;

14,100 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

Pipelines: 136 km, refined products

Ports (river): 5 major, 4 minor

Airfields: 66 total, 50 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications: service to general public considered poor; radio network provides generally erratic service to government users; approx. 10 AM stations; 1 TV station; over 5,000 telephones; 1 ground satellite station

NOTE: The information regarding Laos on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Laos 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Laos 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.