LAOS

LAOS / ລາວ

25th Anniversary of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East.
Nam Ngum Dam.
Second stamp in a set of 3, issued on 15.03.1972.
Face value: 80 Lao kip.
Design: Anoulom Souvandouane (b. 1948).
Engraving: Claude Jumelet (b. 1946).
Printed by Imprimerie des timbres-poste, Périgueux.
Printing: Recess.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 335.
- Scott No. 229.
- StampWorld No. 335.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 347.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 246.

The Nam Ngum (Laotian: ນໍ້າງືມ) Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Nam Ngum River, a major tributary of the Mekong River in Laos. It is located about 75 km (46.6 mi) north of Vientiane. The dam was constructed in three stages, beginning in with stage I in 1968 and ending with the completion of stage III in 1984. The stage I was opened in 1971. The dam has a capacity of 155 MW and generates most of Laos' electricity, including all the power used in the capital, Vientiane; Additionally 70–80 percent of electricity created by the dam is exported to Thailand. The dam, which is also used for flood control, irrigation, is 468 m (1,535 ft) long and 70 m (230 ft) high. The reservoir formed by the dam has an area of 370 km² (140 sq mi).

The United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ESCAP) was establshed in March 28, 1947 to assist in post-war economic reconstruction, and is currently headquartered in Bangkok (Thailand). It is composed of 53 Member States and nine Associate members, mostly from the Asia and Pacific regions. In addition to countries in Asia and the Pacific, the commission's members include France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. On August 1, 1974, the commission was renamed to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.