LAOS

Figure 1. Laos Flag Figure 2. Laos Map

OFFICIAL NAME: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxôn Lao (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: unitary single-party people’s republic with one legislative house
(National Assembly [149])

HEAD OF STATE: President: Bounnhang Vorachith.

HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: Prime Minister: Thongloun Sisoulith

CAPITAL: Vientiane (Viangchan)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Lao

OFFICIAL RELIGION: Buddhism

MONETARY UNIT: kip (KN)

POPULATION: (2018 est.) 6,465,000

POPULATION RANK

(2018) 109

POPULATION PROJECTION 2030

7,375,000

TOTAL AREA (SQ MI)

91,429
TOTAL AREA (SQ KM)

236,800

DENSITY: PERSONS PER SQ MI

(2018) 70.7

DENSITY: PERSONS PER SQ KM

(2018) 27.3

URBAN-RURAL POPULATION

Urban: (2018) 35%

Rural: (2018) 65%

LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH

Male: (2017) 64 years

Female: (2017) 67 years

LITERACY: PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION AGE 15 AND OVER LITERATE

Male: (2015) 90%

Female: (2015) 79.4%

GNI (U.S.$ ’000,000)

(2017) 15,595

GNI PER CAPITA (U.S.$)

(2017) 2,270
 Laos, landlocked country of northeast-central mainland Southeast Asia. It
consists of an irregularly round portion in the north that narrows into a peninsula-like
region stretching to the southeast. Overall, the country extends about 650 miles (1,050
km) from northwest to southeast. The capital is Vientiane (Lao: Viangchan), located on
the Mekong River in the northern portion of the country.

FESTIVALS

PACHYDERM PARTY (ELEPHANT FESTIVAL)

The Asian elephant has its day, actually two, in mid-February when Laos turns its eyes
to Sayabouly Province and the Elephant Festival. Launched in 2007, the annual fete
draws more than 80.0000 elephant fans to the ceremonies, processions, and
performances to pay tribute to the...
ROCKET FESTIVAL IN LAOS

The festival is a call for rain and a celebratiion of feritlity. In the afternoon, people
gather in the fields on the outskirts of villages and towns to launch self-made firework
rockets. Different communities compete for the best decorated and the highest
travelling rocket.
LaosTime-lapse video of Louangphrabang, Vientiane, and Khone Falls, Laos.Vincent
Urban & Clemens Krüger (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Wat Aham in Louangphrabang, Laos.© Khoroshunova Olga/Shutterstock.com

The geologically diverse landscape of Laos, with its forested mountains, upland
plateaus and lowland plains, supports an equally diverse population that is united
largely through agriculture, particularly the cultivation of rice. Interactions—sometimes
hostile, sometimes hospitable—with the neighbouring Khmer (Cambodian), Siamese
(Thai), and Myanmar (Burmese) kingdoms between the 5th and the mid-19th century
indirectly imbued Laos with elements of Indian culture, including Buddhism, the
religion now practiced by most of the population. Both Buddhist and Hindulores have
shaped the visual, performing, and literary arts of the country. Many of
the indigenous and minority peoples of the remote highland slopes and mountainous
regions, however, have maintained their own idiosyncratic ritual and artistic traditions.
LaosEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bolovens PlateauBolovens Plateau, southern Laos.CortoMaltese_1999

Colonization by the French from the late 19th to the mid-20th century infused Laos with
a European cultural element, which intensified throughout the country’s embroilment
in World War II and the Indochina wars, as well as a civil war of its own in the second
half of the 20th century. Guided by Marxist-Leninist ideology, Laos emerged from the
turmoil in 1975 as a communist country. Economic reforms of the late 20th and early
21st centuries, including the development of tourism, have strengthened Laos’s
economy, gradually shrinking the country’s debt and diminishing its dependence
on international aid.

Land
Laos is bounded to the north by China, to the northeast and east by Vietnam, to the
south by Cambodia, to the west by Thailand, and to the northwest
by Myanmar (Burma).

Relief

Dominating the landscape of Laos are its inhospitable forest-covered mountains, which
in the north rise to a maximum elevation of 9,245 feet (2,818 metres) above sea
level at Mount Bia and everywhere constitute an impediment to travel. The principal
range lies along a northwest-southeast axis and forms part of the Annamese
Cordillera (Chaîne Annamitique), but secondary ranges abound. On the Xiangkhoang
Plateau in north-central Laos, the Plain of Jars (Thông Haihin; the name derived from
large prehistoric stone jars discovered there) consists of extensive rolling grasslands
rather than a true plain and provides a hub of communications. The karst landscapes of
the central provinces of Bolikhamxay and Khammouan contain caverns and severely
eroded limestone pinnacles. In the south the Bolovens Plateau, at an elevation of about
3,600 feet (1,100 metres), is covered by open woodland and has generally fertile soil. The
only extensive lowlands lie along the eastern bank of the Mekong River.

Ayutthaya (Ayudhya) Kingdom mid-15th centuryEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Drainage

The general slope of the land in Laos is downhill from east to west, and all the major
rivers—the Tha, Beng, Ou, Ngum, Kading, Bangfai, Banghiang, and Kong—are
tributaries of the Mekong (Mènam Khong). The Mekong flows generally southeast and
south along and through western Laos and forms its boundary with Myanmar and
most of the border with Thailand. The course of the river itself is severely constricted by
gorges in northern Laos, but, by the time it reaches Vientiane, its valley broadens and
exposes wide areas to flooding when the river breaches its banks, as it did most notably
in August 1966. A few rivers in eastern Laos flow eastward through gaps in the
Annamese Cordillera to reach the Gulf of Tonkin; the most important of these is the Ma
River, which rises in the northeast, just inside the Vietnam border.

Soils
Soils in the floodplains are formed from alluvium deposited by rivers and are either
sandy or sandy clay with light colours or sandy with gray or yellow colours;
chemically, these are neutral to slightly acidic. Upland soils derived from crystalline,
granitic, schistose, or sandstone parent rocks generally are more acidic and much less
fertile. Southern Laos contains areas of laterite (leached and iron-bearing) soils, as well
as basaltic soils on the Bolovens Plateau.

Advertisement

Climate

Laos has the typical tropical monsoon (wet-dry) climate of the region, though the
mountains provide some variations in temperature. During the rainy season (May to
October), the winds of the southwest monsoon deposit an average rainfall of 50 to 90
inches (1,300 to 2,300 mm), with totals reaching some 160 inches (4,100 mm) on the
Bolovens Plateau. The dry season (November to April) is dominated by the northeast
monsoon. Minimum temperatures average between 60 and 70 °F (16 and 21 °C) in the
cool months of December through February, increasing to highs of more than 90 °F (32
°C) in March and April, just before the start of the rains. In the wet season the average
temperature is 80 °F (27 °C).

Plant and animal life

Laos has tropical rainforests of broad-leaved evergreens in the north and monsoon
forests of mixed evergreens and deciduous trees in the south. In the monsoon
forest areas the ground is covered with tall, coarse grass called tranh; the trees are
mostly secondary growth, with an abundance of bamboo, scrub, and wild banana. Laos
is also home to hundreds of species of orchids and palms.

The forests and fields support a wealth of wildlife, including nearly 200 species of
mammals, about the same number of reptiles and amphibians, and some 700 varieties
of birds. Common mammals include gaurs (wild oxen), deer, bears, and monkeys.
Elephants, rhinoceroses, and tigers, as well as several types of wild oxen, monkeys, and
gibbons, are among the country’s endangered mammals. Geckoes, snakes, skinks, and
frogs are abundant; several types of turtles are threatened. The canopy and floor of the
forest are inhabited by countless warblers, babblers, woodpeckers, and thrushes, as well
as an array of larger raptors. Numerous water birds live in the lowlands. Several dozen
species of Laos’s birds are threatened, including most hornbills, ibises, and storks.
People

Ethnic groups and languages

Laos is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country. The official language of Laos is
Lao, although various foreign languages have often been used by the elite. French was
once the language of the Lao upper classes and of the cities, but by the 1970s English
had begun to displace it. Under the leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party,
Vietnamese became the third language of the elite.

Before the Indochina wars, sources commonly identified more than 60 different
population groups; after the wars, which displaced (or killed) a large segment of the
population, that number had been significantly reduced, with
some communities amounting to only a few hundred persons. By the late 20th century
the various peoples of Laos were officially grouped primarily by language and location
into one of three categories: Lao Loum (“Lowland Lao”), Lao Theung (“Lao of the
Mountain Slopes”), and Lao Soung (“Lao of the Mountain Tops”). These groupings
have simplified administration, and even individuals in the remotest villages now
typically identify themselves to visitors with this nomenclature. The scheme does not,
however, reflect the intricacy of the country’s cultural and linguistic composition. For
example, the language spoken by the Lao of Vientiane, a Lao Loum group, bears closer
resemblance to that spoken by the Thai across the river than to languages spoken by
some other Lao Loum peoples such as the Tai Dam (Black Tai; so named for their black
clothing) in the northeast. Beyond the government’s three Lao groupings are
communities of Chinese and Vietnamese, both of which are concentrated primarily in
the large towns.

The Lao Loum generally live on the banks of the Mekong and its tributaries and in the
cities. All speak Tai languages of the Tai-Kadai family. The Lao
Loum constitute roughly two-thirds of the population, with the ethnic Lao by far the
largest component. Other prominent Lao Loum communities include the Phuan of the
northeast, the Lue of the northwest, and the Phu Tai of the south. Also subsumed under
the Lao Loum rubric are those peoples who were once classified as Lao Tai, including
the Tai Dam and Tai Deng (Red Tai; so named after their red clothing), among others.

Prior to the establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR) in 1975, the
Lao Loum peoples had a distinct pattern of culture and dress. They also had a well-
defined social structure, differentiating between royalty and commoners. Members of
the elite included only a few outsiders of nonnoble descent. Most of the elite lived in the
cities, drawing their incomes from rural land rents or from urban occupations. After
1975 a new elite emerged, representing the victorious leftist forces. Many of that group,
however, were of aristocratic origin.

Lao Tai peoples of the Lao Loum group also once had a clear political hierarchy and a
stratified social structure. Black Tai tribal organization, for instance, had three levels:
the village, which was the smallest unit; the commune, which comprised several
villages; and the muong, which embraced multiple communities and villages.
Each muong was led by a chao muong, a hereditary ruler and member of the nobility.
While communes were also ruled by nobles, villages were headed by commoners
selected from the heads of households. The muong were ethnically diverse social and
administrative units. Among the Black Tai, for instance, the nobility consisted of two
descent groups, the Lo and the Cam, who provided the rulers of the muong. Religious
leaders came from two other descent groups, the Luong and the Ka. The Red Tai had a
similar social and political structure, with an additional council of five to aid the chao
muong. The nobility owned the land and had the right to request service from the
commoners.

The Lao Theung peoples are scattered throughout Laos and speak Austroasiatic (Mon-
Khmer) languages. They are probably the original inhabitants of the country, having
migrated northward in prehistoric times. Unlike the Lao Loum, the Lao Theung had no
political or social structure beyond the village. They were led by a village headman,
who was their link to the central government, but his role in the village was not clear.
Major ethnic groups within the Lao Theung category include the Khmu (Kammu) and
Lamet in the north, the Katang and Makong in the center, and the Jru’ (Loven) and Brao
(Lave) in the far south. The Lao Theung constitute about one-fourth of the population.

The Lao Soung group includes peoples who have migrated into northern Laos since the
early 19th century and speak Hmong-Mien (Miao-Yao) or Tibeto-Burman languages.
Among the most prominent of those communities are the Hmong, Mien (also called
Man or Yao), Akha (a subgroup of Hani peoples), and Lahu. The Lao Soung account for
roughly one-tenth of the population.

Among the Lao Soung, the Hmong maintained a tradition of large-scale social
organization with a king and subchiefs, although these figures were of little significance
at the village level. The village consisted of several extended families belonging to one
or more clans. If all the heads of households were members of a single clan, the head of
the clan was the headman of the village. Where several clans resided together in a large
village, there were several headmen, one being the nominal head and the link to the
government. The headman had real authority in the village and was aided by a council.
The Hmong activated their organization beyond the village for military purposes.

We knew absolutely nothing about Laos before planning our trip here. It’s often
compared to Thailand because they share a close history when the former Thai Siam
Empire ruled over both not so long ago.

Yet, through our travels in Laos as a gay couple, we discovered several quite distinctive
and remarkable facts about Laos.

CONTENT OVERVIEW

The highest consumers of sticky rice (“khao niaow”)

Laos is the most heavily bombed place in the world

Beerlao: one of the best beers in Asia

Pounding my (ahem) KHOK!

Laotian coffee (kaa-feh Lao) served in a plastic bag

The Lao People's Democratic Republic: a Communist state

The nationwide midnight curfew

The biggest papayas ever!

Champa: the national flower of Laos

The most expensive postage stamps!

The highest consumers of sticky rice (“khao niaow”)

The Laotians are the highest consumers of sticky rice (khao niaow) in the world. They
refer to themselves as luk khao niaow meaning, “children of sticky rice”.

A few hundred years ago when rice-farming methods changed, the Laotians stuck to
their roots and continued farming the glutinous sticky rice. This has prevailed and so
sticky rice remains a fundamental aspect of every meal in Laos.
Interesting gay fact about sticky rice – it's become slang for an Asian guy who is
attracted to other Asian guys – a sticky rice queen! The Urban Dictionary gives a
hilarious explanation of this.

Stefan showing off his

freshly made buffalo laap with of course sticky rice

Laos is the most heavily bombed place in the world

Laos is the most heavily bombed place by capital as a result of US bombings during the
Vietnam War. For 9 years (1964-1973), the US dropped over 2 million tons of bombs
across Laos and around 30% of them didn't explode.
This has today left Laos with a high number of unexploded bombs, rendering most of
the land unusable for farming. There are frequent sad stories of village children
discovering what looks like a toy metal object near their school and without knowing
better, play with it and it explodes in their face, killing them and those around.

We highly advise all travellers to Laos to visit the COPE Centre in Vientiane and
the UXO Laos Information Centre in Luang Prabang to understand more about this
harrowing aspect of the country.

This sculpture at the COPE centre's entrance is made from 500kg of UXO, including
cluster bombs in memory of those who have been injured and lost their lives from
UXOs

Beerlao: one of the best beers in Asia

Beerlao is the award winning national beer of Laos made from Jasmine rice and yeast
imported from Germany.
Beerlao won the Monde Selection gold quality awards in 2006 and 2010 and received
silver in 2003. Beerlao also won the Russian Osiris Beer Festival in June 2005, beating 40
other brews to take the silver prize.

Beerlao has also been reported quite extensively in publications like the Wall Street
Journal and the New York Times. It's popular outside of Laos, particularly in
Cambodia and Thailand.

So as far as this gay couple is concerned, a terrific excuse to order more Beerlaos to
wash down all those yummy laaps and other tasty foods of Laos.
 Sebastien enjoying a
Beerlao in Vang Vieng

Pounding my (ahem) KHOK!

(This just appealed to our childish toilet humour more than anything else…) In Laos, a pestle
and mortar is called a khok(!) and a khok is a staple utensil in every kitchen.

During our cooking class at the Tamarind Cooking School in Luang Prabang, we had
to place the relevant ingredients into the khoks and pound them into a paste in order to
produce most of the dishes we were aiming to prepare, such as the yummy jeow
spice sauce.
Stefan took to pounding his khok very enthusiastically:

Laotian coffee (kaa-feh Lao) served in a plastic bag

Lao coffee is delicious and not as internationally famous as it should be. It is what tea is
to Sri Lanka and is in fact Laos’ biggest agricultural export.

A traditional Laotian iced coffee from the street stalls is served with a large dollop of
condensed milk at the bottom, in a plastic bag with lots of ice and a straw:
Stefan tucking into a refreshing iced Laotian coffee in Vientiane served in a plastic bag
of ice cubes

The Lao People's Democratic Republic: a Communist state

Laos is one of the world's 5 remaining ‘communist' countries (alongside North Korea,
China, Cuba and Vietnam). After the civil war ended in 1975, the communist
government overthrew the monarchy and has been ruling since.

The official name became the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the red communist
flag with hammer and sickle can usually be seen flying alongside the blue & red flag of
Laos:
The communist flag can usually be seen flying alongside the main flag of Laos

The nationwide midnight curfew

In Laos, there is an official nationwide midnight curfew: another sign of it being ruled
by a ‘communist' government. In practice, this is not enforced on the people but more on
businesses.

We met gay local, Somphorn Boupha (RIP) who before he so tragically passed away in
2019, owned the LGBTQ friendly Lao Lao Garden in Luang Prabang. Somphorn
explained to us that the midnight curfew is most strictly enforced against businesses in
Luang Prabang in order to help the city retain its UNESCO status.

Businesses open past the midnight curfew have usually obtained a ‘special licence' – ie
bribed the police enough to let them stay open!
 The midnight curfew
in Laos is more strictly enforced in Luang Prabang

The biggest papayas ever!

We love papayas. We went papaya crazy on the beach on Thoddoo island in the
Maldives and again in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar. But nowhere were they as
big as the ones we encountered in Laos.

Every fruit seller we in Laos seemed to sell the largest papayas we've ever seen. And we
loved it!
 Oh my, Stefan! What a
big papaya you have!

Champa: the national flower of Laos

The Champa is the white national flower of Laos. It is considered sacred and respected
by the Laotians. We noticed it just after crossing the Fourth Friendship Bridge on the
“Welcome to Laos” sign as you cross over from Thailand:
Notice the white champa flowers on this Welcome to Laos sign

In Laos, a lot of places are named with the name Champa. For example, in Vientiane,
we stayed at the Moonlight Champa Guesthouse, and nearby, we noticed this cute
campy sign outside a school:
 A
cute champa sign outside a school in Vientiane

The most expensive postage stamps!

We like to send postcards to our family back home from each country we visit. From all
the countries we've visited, the stamps in Laos were by far the most expensive!

One stamp for a postcard to Europe cost 13,000 kips (around £1/$1.60).
 The postage stamps in
Laos were the most expensive we've encountered on our travels to date
Advice for LGBTQ travellers to Laos

We found Laos to be gay friendly and never had an issue getting a double bed or being
tender with each other in public on the odd occasion. As foreigners, you're always
treated differently in Laos and highly respected by locals. However, for LGBTQ locals,
the situation is slightly different. Whilst it's not illegal to be gay in Laos, the Communist
government has yet to pass any progressive LGBTQ laws legislation such as for anti-
discrimination or recognition of same-sex relationships. For more, read our interview
with our dear friend Somphorn Boupha (RIP) from Luang Prabang about gay life in
Laos.

Laos

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search

This article is about the country. For other uses, see Laos (disambiguation).

hideThis article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or

discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to
remove these template messages)

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-

of-date information. (January 2019)
 This article needs additional citations
for verification. (January 2019)

This article
contains Lao
text.Without
proper rendering
support, you may
see question marks,
boxes, or other
symbols instead
of Lao script.

Coordinates: 18°N 105°E

Lao People's Democratic Republic

ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ (Lao)

Saþalanalat Paxaþipatai Paxaxōn Lao (Romanisation)

République démocratique populaire lao (French)

Flag

Emblem

Motto: "ສັນຕິພາບ ເອກະລາດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ເອກະພາບ ວັດທະນະຖາວອນ"

"Santiphab ekalad pasaþipatai ekaphāb vadþa na þauaōn" (Lao
romanisation)
"Paix, indépendance, démocratie, unité et prospérité"
(English: "Peace, independence, democracy, unity and
prosperity")

Anthem: "Pheng Xat Lao"

(English: "Lao National Anthem")

MENU

0:00

Location of Laos (green)

in ASEAN (dark grey) – [Legend]

Capital Vientiane
17°58′N 102°36′E
and largest city

Official languages Lao

Recognised languages French[1]

Spoken languages Lao

Hmong

Khmu

French

Ethnic groups 53.2% Lao

(2005[2]) 11% Khmu

9.2% Hmong

3.4% Phouthai

3.1% Tai

2.5% Makong

2.2% Katang

2.0% Lue

1.8% Akha

11.6% othera

Religion Buddhism 64.7%

Tai folk religion 31.4%
Christianity 1.7%
Islam 0.8%
Other 1.3%

Demonym(s) Lao
Laotian

Government Unitary Marxist–

Leninistone-
party socialistrepublic
• Party General Bounnhang Vorachith
Secretaryand President

• Vice President Phankham Viphavanh

• Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith

• President of the National Pany Yathotou

Assembly

Legislature National Assembly

Formation

• Kingdom of Lan Xang 1354–1707

• Kingdoms of Luang 1707-1778

Phrabang, Vientiane & Champasak

• Vassals of Siam 1778–1893

• French protectorate 1893–1953

• Unified Kingdom 11 May 1947

• Independence 22 October 1953

• Monarchy abolished 2 December 1975

• Current constitution 14 August 1991

• Joined ASEAN 23 July 1997

Area

• Total 237,955 km2(91,875 sq mi)

(82nd)

• Water (%) 2
Population

• Estimate 6,758,353[3] (103rd)

• 2015 census 7,096,376 6,492,228[4]

• Density 26.7/km2 (69.2/sq mi)

(151st)

GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate

• Total $58.329 billion[5]

• Per capita $8,485[5]

GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate

• Total $20.153 billion[5]

• Per capita $2,931[5]

Gini (2008) 36.7[6]

medium

HDI (2017) 0.601[7]

medium · 139th

Currency Kip (₭) (LAK)

Time zone UTC+7 (ICT)

Date format dd/mm/yyyy

Driving side right

Calling code +856

 ISO 3166 code LA

Internet TLD .la

Including over 100 smaller ethnic groups.

Laos (/ˈlɑːoʊs/ ( listen),[8] /laʊs, ˈlɑːɒs, ˈleɪɒs/;[9][10] Lao: ລາວ, Lāo [láːw]), officially
the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ
ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, romanized: Saþalanalat Paxaþipatai Paxaxōn Lao; French: République
démocratique populaire lao), commonly referred to by its colloquial name of Muang
Lao (Lao: ເມືອງລາວ, Muang Lao), is a socialist state and the only landlocked
country in Southeast Asia. Located at the heart of the Indochinese peninsula, Laos is
bordered by Myanmar (Burma)and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the
east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest.[11]

Present-day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to the kingdom of Lan Xang
Hom Khao (Kingdom of a Million Elephants Under the White Parasol), which existed
for four centuries as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia.[12] Due to Lan
Xang's central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom became a popular
hub for overland trade, becoming wealthy economically as well as culturally.[12] After a
period of internal conflict, Lan Xang broke off into three separate kingdoms—Luang
Phrabang, Vientiane, and Champasak. In 1893, it became a French protectorate, with the
three territories uniting to form what is now known as the country of Laos. It briefly
gained independence in 1945 after Japanese occupation, but was recolonised
by France until it won autonomy in 1949. Laos became independent in 1953, with
a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. Shortly after independence, a
long civil war began, which saw the communist resistance, supported by the Soviet
Union, fight against, first, the monarchy and then a number of military dictatorships,
supported by the United States. After the Vietnam Warended in 1975,
the Communist Pathet Lao movement came to power, seeing the end to the civil war.
During the first years of Communist rule, Laos was dependent on military and
economic aid supported by the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991.

In 2018, the country had the fourth highest GDP (PPP) per capita in Southeast Asia,
after Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.[13]In the same year, the country ranked
139th on the Human Development Index (HDI), indicating medium
development.[14] Laos is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade
Agreement (APTA), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia
Summit, and La Francophonie. Laos applied for membership of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in 1997; on 2 February 2013, it was granted full membership.[15] It
is a one-party socialist republic, espousing Marxism–Leninism governed by the Lao
People's Revolutionary Party.

The capital and largest city in Laos is Vientiane. Other major cities include Luang
Prabang, Savannakhet, and Pakse. The official language is Lao. Laos is a multi-ethnic
country, with the politically and culturally dominant Lao people making up about 55
percent of the population, mostly in the lowlands. Mon-Khmer groups, the Hmong, and
other indigenous hill tribes, accounting for 45 percent of the population, live in the
foothills and mountains. Laos's strategies for development are based on generating
electricity from its rivers and selling the power to its neighbours,
namely Thailand, China, and Vietnam, as well as its initiative to become a "land-linked"
nation, shown by the construction of four new railways connecting Laos to its
neighbours.[16][17] Laos has been referred to as one of East Asia and Pacific's Fastest
Growing Economies by the World Bank, with annual GDP growth averaging 7.8%
for the past decade. [clarify][18][19]

Contents

1Etymology

2History

2.1Early history

2.2Lan Xang

2.3French Laos (1893–1953)

2.4Independence and Communist rule (1953–present)

3Geography

3.1Climate

3.2Administrative divisions

4Government and politics

4.1Military

4.2Hmong conflict

4.3Human rights

5Foreign relations

6Economy

6.1Tourism

6.2Infrastructure

6.3Water supply

7Demographics

7.1Ethnicity

7.1.1Lao Loum (lowland people)

7.1.2Lao Theung (midland people)

7.1.3Lao Soung (highland people)

7.2Languages

7.3Religion

7.4Health

7.5Education

8Culture

8.1Cinema

8.2Festivals

8.3Media

8.4Polygamy

8.5Sport

9See also
10References

11External links

Etymology[edit]

The English word Laos was coined by the French, who united the three Lao kingdoms
in French Indochina in 1893 and named the country as the plural of the dominant and
most common ethnic group, which are the Lao people.[20]

Many English speakers commonly mispronounce the country of Laos, as they falsely
believe that 'Laos' is pronounced with a silent 's'.[21] The 's' in Laos is never
silent.[22][23][24]

In the Lao language, the country's name is "Muang Lao" (ເມືອງລາວ) or "Pathet Lao"
(ປະເທດລາວ), both literally mean "Lao Country".[25]

History[edit]

Main article: History of Laos

Early history[edit]

Pha That Luang in Vientiane is the national symbol of Laos.

An ancient human skull was recovered from the Tam Pa Ling Cave in the Annamite
Mountains in northern Laos; the skull is at least 46,000 years old, making it the oldest
modern human fossil found to date in Southeast Asia.[26] Stone artifacts
including Hoabinhian types have been found at sites dating to the Late Pleistocene in
northern Laos.[27] Archaeological evidence suggests agriculturist society developed
during the 4th millennium BC.[28] Burial jars and other kinds of sepulchers suggest a
complex society in which bronze objects appeared around 1500 BC, and iron tools were
known from 700 BC.[citation needed] The proto-historic period is characterised by contact
with Chinese and Indian civilisations.[citation needed] According to linguistic and other
historical evidence, Tai-speaking tribes migrated southwestward to the modern
territories of Laos and Thailand from Guangxisometime between the 8th–10th
centuries.[29]

Lan Xang[edit]

Main article: Lan Xang

A statue of Fa Ngum, founder of the Lan Xangkingdom

Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang (Million Elephants), which was
founded in the 14th century by a Lao prince Fa Ngum,[30]:223 who, with
10,000 Khmer troops, took over Vientiane.[citation needed] Ngum was descended from a long
line of Lao kings that traced back to Khoun Boulom.[citation needed] He made Theravada
Buddhism the state religion and Lan Xang prospered. Within 20 years of its formation,
the kingdom expanded eastward to Champa and along the Annamite mountains in
Vietnam.[citation needed] His ministers, unable to tolerate his ruthlessness, forced him into
exile to the present-day Thai province of Nan in 1373,[31] where he died.[citation needed] Fa
Ngum's eldest son, Oun Heuan, ascended to the throne under the name Samsenthai and
reigned for 43 years.[citation needed] Lan Xang became an important trade centre during
Samsenthai's reign, but after his death in 1421 it collapsed into warring factions for 100
years.[citation needed]

In 1520, Photisarath came to the throne and moved the capital from Luang Prabang to
Vientiane to avoid a Burmese invasion.[citation needed]Settathirath became king in 1548, after
his father was killed, and ordered the construction of what became the symbol of
Laos, That Luang.[citation needed] Settathirath disappeared in the mountains on his way back
from a military expedition into Cambodia and Lan Xang began to rapidly decline.[citation
needed]

It was not until 1637, when Souligna Vongsa ascended the throne, that Lan Xang further
expanded its frontiers.[citation needed] His reign is often regarded as Laos's golden age.[citation
needed] When he died without an heir, the kingdom split into three principalities.[citation

needed] Between 1763 and 1769, Burmese armies overran northern Laos and

annexed Luang Phrabang, while Champasak eventually came

under Siamesesuzerainty.[citation needed]

Chao Anouvong was installed as a vassal king of Vientiane by the Siamese. He

encouraged a renaissance of Lao fine arts and literature and improved relations with
Luang Phrabang.[citation needed] Under Vietnamese pressure, he rebelled against the Siamese
in 1826.[citation needed] The rebellion failed and Vientiane was ransacked.[32] Anouvong was
taken to Bangkok as a prisoner, where he died.[citation needed]

A Siamese military campaign in Laos in 1876 was described by a British observer as

having been "transformed into slave-hunting raids on a large scale".[33]

French Laos (1893–1953)[edit]

Main articles: French Protectorate of Laos and First Indochina War

Local Lao soldiers in the French Colonial guard, c. 1900

In the late 19th century, Luang Prabang was ransacked by the Chinese Black Flag
Army.[34] France rescued King Oun Kham and added Luang Phrabang to the
Protectorate of French Indochina.[citation needed] Shortly after, the Kingdom of
Champasak and the territory of Vientiane were added to the protectorate.
King Sisavang Vong of Luang Phrabang became ruler of a unified Laos and Vientiane
once again became the capital.[citation needed]

Laos never had any importance for France[35] other than as a buffer state between
Thailand and the more economically important Annamand Tonkin. During their rule,
the French introduced the corvée, a system that forced every male Lao to contribute
10 days of manual labour per year to the colonial government.[citation needed] Laos
produced tin, rubber, and coffee, but never accounted for more than one percent of
French Indochina's exports. By 1940, around 600 French citizens lived in Laos.[36] Under
the French rule, the Vietnamese were encouraged to migrate to Laos, which was seen by
the French colonists as a rational solution to a practical problem within the confines of
an Indochina-wide colonial space.[37] By 1943, the Vietnamese population stood at
nearly 40,000, forming the majority in the largest cities of Laos and enjoying the right to
elect their own leaders.[38] As a result, 53% of the population of Vientiane, 85%
of Thakhek and 62% of Pakse were Vietnamese, with only an exception of Luang
Prabang where the population was predominantly Lao.[38] As late as 1945, the French
even drew up an ambitious plan to move massive Vietnamese population to three key
areas, i.e. the Vientiane Plain, Savannakhet region, Bolaven Plateau, which was only
discarded by Japanese invasion of Indochina.[38] Otherwise, according to Martin Stuart-
Fox, the Lao might well have lost control over their own country.[38]

During World War II in Laos, Vichy France, Thailand, Imperial Japan and Free
France occupied Laos.[citation needed] On 9 March 1945, a nationalist group declared Laos
once more independent, with Luang Prabang as its capital but on 7 April 1945 two
battalions of Japanese troops occupied the city.[39] The Japanese attempted to
force Sisavang Vong (the King of Luang Phrabang) to declare Laotian independence but
on 8 April he instead simply declared an end to Laos's status as a French
protectorate.[citation needed] The King then secretly sent Prince Kindavong to represent Laos
to the Allied forces and Prince Sisavang as representative to the Japanese.[39] When
Japan surrendered, some Lao nationalists (including Prince Phetsarath) declared
Laotian independence, but by early 1946, French troops had reoccupied the country and
conferred limited autonomy on Laos.[citation needed]

During the First Indochina War, the Indochinese Communist Party formed the Pathet
Lao independence organisation.[citation needed] The Pathet Lao began a war against the
French Colonial forces with the aid of the Vietnamese independence organisation
(the Viet Minh).[citation needed] In 1950 the French were forced to give Laos semi-autonomy
as an "associated state" within the French Union.[citation needed] France remained in de facto
control until 22 October 1953, when Laos gained full independence as a constitutional
monarchy.[citation needed]

Independence and Communist rule (1953–present)[edit]

Main articles: History of Laos since 1945, Kingdom of Laos, and Laotian Civil War
French General Salan and Prince Sisavang Vatthana in Luang Prabang, 4 May 1953

The First Indochina War took place across French Indochina and eventually led to
French defeat and the signing of a peace accord for Laos at the Geneva Conference of
1954.[citation needed] In 1955, the US Department of Defense created a special Programs
Evaluation Office to replace French support of the Royal Lao Army against
the communist Pathet Lao as part of the US containment policy.[citation needed]

In 1960, amidst a series of rebellions in the Kingdom of Laos, fighting broke out
between the Royal Lao Army and the communist North Vietnam-backed, and Soviet
Union-backed Pathet Lao guerillas.[citation needed] A second Provisional Government of
National Unity formed by Prince Souvanna Phouma in 1962 was unsuccessful, and the
situation steadily deteriorated into large scale civil war between the Royal Laotian
government and the Pathet Lao. The Pathet Lao were backed militarily by
the NVA and Vietcong.[citation needed]

Ruins of Muang Khoun, former capital of Xiangkhouang province, destroyed by

the American bombing of Laos in the late 1960s

Laos was a key part of the Vietnam War since parts of Laos were invaded and occupied
by North Vietnam for use as a supply route for its war against the South.[citation needed] In
response, the United States initiated a bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese
positions, supported regular and irregular anticommunist forces in Laos and
supported South Vietnamese incursions into Laos.[citation needed]

In 1968 the North Vietnamese Army launched a multi-division attack to help the Pathet
Lao to fight the Royal Lao Army.[citation needed] The attack resulted in the army largely
demobilising, leaving the conflict to irregular ethnic Hmong forces of the "U.S. Secret
Army" backed by the United States and Thailand, and led by General Vang Pao.[citation
needed]

Massive aerial bombardment against the Pathet Lao and invading People's Army of
Vietnam forces were carried out by the United States to prevent the collapse of the
Royal Kingdom of Laos central government, and to deny the use of the Ho Chi Minh
Trail to attack US forces in the Republic of Vietnam.[citation needed] Between 1964 and 1973,
the U.S. dropped two million tons of bombs on Laos, nearly equal to the 2.1 million tons
of bombs the U.S. dropped on Europe and Asia during all of World War II, making
Laos the most heavily bombed country in history relative to the size of its
population; The New York Times noted this was "nearly a ton for every person in
Laos".[40] Some 80 million bombs failed to explode and remain scattered throughout the
country, rendering vast swathes of land impossible to cultivate and killing or maiming
approximately 50 Laotians every year.[41] Due to the particularly heavy impact of cluster
bombs during this war, Laos was a strong advocate of the Convention on Cluster
Munitions to ban the weapons, and was host to the First Meeting of States Parties to the
convention in November 2010.[42]

Pathet Lao soldiers in Vientiane, 1972

In 1975 the Pathet Lao, along with the Vietnam People's Army, and backed by the
Soviet Union, overthrew the royalist Lao government, forcing King Savang Vatthana to
abdicate on 2 December 1975.[citation needed] He later died in prison.[citation needed] Between
20,000 and 62,000 Laotians died during the Civil War.[43]
On 2 December 1975, after taking control of the country, the Pathet Lao government
under Kaysone Phomvihane renamed the country as the Lao People's Democratic
Republic and signed agreements giving Vietnam the right to station armed forces and to
appoint advisers to assist in overseeing the country.[citation needed] The close ties between
Laos and Vietnam were formalized via a treaty signed in 1977, which has since
provided not only directions for Lao foreign policy, but also the basis for Vietnamese
involvement at all levels of Lao political and economic life.[44] Laos was requested in
1979 by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to end relations with the People's Republic of
China, leading to isolation in trade by China, the United States, and other
countries.[45] In 1979 there were 50,000 Vietnamese troops stationed in Laos and as many
as 6,000 civilian Vietnamese officials including 1,000 directly attached to the ministries
in Vientiane.[46][47]

The conflict between Hmong rebels and the Vietnam People's Army of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam, as well as the Vietnamese-backed Pathet Lao continued in key
areas of Laos, including in Saysaboune Closed Military Zone, Xaisamboune Closed
Military Zone near Vientiane Province and Xieng Khouang Province.[citation needed] From
1975 to 1996, the United States resettled some 250,000 Lao refugees from Thailand,
including 130,000 Hmong[48] (see: Indochina refugee crisis).

On 2 December 2015, Laos celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the
republic.[49]

Geography[edit]

Main article: Geography of Laos

Mekong River flowing through Luang Prabang

Paddy fields in Laos

Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, and it lies mostly between
latitudes 14° and 23°N (a small area is south of 14°), and longitudes 100° and 108°E. Its
thickly forested landscape consists mostly of rugged mountains, the highest of which
is Phou Bia at 2,818 metres (9,245 ft), with some plains and plateaus.[citation needed] The
Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand, where the
mountains of the Annamite Range form most of the eastern border with Vietnam and
the Luang Prabang Range the northwestern border with the Thai highlands.[citation
needed] There are two plateau, the Xiangkhoang in the north and the Bolaven Plateau at

the southern end.[citation needed] The climate is tropical and influenced by

the monsoon pattern.[50]

There is a distinct rainy season from May to November, followed by a dry season from
December to April.[citation needed] Local tradition holds that there are three seasons (rainy,
cold and hot) as the latter two months of the climatologically defined dry season are
noticeably hotter than the earlier four months.[citation needed] The capital and largest city of
Laos is Vientiane and other major cities include Luang Prabang, Savannakhet,
and Pakse.[citation needed]

In 1993 the Laos government set aside 21 percent of the nation's land area for habitat
conservation preservation.[51] The country is one of four in the opium poppy growing
region known as the "Golden Triangle".[52] According to the October 2007 UNODC fact
book Opium Poppy Cultivation in South East Asia, the poppy cultivation area was 15
square kilometres (5.8 sq mi), down from 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi) in 2006.[citation
needed]

Laos can be considered to consist of three geographical areas: north, central, and
south.[53]

Climate[edit]
Laos map of Köppen climate classification.

Laos has a mostly tropical savanna climate. A tropical monsoon and humid sub-tropical
climate also occurs in places.[citation needed] Laos is vulnerable to climate change and almost
all provinces in the country are "at high risk from climate change."[54]

Administrative divisions[edit]

Main article: Administrative divisions of Laos

Laos is divided into 17 provinces (khoueng) and one prefecture (kampheng nakhon), which
includes the capital city Vientiane (Nakhon Louang Viangchan).[55] The new
province, Xaisomboun Province, was established on 13 December 2013.[56] Provinces are
further divided into districts (muang) and then villages (ban).[citation needed] An "urban"
village is essentially a town.[53]

Ar
ea
N Subdiv Popul
Capital (k
o. isions ation
m2
)

Attapeu (Samakk 10,32

1 Attapeu 114,300 An updated map of the Laos
hixay District) 0
provinces (from 2014)
Ban
2 Bokeo Houayxay (Houa 6,196 149,700
yxay District)

Bolikham Paksan (Paksane 14,86

3 214,900
sai District) 3
 Champas Pakse (Pakse 15,41
4 575,600
ak District) 5

Xam
16,50
5 Hua Phan Neua (Xamneua 322,200
0
District)

Khammo Thakhek (Thakhe 16,31

6 358,800
uane k District) 5

Luang
Luang
7 Namtha (Namth 9,325 150,100
Namtha
a District)

Luang
Luang 16,87
8 Prabang (Louang 408,800
Prabang 5
prabang District)

Oudomxa Muang Xay (Xay 15,37

9 275,300
y District) 0

Phongsali (Phon 16,27

10 Phongsali 199,900
gsaly District) 0

Sayaboul Sayabouly (Xaya 16,38

11 382,200
y bury District) 9

Salavan (Salavan 10,69

12 Salavan 336,600
District) 1

Savannakhet (Kh
Savannak 21,77
13 anthabouly 721,500
het 4
District)

Sekong (Lamarm
14 Sekong 7,665 83,600
District)
 Vientiane
Vientiane (Chant
15 Prefectur 3,920 726,000
habouly District)
e

Vientiane Phonhong (Phon 15,92

16 373,700
Province hong District) 7

Xieng Phonsavan (Pek 15,88

17 229,521
Khouang District) 0

Xaisombo
Anouvong (Ano
18 un 8,300 82,000
uvong District)
Province

Government and politics[edit]

Main articles: Politics of Laos and Foreign relations of Laos

Bounnhang Vorachith
General Secretary and President
Thongloun Sisoulith
Prime Minister

The Lao People's Democratic Republic is one of the world's only socialist states openly
endorsing communism.[citation needed] The only legal political party is the Lao People's
Revolutionary Party (LPRP).[57] The head of state is President Bounnhang Vorachith,
also General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.[citation needed]

The head of government is Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, who is also a member
of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party's Politburo.[citation needed] Government policies are
determined by the party through the all-powerful eleven-member Politburo of the Lao
People's Revolutionary Party and the 61-member Central Committee of the Lao People's
Revolutionary Party.[citation needed] Important government decisions are vetted by the
Council of Ministers.[citation needed]

Laos's first, French-written and monarchical constitution was promulgated on 11 May

1947, and declared Laos an independent state within the French Union.[citation needed] The
revised constitution of 11 May 1957 omitted reference to the French Union, though close
educational, health and technical ties with the former colonial power persisted.[citation
needed] The 1957 document was abrogated on 3 December 1975, when a communist

People's Republic was proclaimed.[citation needed] A new constitution was adopted in 1991
and enshrined a "leading role" for the LPRP.[citation needed] In 1990, deputy minister for
science & technology Thongsouk Saysangkhiresigned from the government and party,
calling for political reform.[citation needed] He died in captivity in 1998.[58]

Flag of the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party

In 1992 elections were held for a new 85-seat National Assembly with members,
nominated by the one-party communist government, elected by secret ballot to five-
year terms.[citation needed] The elections were widely disputed and questioned by Lao and
Hmong opposition and dissident groups abroad and in Laos and Thailand.[citation
needed] This National Assembly, which essentially acts as a rubber stamp for the LPRP,

approves all new laws, although the executive branch retains authority to issue binding
decrees.[citation needed] The most recent elections took place in April 2011.[citation needed] The
assembly was expanded to 99 members in 1997, to 115 members in 2006 and finally to
132 members during the 2011 elections.[citation needed]

Military[edit]

Main article: Lao People's Army

On 17 May 2014 the Defense Minister, who was also Deputy Prime Minister, Major
General Douangchay Phichit, with other top ranking officials was killed in a plane crash
in the north of the country.[59] The officials were to participate in a ceremony to mark
the liberation of the Plain of Jars from the former Royal Lao government forces.[60] Their
Russian-built Antonov AN 74–300 with 20 people on board crashed in Xieng Khouang
province.[61]

Hmong conflict[edit]

Some Hmong groups fought as CIA-backed units on the royalist side in the Laotian
Civil War.[citation needed] After the Pathet Lao took over the country in 1975, the conflict
continued in isolated pockets.[citation needed] In 1977, a communist newspaper promised the
party would hunt down the "American collaborators" and their families "to the last
root".[62]

As many as 200,000 Hmong went into exile in Thailand, with many ending up in the
US.[citation needed] A number of Hmong fighters hid out in mountains in Xiangkhouang
Province for many years, with a remnant emerging from the jungle in 2003.[62]

In 1989, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with the
support of the US government, instituted the Comprehensive Plan of Action, a
programme to stem the tide of Indochinese refugees from Laos, Vietnam, and
Cambodia.[citation needed] Under the plan, refugee status was evaluated through a screening
process.[citation needed]Recognized asylum seekers were given resettlement opportunities,
while the remaining refugees were to be repatriated under guarantee of safety.[citation
needed]
Hmong girls in Laos, 1973

After talks with the UNHCR and the Thai government, Laos agreed to repatriate the
60,000 Lao refugees living in Thailand, including several thousand Hmong people.[citation
needed] Very few of the Lao refugees, however, were willing to return

voluntarily.[63] Pressure to resettle the refugees grew as the Thai government worked to
close its remaining refugee camps.[citation needed] While some Hmong people returned to
Laos voluntarily, with development assistance from UNHCR, allegations of forced
repatriation surfaced.[64] Of those Hmong who did return to Laos, some quickly escaped
back to Thailand, describing discrimination and brutal treatment at the hands of Lao
authorities.[65]

In 1993, Vue Mai, a former Hmong soldier and leader of the largest Hmong refugee
camp in Thailand, who had been recruited by the US Embassy in Bangkok to return to
Laos as proof of the repatriation programme's success, disappeared in Vientiane.[citation
needed] According to the US Committee for Refugees, he was arrested by Lao security

forces and was never seen again.[66]

Following the Vue Mai incident, debate over the Hmong's planned repatriation to Laos
intensified greatly, especially in the United States, where it drew strong opposition
from many American conservatives and some human rights advocates.[citation needed] In a
23 October 1995 National Reviewarticle, Michael Johns, the former Heritage
Foundation foreign policy expert and Republican White House aide, labelled the
Hmong's repatriation a Clinton administration "betrayal", describing the Hmong as a
people "who have spilled their blood in defense of American geopolitical
interests".[67]Debate on the issue escalated quickly.[citation needed] In an effort to halt the
planned repatriation, the Republican-led US Senate and House of Representatives both
appropriated funds for the remaining Thailand-based Hmong to be immediately
resettled in the United States; Clinton, however, responded by promising a veto of the
legislation.[citation needed]

In their opposition of the repatriation plans, Democratic and Republican Members of

Congress challenged the Clinton administration's position that the government of Laos
was not systematically violating Hmong human rights.[citation needed] US
Representative Steve Gunderson (R-WI), for instance, told a Hmong gathering: "I do not
enjoy standing up and saying to my government that you are not telling the truth, but if
that is necessary to defend truth and justice, I will do that."[67] Republicans called
several Congressional hearings on alleged persecution of the Hmong in Laos in an
apparent attempt to generate further support for their opposition to the Hmong's
repatriation to Laos.[citation needed] Democratic Congressman Bruce Vento, Senator Paul
Wellstone, Dana Rohrabacher and others also raised concerns.[citation needed]

Although some accusations of forced repatriation were denied,[68] thousands of Hmong

people refused to return to Laos.[citation needed] In 1996 as the deadline for the closure of
Thai refugee camps approached, and under mounting political pressure, the United
States agreed to resettle Hmong refugees who passed a new screening
process.[69] Around 5,000 Hmong people who were not resettled at the time of the camp
closures sought asylum at Wat Tham Krabok, a Buddhist monastery in central Thailand
where more than 10,000 Hmong refugees had already been living.[citation needed] The Thai
government attempted to repatriate these refugees, but the Wat Tham Krabok Hmong
refused to leave and the Lao government refused to accept them, claiming they were
involved in the illegal drug trade and were of non-Lao origin.[70]

Following threats of forcible removal by the Thai government, the United States, in a
significant victory for the Hmong, agreed to accept 15,000 of the refugees in
2003.[71] Several thousand Hmong people, fearing forced repatriation to Laos if they
were not accepted for resettlement in the United States, fled the camp to live elsewhere
within Thailand where a sizeable Hmong population has been present since the 19th
century.[72]

In 2004 and 2005, thousands of Hmong fled from the jungles of Laos to a temporary
refugee camp in the Thai province of Phetchabun.[73] These Hmong refugees, many of
whom are descendants of the former-CIA Secret Army and their relatives, claim that
they have been attacked by both the Lao and Vietnamese military forces operating
inside Laos as recently as June 2006.[citation needed] The refugees claim that attacks against
them have continued almost unabated since the war officially ended in 1975, and have
become more intense in recent years.[citation needed]
Lending further support to earlier claims that the government of Laos was persecuting
the Hmong, filmmaker Rebecca Sommer documented first-hand accounts in her
documentary, Hunted Like Animals,[74] and in a comprehensive report that includes
summaries of refugee claims and was submitted to the UN in May 2006.[75]

The European Union,[76] UNHCHR, and international groups have since spoken out
about the forced repatriation.[76][77][78][79] The Thai foreign ministry has said that it will
halt deportation of Hmong refugees held in Detention Centres in Nong Khai, while
talks are underway to resettle them in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the
United States.[80]

For the time being, countries willing to resettle the refugees are hindered in their
immigration and settlement procedures because the Thai administration does not grant
them access to the refugees.[citation needed] Plans to resettle additional Hmong refugees in
the United States have been complicated by provisions of President George W.
Bush's Patriot Act and Real ID Act, under which Hmong veterans of the Secret War,
who fought on the side of the United States, are classified as terrorists because of their
historical involvement in armed conflict.[81]

On 27 December 2009, The New York Times reported that the Thai military was
preparing to forcibly return 4,000 Hmong asylum seekers to Laos by the end of the
year.[82] The BBC later reported that repatriations had started.[83] Both United States and
United Nations officials have protested this action.[citation needed] Outside government
representatives have not been allowed to interview this group over the last three
years.[citation needed] Médecins Sans Frontières has refused to assist the Hmong refugees
because of what they have called "increasingly restrictive measures" taken by the Thai
military.[84] The Thai military jammed all cellular phone reception and disallowed any
foreign journalists from the Hmong camps.[83]

Human rights[edit]

Main article: Human rights in Laos

Human rights violations remain a significant concern in Laos.[85][86] Prominent civil

society advocates, human rights defenders, political and religious dissidents, and
Hmong refugees have disappeared at the hands of Lao military and security forces.[87]

Ostensibly, the Constitution of Laos that was promulgated in 1991, and amended in
2003, contains most key safeguards for human rights.[citation needed] For example, Article 8
makes it clear that Laos is a multinational state and is committed to equality between
ethnic groups.[citation needed] The Constitution also contains provisions for gender
equality, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of press and
assembly.[citation needed] On 25 September 2009, Laos ratified the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, nine years after signing the treaty.[citation needed] The stated policy
objectives of both the Lao government and international donors remain focused upon
achieving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.[88][89]

However, the government of Laos frequently breaches its own constitution and the rule
of law, since the judiciary and judges are appointed by the ruling communist party—
an independent judicial branch does not exist.[citation needed] According to independent non-
profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Amnesty
International,[90] Human Rights Watch,[91] and Civil Rights Defenders,[92] along with the
U.S. State Department,[93] serious human rights violations such as arbitrary detentions,
disappearances, free speech restrictions, prison abuses and other violations are an
ongoing problem.[citation needed]

Amnesty International raised concerns about the ratification record of the Lao
government on human rights standards, and its lack of co-operation with the UN
human rights mechanisms and legislative measures—both impact negatively upon
human rights.[86] The organisation also raised concerns in relation to freedom of
expression, poor prison conditions, restrictions on freedom of religions, protection of
refugees and asylum-seekers, and the death penalty.[90]

In October 1999, 30 young people were arrested for attempting to display posters
calling for peaceful economic, political and social change in Laos.[citation needed] Five of
them were arrested and subsequently sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment on
charges of treason.[citation needed] One has since died due to his treatment by prison guards,
while one has been released.[citation needed] The surviving three men should have been
released by October 2009, but their whereabouts remain unknown.[90] Later reports have
contradicted this, claiming they were sentenced to 20 years in prison.[94] In late February
2017, two of those imprisoned were finally released after 17 years.[95]

Laos and Vietnamese (SRV) troops were reported to have raped and killed four
Christian Hmong women in Xiangkhouang Province in 2011,[citation needed] according to the
US-based non-governmental public policy research organization The Centre for Public
Policy Analysis.[citation needed][clarification needed] CPPA also said other Christian and independent
Buddhist and animist believers were being persecuted.[96][97]

The Centre for Public Policy Analysis, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US
Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Lao Veterans of America, Inc. and
other non-governmental organisations (NGO)s have reported egregious human rights
violations, religious persecution, the arrest and imprisonment of political and religious
dissidents as well as extrajudicial killings, in Laos by government military and security
forces.[98] Human rights advocates including Vang Pobzeb, Kerry and Kay Danes and
others have also raised concerns about human rights violations, torture, the arrest and
detention of political prisoners as well as the detention of foreign prisoners in Laos
including at the infamous Phonthong Prison in Vientiane.[citation needed] Concerns have
been raised about the high-profile abduction of Laotian civic activist and Lao PDR's
only living Ramon Magsaysay Awardlaureate Sombath Somphone by Lao security
forces and police on 15 December 2012.[citation needed]

In The Economist's Democracy Index 2016 Laos was classified as an "authoritarian

regime", ranking lowest of the nine ASEAN nations included in the study.[99][100]

Foreign relations[edit]

Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulithwith Indian Prime Minister Narendra

Modi and ASEAN heads of state in New Delhi on 25 January 2018

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this
section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced
material may be challenged and removed. (January 2019) (Learn
how and when to remove this template message)

The foreign relations of Laos after the takeover by the Pathet Lao in December 1975,
were characterized by a hostile posture toward the West, with the government of the
Lao People's Democratic Republic aligning itself with the Soviet Bloc, maintaining close
ties with the Soviet Union and depending heavily on the Soviets for most of its foreign
assistance.[citation needed] Laos also maintained a "special relationship" with Vietnam and
formalized a 1977 treaty of friendship and cooperation that created tensions with
China.[citation needed]

With the fall of the Soviet Union and with Vietnam's decreased ability to provide
assistance, Laos has sought to improve relations with its regional neighbours.[citation needed]

Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulithwith Russian President Vladimir Putinin 2016

Laos's emergence from international isolation has been marked through improved and
expanded relations with other nations such as Pakistan, Saudi
Arabia, China, Turkey, Australia, France, Japan, and Sweden.[101][citation needed] Trade
relations with the United States were normalized in November 2004 through Congress
approved legislation.[102]

Laos was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July
1997 and acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2016.[103] In 2005 it attended the
inaugural East Asia Summit.[104]

Economy[edit]

Main article: Economy of Laos

This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to

reflect recent events or newly available information. (January
2019)

About 80% of the Laotian population practises subsistence agriculture.[citation needed]

The Lao economy depends heavily on investment and trade with its neighbors,
Thailand, Vietnam, and, especially in the north, China.[citation needed] Pakxe has also
experienced growth based on cross-border trade with Thailand and Vietnam.[citation
needed] In 2009, despite the fact that the government is still officially communist, the

Obama administration in the US declared Laos was no longer a Marxist–Leninist state

and lifted bans on Laotian companies receiving financing from the US Export-Import
Bank.[105] In 2011, the Lao Securities Exchange began trading.[citation needed] In 2012, the
government initiated the creation of the Laos Trade Portal, a website incorporating all
information traders need to import and export goods into the country.[citation needed]

In 2016, China was the biggest foreign investor in Laos's economy, having invested in
US$5.395 billion since 1989, according to Laos Ministry of Planning and Investment
1989–2014 report.[citation needed] Thailand (invested US$4.489 billion) and Vietnam (invested
US$3.108 billion) are the second and third largest investors respectively.[106]
Subsistence agriculture still accounts for half of the GDP and provides 80 percent of
employment.[citation needed] Only 4.01 percent of the country is arable land, and a mere 0.34
percent used as permanent crop land,[107] the lowest percentage in the Greater Mekong
Subregion.[108] The irrigated areas under cultivation account for only 28% of the total
area under cultivation which, in turn, represents only 12% of all of the agricultural land
in 2012.[109] Rice dominates agriculture, with about 80 percent of the arable land area
used for growing rice.[110] Approximately 77 percent of Lao farm households are self-
sufficient in rice.[111]

Through the development, release and widespread adoption of improved rice varieties,
and through economic reforms, production has increased by an annual rate of five
percent between 1990 and 2005,[112] and Lao PDR achieved a net balance of rice imports
and exports for the first time in 1999.[113] Lao PDR may have the greatest number of rice
varieties in the Greater Mekong Subregion.[citation needed] Since 1995 the Lao government
has been working with the International Rice Research Institute of the Philippines to
collect seed samples of each of the thousands of rice varieties found in Laos.[114]

Morning market in Vientiane

The economy receives development aid from the IMF, ADB, and other international
sources; and also foreign direct investment for development of the society,
industry, hydropower and mining (most notably of copper and gold).[citation
needed] Tourism is the fastest-growing industry in the country.[citation needed] Economic

development in Laos has been hampered by brain drain, with a skilled emigration rate
of 37.4 percent in 2000.[115]

Laos is rich in mineral resources and imports petroleum and gas.[citation

needed] Metallurgy is an important industry, and the government hopes to attract foreign

investment to develop the substantial deposits of coal, gold, bauxite, tin, copper, and
other valuable metals.[citation needed] In addition, the country's plentiful water resources and
mountainous terrain enable it to produce and export large quantities of hydroelectric
energy.[citation needed] Of the potential capacity of approximately 18,000 megawatts, around
8,000 megawatts have been committed for exporting to Thailand and Vietnam.[116]

The country's most widely recognised product may well be Beerlao, which is exported
to many developed countries around the world such as the US, Britain, Germany,
Japan, South Korea, and neighbours Cambodia and Vietnam.[citation needed] It is produced
by the Lao Brewery Company.

The mining industry of Laos has received prominent attention with foreign direct
investments.[citation needed] This sector, since 2003–04, has made significant contributions to
the economic condition of Laos.[citation needed] More than 540 mineral deposits of gold,
copper, zinc, lead and other minerals have been identified, explored and mined.[117]

In 2018, the country ranked 139th on the Human Development Index (HDI), indicating
medium development.[118] According to the Global Hunger Index (2018), Laos ranks as
the 36th hungriest nation in the world out of the list of the 52 nations with the worst
hunger situation(s).[119]

In 2019, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights conducted an
official visit to Laos, and found that the country's top-down approach to economic
growth and poverty alleviation "is all too often counterproductive, leading to
impoverishment and jeopardizing the rights of the poor and marginalised."[120]

In March 2019 the government of Laos announced an interest in permitting cannabis to

be used for medicinal purposes. The Prime Minister's Office issued an announcement
entrusting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Health
and other sectors to organize a seminar to discuss and study the medical use of
cannabis. Outcomes of the seminar discussion will be reported to the government as a
reference for a subsequent decision.[121]

Tourism[edit]

Main article: Tourism in Laos

Near the sanctuary on the main upper level of Vat Phou, looking back towards
the Mekong River

The tourism sector has grown rapidly, from 80,000 international visitors in 1990, to
1.876 million in 2010.[122] Tourism is expected to contribute US$679.1 million to the gross
national product in 2010, rising to US$1.5857 billion by 2020.[citation needed] In 2010, one in
every 10.9 jobs was in the tourism sector.[citation needed] Export earnings from international
visitors and tourism goods are expected to generate 15.5 percent of total exports or
US$270.3 million in 2010, growing in nominal terms to US$484.2 million (12.5 percent of
the total) in 2020.[123]

The official tourism slogan is "Simply Beautiful".[citation needed] The main attractions for
tourists include Buddhist culture and colonial architecture in Luang Prabang;
gastronomy and ancient temples in the capital of Vientiane; backpacking in Muang
Ngoi Neua and Vang Vieng; ancient and modern culture and history in the Plain of
Jars region (main article: Phonsavan); Laos Civil War history in Sam Neua; trekking and
visiting hill tribes in a number of areas including Phongsaly and Luang Namtha;
spotting tigers and other wildlife in Nam Et-Phou Louey; caves and waterfalls
near Thakhek; relaxation, the Irrawaddy dolphin and Khone Phapheng Falls at Si Phan
Don or, as they are known in English, the Four Thousand Islands; Vat Phou, an
ancient Khmer temple complex; and the Bolaven Plateau for waterfalls and coffee.[citation
needed] The European Council on Trade and Tourism awarded the country the "World

Best Tourist Destination" designation for 2013 for this combination of architecture and
history.[124]

Luang Prabang and Vat Phou are both UNESCO World Heritage sites, with the Plain of
Jars expected to join them once more work to clear UXO has been completed.[citation
needed]Major festivals include Lao New Year celebrated around 13–15 April and involves

a water festival similar but more subdued than that of Thailand and other Southeast
Asian countries.

The Lao National Tourism Administration, related government agencies and the private
sector are working together to realize the vision put forth in the country's National
Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan.[citation needed] This includes decreasing the
environmental and cultural impact of tourism; increasing awareness in the importance
of ethnic groups and biological diversity; providing a source of income to conserve,
sustain and manage the Lao protected area network and cultural heritage sites; and
emphasizing the need for tourism zoning and management plans for sites that will be
developed as ecotourism destinations.[125]
Laos is known for silk and local handicraft products, which are on display in Luang
Prabang's night market, among other places.[citation needed] Another specialty is mulberry
tea.

Infrastructure[edit]

Main articles: Transport in Laos and Telecommunications in Laos

Rivers are an important means of transport in Laos.

The main international airports are Vientiane's Wattay International Airport and Luang
Prabang International Airport with Pakse International Airport also having a few
international flights.[citation needed] The national carrier is Lao Airlines.[citation needed] Other
carriers serving the country include Bangkok Airways, Vietnam Airlines, AirAsia, Thai
Airways International, China Eastern Airlines and Silk Air.

Much of Laos lacks adequate infrastructure.[citation needed] Laos has no railways, except a
short link to connect Vientiane with Thailand over the Thai–Lao Friendship
Bridge.[citation needed] A short portage railway, the Don Det—Don Khon narrow gauge
railway was built by the French in Champasak Province but has been closed since the
1940s.[citation needed] In the late 1920s, work began on the Thakhek–Tan Ap railway that
would have run between Thakhek, Khammouane Province and Tân Ấp Railway
Station, Quảng Bình Province, Vietnam through the Mụ Giạ Pass.[citation needed] The scheme
was aborted in the 1930s.[citation needed] The major roads connecting the major urban
centres, in particular Route 13, have been significantly upgraded in recent years, but
villages far from major roads can be reached only through unpaved roads that may not
be accessible year-round.

There is limited external and internal telecommunication, but mobile phones have
become widespread in urban centres.[citation needed] In many rural areas electricity is at least
partly available.[citation needed] Songthaews (pick-up trucks with benches) are used in the
country for long-distance and local public transport.
Laos has made particularly noteworthy progress increasing access to sanitation and has
already met its 2015 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target.[126] Laos's
predominantly rural (68 percent, source: Department of Statistics, Ministry of Planning
and Investment, 2009) population makes investing in sanitation difficult.[citation needed] In
1990 only eight percent of the rural population had access to improved
sanitation.[126] Access rose rapidly from 10 percent in 1995 to 38 percent in 2008.[citation
needed] Between 1995 and 2008 approximately 1,232,900 more people had access to

improved sanitation in rural areas.[126]

Laos's progress is notable in comparison to similar developing countries.[126] This

success is in part due to small-scale independent providers emerging in a spontaneous
manner or having been promoted by public authorities.[citation needed] The authorities in
Laos have recently developed an innovative regulatory framework for Public–Private
partnership contracts signed with small enterprises, in parallel with more conventional
regulation of State-owned water enterprises.[127]

Water supply[edit]

Main article: Water supply and sanitation in Laos

According to the World Bank data conducted in 2014, Laos has met the Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) targets on water and sanitation regarding UNICEF/WHO
Joint Monitoring Programme.[citation needed] However, as of today, there are approximately
1.9 million Lao population could not access to improved water supply and 2.4 million
people without access to improved sanitation due to a large inequalities access between
areas that are close to good roads and remote inaccessible locations.[128]

Demographics[edit]

Main article: Demographics of Laos

The term "Laotian" does not necessarily refer to the Lao language, ethnic Lao people,
language or customs.[citation needed] It is a political term that includes the non-ethnic Lao
groups within Laos and identifies them as "Laotian" because of their political
citizenship.[citation needed] Laos has the youngest population of any country in Asia with a
median age of 21.6 years.

Laos's population was estimated at 7.23 million in 2018, dispersed unevenly across the
country.[129] Most people live in valleys of the Mekong River and its tributaries.[citation
needed]Vientiane prefecture, the capital and largest city, had about 740,010 residents in

2008.[citation needed]
 v

Largest cities or towns in Laos

http://www.geonames.org/LA/largest-cities-in-laos.html

Rank Name Province

1 Vientiane Vientiane

2 Pakxe Champasak

3 Savannakhet Savannakhet

4 Luang Prabang Luang Prabang

Vientiane 5 Xam Neua Houaphanh

6 Phonsavan Xianghouang

Pakxe 7 Thakhek Khammouane

8 Muang Xai Oudomxay

9 Vang Vieng Vientiane

10 Muang Pakxan Bolikhamsai

Ethnicity[edit]

Main article: Demographics of Laos

The people of Laos are often considered by their altitudinal distribution (lowlands,
midlands and upper high lands) as this approximates ethnic groups.

Lao Loum (lowland people)[edit]

More than half of the nation's population is ethnic Lao—the principal lowland
inhabitants, and the politically and culturally dominant people of Laos.[130] The Lao
belong to the Tailinguistic group[131] who began migrating southward from China in the
first millennium CE.[132] Ten percent belong to other "lowland" groups, which together
with the Lao people make up the Lao Loum.[130]

Lao Theung (midland people)[edit]

In the central and southern mountains, Mon-Khmer tribes, known as Lao Theung or
mid-slope Laotians, predominate.[citation needed] Other terms are Khmu, Khamu (Kammu)
or Kha as the Lao Loum refer to them as indicating their Austroasiatic origins.[citation
needed] However, the latter is considered pejorative, meaning 'slave'.[citation needed] They were

the indigenous inhabitants of northern Laos.[citation

needed] Some Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai minorities remain, particularly in the towns,

but many left after independence in the late 1940s, many of whom relocated either
to Vietnam, Hong Kong, or to France.[citation needed] Lao Theung constitute about 30 percent
of the population.[133]

Lao Soung (highland people)[edit]

Hill people and minority cultures of Laos such as the Hmong, Yao (Mien), Dao, Shan,
and several Tibeto-Burman speaking peoples have lived in isolated regions of Laos for
many years.[citation needed] Mountain/hill tribes of mixed ethno/cultural-linguistic heritage
are found in northern Laos, which include the Lua and Khmu people who are
indigenous to Laos.[citation needed] Today, the Lua people are considered endangered.[citation
needed] Collectively, they are known as Lao Soung or highland Laotians.[citation needed] Lao

Soung account for only about 10 percent of the population.[134]

Languages[edit]

The official and dominant language is Lao, a tonal language of the Tai linguistic
group.[citation needed] However, only slightly more than half of the population speaks Lao
natively.[citation needed] The remainder, particularly in rural areas, speak ethnic minority
languages.[citation needed] The Lao alphabet, which evolved sometime between the 13th and
14th centuries, was derived from the ancient Khmer script and is very similar to Thai,
and easily understood by readers of Thai script.[135] Languages
like Khmu and Hmong are spoken by minorities, particularly in the midland and
highland areas.[citation needed] A number of Laotian sign languages are used in areas with
high rates of congenital deafness.
French is still commonly used in government and commerce and over a third of Laos's
students are educated through the medium of French with French being compulsory for
all other students.[citation needed] Throughout the country signage is bilingual in Lao and
French, with French being predominant.[citation needed] English, the language of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has become increasingly studied in
recent years.[136] It is also a member of the French organization La Francophonie.

Religion[edit]

Main article: Religion in Laos

Pha That Luang in Vientiane.

64.7 percent of Laotians are Theravada Buddhist, 1.7 percent are Christian, and 31.5
percent are other or traditional (mostly practitioners of Satsana Phi)[137] according to the
2005 census.[2] Buddhism has long been one of the most important social forces in
Laos.[citation needed]Theravada Buddhism has coexisted peacefully since its introduction to
the country with the local polytheism.

Health[edit]

Main article: Health in Laos

Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane.

Male life expectancy at birth was at 62.6 years and female life expectancy was at 66.7
years in 2017.[2] Healthy life expectancy was 54 years in 2007.[138] In 2008, 43 percent of
the population did not have access to sanitary water resources.[citation needed] By 2010 this
had been reduced to 33 percent of the population.[2] Government expenditure on health
is about four percent of GDP,[138] about US$18 (PPP) in 2006.[138]

Education[edit]

Main article: Education in Laos

See also: National Library of Laos

National University of Laos in Vientiane.

The adult literacy rate exceeds two thirds.[139] The male literacy rate exceeds the female
literacy rate.[138] The total literacy rate is 73 percent (2010 estimate).

In 2004 the net primary enrollment rate was at 84 percent.[138]

The National University of Laos is the Lao state's public university.

As a low-income country, Laos faces a brain-drain problem as the most educated people
migrate to developed countries.[citation needed] It is estimated that about 37% of educated
Laotians live outside of Laos.[140]

Culture[edit]

Main article: Culture of Laos

See also: Lao art, Lao cuisine, Dance and theatre of Laos, Laotian society, List of festivals in Laos,
and Music of Laos
An example of Lao cuisine

Lao women wearing sinhs

Lao dancers during the New Yearcelebration

Theravada Buddhism is a dominant influence in Lao culture.[citation needed] It is reflected

throughout the country from language to the temple and in art, literature, performing
arts, etc.[citation needed] Many elements of Lao culture predate Buddhism, however.[citation
needed] For example, Laotian music is dominated by its national instrument, the khaen, a

type of bamboo pipe that has prehistoric origins.[citation needed] The khaen traditionally
accompanied the singer in lam, the dominant style of folk music.[citation needed] Among
the lam styles, the lam saravane is probably the most popular.

Sticky rice is a characteristic staple food and has cultural and religious significance to
the Lao people.[citation needed] Sticky rice is generally preferred over jasmine rice, and sticky
rice cultivation and production is thought to have originated in Laos.[citation needed] There
are many traditions and rituals associated with rice production in different
environments and among many ethnic groups.[citation needed] For example, Khammu
farmers in Luang Prabang plant the rice variety Khao Kam in small quantities near the
hut in memory of dead parents, or at the edge of the rice field to indicate that parents
are still alive.[141]

Sinh is a traditional garment worn by Laotian women in daily life.[citation needed] It is a

hand-woven silk skirt that can identify the woman who wears it in a variety of
ways.[citation needed] In particular, it can indicate which region the wearer is from..[citation needed]

Cinema[edit]

Since the founding of the Lao PDR in 1975 only very few films have been made in
Laos.[citation needed] The first feature-length film made after the monarchy was abolished
is Gun Voice from the Plain of Jars, directed by Somchith Pholsena in 1983, although its
release was prevented by a censorship board.[142] One of the first commercial feature-
length films was Sabaidee Luang Prabang, made in 2008.[143]

Australian filmmaker Kim Mordount's first feature film was made in Laos and features
a Laotian cast speaking their native language. Entitled The Rocket, the film appeared at
the 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) and won three awards at the
Berlin International Film Festival.[144] Recently a few local production companies have
succeeded to produce Lao feature films and gain international recognition.[citation
needed] Among them are Lao New Wave Cinema's At the Horizon, directed by Anysay

Keola, that was screened at the OzAsia Film Festival[145] and Lao Art
Media's Chanthaly (Lao: ຈັນທະລີ) directed by Mattie Do, which was screened at the
2013 Fantastic Fest.[146][147]

In September 2017, Laos submitted Dearest Sister (Lao: ນ້ ອງຮັກ), Mattie Do's second
feature film, to the 90th Academy Awards (or the Oscars) for consideration for Best
Foreign Language Film, marking the country's first submission for the Oscars.[148]
As of 2018, Laos has only three operating theatres dedicated to showing films.[149]

Festivals[edit]

There are some public holidays, festivities and ceremonies in Laos.

Hmong New Year (Nopejao)

Bun Pha Wet

Magha Puja

Chinese New Year

Boun Khoun Khao

Boun Pimai

Visakha Puja

Khao Phansaa

Haw Khao Padap Din

Awk Phansaa

Bun Nam

Lao National Day (2 December)[150][151]

Media[edit]

All newspapers are published by the government, including two foreign language
papers: the English-language daily Vientiane Times and the French-language weekly Le
Rénovateur.[citation needed] Additionally, the Khao San Pathet Lao, the country's official news
agency, publishes English and French versions of its eponymous paper.[citation needed]Laos
currently has nine daily newspapers, 90 magazines, 43 radio stations, and 32 TV
stations operating throughout the country.[citation needed] As of 2011, Nhân Dân (The
People) and the Xinhua News Agency are the only foreign media organisations
permitted to open offices in Laos—both opened bureaus in Vientiane in 2011.[citation needed]

The Lao government heavily controls all media channels to prevent critique of its
actions.[152] Lao citizens who have criticised the government have been subjected to
enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and torture.[153][154]
Internet cafes are now common in the major urban centres and are especially popular
with the younger generation.

Polygamy[edit]

Further information: Polygamy in Laos

Polygamy is officially a crime in Laos, though the penalty is minor. The constitution
and Family Code bar the legal recognition of polygamous marriages, stipulating
that monogamy is the principal form of marriage in the country.[155] Polygamy,
however, is still customary among some Hmong people.[156]

Sport[edit]

The martial art of Muay Lao, the national sport,[157] is a form of kickboxing similar to
Thailand's Muay Thai, Burmese Lethwei and Cambodian Pradal Serey.[citation needed]

Football has become the most popular sport in Laos.[citation needed] The Lao League is now
the top professional league for association football clubs in the country.[citation needed] Since
the start of the League, Lao Army FC has been the most successful club with 8 titles
(following the 2007–2008 season), the highest number of championship wins.[158]

The Laos national basketball team competed at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games where
it beat Myanmar at the 8th place match.[159]

Laos

Facts & Figures

Map of Laos

President: Choummaly Sayasone (2006)

Prime Minister: Thongsing Thammavong (2010)

Land area: 89,112 sq mi (230,800 sq km); total area: 91,428 sq mi (236,800 sq km)
Population (2014 est.): 6,803,699 (growth rate: 1.59%); birth rate: 24.76/1000; infant
mortality rate: 54.53/1000; life expectancy: 63.51

Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Vientiane, 810,000

Monetary unit: New Kip

National name: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao

Current government officials

Languages: Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages

Ethnicity/race: Lao 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups)
26% (2005 census)

Religions: Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)

National Holiday: Republic Day, December 2

Next

Index

Laos Profile

History

News and Current Events

Geography

A landlocked nation in Southeast Asia occupying the northwest portion of the

Indochinese peninsula, Laos is surrounded by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand,
and Burma. It is twice the size of Pennsylvania. Laos is a mountainous country,
especially in the north, where peaks rise above 9,000 ft (2,800 m). Dense forests cover
the northern and eastern areas. The Mekong River, which forms the boundary with
Burma and Thailand, flows through the country for 932 mi (1,500 km) of its course.

Government

Communist state.

History

The Lao people migrated into Laos from southern China from the 8th century onward.
In the 14th century, the first Laotian state was founded, the Lan Xang kingdom, which
ruled Laos until it split into three separate kingdoms in 1713. During the 18th century,
the three kingdoms came under Siamese (Thai) rule and, in 1893, became a French
protectorate. With its territory incorporated into Indochina. A strong nationalist
movement developed during World War II, but France reestablished control in 1946
and made the king of Luang Prabang constitutional monarch of all Laos. France granted
semiautonomy in 1949 and then, spurred by the Viet Minh rebellion in Vietnam, full
independence within the French Union in 1950.

In 1951, Prince Souphanouvong organized the Pathet Lao, a Communist independence

movement, in North Vietnam. Viet Minh and Pathet Lao forces invaded central Laos,
resulting in civil war. By the Geneva Agreements of 1954 and an armistice of 1955, two
northern provinces were given to the Pathet Lao; the rest went to the royal regime. Full
sovereignty was given to the kingdom by the Paris Agreements of Dec. 29, 1954. In
1957, Prince Souvanna Phouma, the royal prime minister, and Pathet Lao leader Prince
Souphanouvong, the prime minister's half-brother, agreed to reestablishment of a
unified government, with Pathet Lao participation and integration of Pathet Lao forces
into the royal army. The agreement broke down in 1959, and armed conflict began
anew.

In 1960, the struggle became a three-way fight as Gen. Phoumi Nosavan, controlling the
bulk of the royal army, set up in the south a pro-Western revolutionary government
headed by Prince Boun Oum. General Phoumi took Vientiane in December, driving
Souvanna Phouma into exile in Cambodia. The Soviet bloc supported Souvanna
Phouma. In 1961, a cease-fire was arranged and the three princes agreed to a coalition
government headed by Souvanna Phouma.

Coalition Government Is Short-Lived

But North Vietnam, the U.S. (in the form of CIA personnel), and China remained active
in Laos after the settlement. North Vietnam used a supply line (Ho Chi Minh Trail)
running down the mountain valleys of eastern Laos into Cambodia and South Vietnam,
particularly after the U.S.–South Vietnamese incursion into Cambodia in 1970 stopped
supplies via Cambodian seaports.

An agreement reached in 1973 revived the coalition government. The Communist

Pathet Lao seized complete power in 1975, installing Souphanouvong as president and
Kaysone Phomvihane as prime minister. Since then, other parties and political groups
have been moribund and most of their leaders have fled the country. The monarchy
was abolished on Dec. 2, 1975, when the Pathet Lao ousted the coalition government
and King Sisavang Vatthana abdicated.

The Supreme People's Assembly in Aug. 1991 adopted a new constitution that dropped
all references to socialism but retained the one-party state. In addition to implementing
market-oriented policies, the country has passed laws governing property, inheritance,
and contracts.

One-Party Rule Continues as International Relations Improve

During the 1990s, the country began making more diplomatic overtures toward its
neighbors. In 1995, the U.S. announced a lifting of its ban on aid to the nation. By most
international estimates, Laos is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world. The
subsistence farmers who make up more than 80% of the population have been plagued
with bad agricultural conditions—alternately floods and drought—since 1993.

Since March 2000, Vientiane has been rocked by a series of unexplained blasts. The
activity has been widely attributed to a group of Hmong tribesmen based in the north.
The anti-Communist rebel group has been protesting the government's reluctance to
embrace democratic reforms. Others attribute the bombs to rival factions in the
government or military.
In Feb. 2002 parliamentary elections, 165 out of 166 candidates were members of the
governing Lao People's Revolutionary Party. In 2006, Choummaly Sayasone became
party secretary-general and president of Laos. First Deputy Prime Minister Bouasone
Bouphavanh became prime minister.

See also Encyclopedia: Laos .

U.S. State Dept. Country Notes: Lao

Fact file

• Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It shares borders with China,
Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.
• The Khone Pha Pheng waterfall, located in Champasak Province, is the largest
waterfall in southeast Asia
• The national sport is kataw, similar to volleyball but using a rattan ball and feet
instead of hands.
• Laos was a French protectorate until 1954 (apart from one year when it was occupied
by the Japanese towards the end of World War II). Many of the older population still
speak French.
• The Lao language is closely related to Thai.
• The country houses the Vieng Xai Caves which are a network of about 450 shelter
caves that were used during the Vietnam War.

The key dates

13-15 April: Laos New Year. Celebrations can last for more than a week; be prepared to
be soaked as throwing perfumed water is part of the festivities.

2 Dec: Lao National Day. Celebrating the victory of the proletariat in 1975.

The hot spots

Popular destinations include Luang Prabang, Vientiane, the Plain of Jars, and Pakse.

There are two World Heritage Sites: Luang Prabang town and the Vat Phou
Champasak temple complex.

Some itinerary ideas

• The North: Vientiane – Vang Vieng – Luang Prabang – Plain of Jars
• The South: Vientiane – Savannakhet – Pakse – Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands)

How to stay healthy

• Unexploded mines and ordnance are a hazard in Laos, and kill around 300 people
each year. Don’t stray off main routes in rural areas, and don’t pick up metal objects.
• Water-borne, food-borne and other infectious diseases are common, and serious
outbreaks occur from time to time. Wash hands often, wash food when possible and
drink bottled water.

While you’re there, please don’t…

• Forget the deodorant; personal cleanliness is valued highly in Laos, so anyone with
strong body odour will not make themselves popular
• Show too much skin; Laotians dress conservatively, and will swim in rivers and
waterfalls with at least shorts and a T-shirt on
• Disrespect the monks; the morning alms-giving in Luang Prabang is popular, but be
respectful, don’t use flash photography, and don’t level your head higher than the
monks’ heads
• Haggle hard; remember, what’s 50c for you is much more for them

Before you go, read …

The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong by Edward Gargan – the personal tale of a
year-long journey along the nearly 3,000 miles of the Mekong River, from Tibet to the
South China Sea.

Before you go, watch …

The Betrayal – Nerakhoon. Academy Award-nominated documentary about a Laotian

family’s struggles to assimilate into American life.

They said it

“The progress that Laos has made is quite momentous.” – Antonio Maria Costa, former
UN Under-Secretary-General

“… this tamarind tree was near a road, so it belonged to everybody. We should all share
it, not destroy it. It enriched our lives and our happiness. Wherever there was a tree,
there was happiness.” – Outhine Bounyavong, Laotian writer
“If you like things easy, you’ll have difficulties; if you like problems, you’ll succeed.” –
Laotian proverb
Important Questions

Do I need a visa?

Yes, most visitors need a visa to visit Laos. Visas can be obtained on arrival at major
points of entry and are valid for 30 days. You’ll need two passport-size photographs (in
fact, it’s a good tip to carry a couple of these to any country you visit), a passport valid
for at least six months, and US dollars to pay the fee. For more info, or to arrange your
visa before you go, visit the Laos Embassy in Singapore.

How long will it take me to get there?

Three hours from Singapore. Laos is 7 hours ahead of GMT and 1 hour behind
Singapore.

What’s the money situation?

The official national currency in Laos is the Lao kip (LAK), although US dollars and
Thai baht are also generally accepted. Try to ensure that you have sufficient kip if
you’re heading out of the larger towns. You’re likely to find ATMs in all major towns in
Laos, but note that the majority will allow only a maximum of 1,000,000 kip (US$125)
per withdrawal. Only big hotels and higher end shops and restaurants in Luang
Prabang will accept credit cards, usually for a small charge.

When’s the best time to visit?

December and January are considered the best time to travel, but November through
March is also recommended. The dry, hot season is from March through May, followed
by the rainy season from May through October. September is generally the rainiest
month of the year.

What’s the lingo?

Lao. French and English are spoken in larger cities and tourist spots.

Here are some phrases to get you started:

Hello Sa bai dee

What is your name? Jâo seu nyãng?

My name is __ Kháwy seu

How much? Anh nee thao dai?

Thank you Khawp jai

Yes Jâo

I don’t understand Koi boh kow jai

Is there anything I should know about meeting the locals?

Place your hands together just below your chin and dip your head at the same time in a
slight bow saying “Sa bai dee”.

What’s a must-try dish?

Laap (larb), a salad with a meat base, flavoured with lime, garlic, fish sauce, mint
leaves, spring onion and ground toasted rice. A vegetarian version is also an option,
with a base of mushroom or tofu.

What should I buy as a souvenir?

Laos silk.

Laos

Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia.

FAST FACTS

OFFICIAL NAME: Lao People's Democratic Republic

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Communist

CAPITAL: Viangchan (local name); Vientiane

POPULATION: 7,234,171

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Lao

MONEY: Kip

AREA: 91,429 square miles (236,800 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Annamite Range, Luang Prabang Range

MAJOR RIVERS: Mekong

GEOGRAPHY
Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. Nearly three-quarters of Laos is
covered in mountains and forested hills that are too steep to live on. Travel over the
land is hard.

The Mekong River is vital as a transportation route for cargo and passengers, a source
of electricity at dams, a water supply for crops, and a home to fish which are an
important food in the diet of Laotian people. There are three plateaus between the
mountains and the Mekong River—the Xiangkhiang, the Khammouan, and the
Bolovens Plateaus.

The Xiangkhiang is the largest, while the Bolovens Plateau near Cambodia provides
more fertile farmland where coffee, tea, rice, strawberries, and pineapples are grown.
The lowland region is the most vital to the Lao. There the Mekong River floods the
soil providing rich nutrients to grow enough rice and other crops to feed the whole
country for one year.

Most of the country's population lives along the river, which winds more than 2,600
miles (4,180 kilometers) from Chinathrough Laos to the ocean in south Vietnam. Only
10 percent of the country is below 600 feet, and the highest peak, Phu Bia is 9,242 feet
(2,817 meters).

A Buddhist monk walks past a gilded temple.P H O T O G R A P H B Y M I C H A E L

S. YAMASHITA

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Laos is one of the poorest countries on Earth. Although the Lao have few possessions
beyond their food, their Buddhist beliefs help them to find happiness through a
simple life. Most of the people live in small rural communities near the river.

The whole family works hard to grow enough food. Many people do not have
running water and must carry water from the river to their small wooden houses for
cooking, drinking, and washing.

In Laos and other Southeast Asian countries people play a sport called kataw. The
game is a bit like volleyball, but players cannot use their hands and instead must kick
or force a small hollow ball made of woven bamboo over a high net. The Lao also like
the sport of rhinoceros-beetle wrestling. People bet on which beetle will stay standing
the longest.
GOVERNMENT

Soon after independence from France in 1953, the country fell into turmoil; in 1975 the
communist Pathet Lao seized power with help from North Vietnam. Many fled and
many resettled in the United States. Laos is one of the few remaining communist
states. The economy is hampered by poor roads, no railroad, and limited access to
electricity.

NATURE

Monsoon winds blow through the country twice a year. From May to October,
monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains that wash over the warm,
tropical country. Then the wind changes direction and brings a hot, dry wind from
China to Laos from November to April.

The humid tropical weather, rugged terrain, and thick forest provide an undisturbed
habitat for many animals. The red panda, which is related to raccoons and not giant
pandas, lives in the forests of northern Laos.

Several species, such as the Asian elephant, red panda, giant Mekong catfish, tiger,
and clouded leopard are at risk as more land, forests, and mines rich in resources are
sold off to neighboring countries.The country is being deforested and only 42 percent
of Laos is still forested, where once 70 percent of the country was forested. The largest
protected area in Laos is the Nakai-Nam Theun, which covers 1,428 miles (3,700
square kilometers) and is home to rare creatures including Asiatic black bears, known
as moon bears and the soala. The soala is a rare relative of sheep and cattle and looks
like a deer.One of the world's most dangerous snakes, the 14-foot-long (4.2-meter-
long) king cobra lives in Laos. Snakes are a part of daily life and people find snakes
almost everywhere. The rare Irrawaddy dolphin is found in the southern stretches of
the Mekong River, but the mammal is under threat due to pollution and fishing
nets.About 2.5 million gallons (9.5 million liters) run over the Khone Falls near
Cambodia each second—almost twice as much as flows over Niagara Falls.

LEFT: LAOTIAN FLAG, RIGHT: KIP

Photograph by Rodigest, Dreamstime

HISTORY

People have lived in the lower Mekong basin for at least 10,000 years. The first settlers
were related to the Khmer people who still live in Cambodia. In 1353, a Lao prince
named Fa Ngum returned to the country and made himself king of a new country
called Lan Xang, "the Kingdom of a Million Elephants."

In 1779, most of Laos was taken over by the Siamese people (Siam is now known
as Thailand). French colonists took control and forced the Siamese to withdraw from
the western part of the Mekong River in 1893, and the country was reunited and
named Laos by the French.

The French maintained control of Laos until 1945, when the Japanese took over for a
brief period. In 1953, the French made Laos fully independent and eventually French
businesses were forced out. Many countries continued to influence Laos.

The United States believed that Laos was a key country in the battle between
communism and capitalism. Members of a group called Pathet Laos rebelled against
U.S. backing of the government and Pathet Laos fought with the communist North
Vietnam against French-backed South Vietnam. Many people fled Laos during the
Vietnam War as fighting spilled over from Vietnam into their country.