Laos — map and facts

About Laos

Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia with a population of approximately 7.5 million people. Vientiane is the capital and largest city. Laos is a one-party socialist state governed by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, which has held power since 1975. The government is led by a president and a prime minister, though authority rests primarily with the party's Politburo. The economy has grown significantly in recent decades, driven by hydroelectric power generation, mining, and agriculture, and the country aims to be the "battery of Southeast Asia" through dam construction on the Mekong and its tributaries. Despite growth, Laos remains one of the least developed countries in the region, with significant rural poverty, limited infrastructure, and a small domestic market. Lao is the official language. The country has a highly diverse population with over 50 officially recognised ethnic groups. Buddhism is the dominant religion.

Geography and Landscape

Laos covers approximately 237,000 square kilometres and is entirely landlocked, bordered by China to the north, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, Thailand to the west, and Myanmar to the northwest. The country is dominated by rugged mountainous terrain, particularly in the north and east, where the Annamite Range forms a natural border with Vietnam. The highest peak, Phou Bia, reaches 2,817 metres in Xiangkhouang Province. The Mekong River defines much of the western border with Thailand and is the country's most important waterway, flowing roughly 1,900 kilometres through Laos. The fertile Mekong Valley and the Plain of Jars in Xiangkhouang, a plateau strewn with ancient megalithic stone jars, are among the most significant geographical features. Lowland areas along the Mekong support the majority of agriculture and population. The climate is tropical monsoon, with a distinct wet season from May to October and a dry season from November to April.

History

The territory of modern Laos was home to the Lan Xang kingdom, founded in 1353 by King Fa Ngum, which became one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia and a significant centre of Theravada Buddhism. Lan Xang means "Land of a Million Elephants." The kingdom experienced periods of great power and fragmentation, eventually splitting into three separate principalities — Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champasak — in the early eighteenth century. Siamese (Thai) dominance over much of the territory grew through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. France incorporated the region into French Indochina between 1893 and 1907, establishing the borders of modern Laos. Japanese occupation during World War Two and the subsequent struggle for independence led to a negotiated independence in 1949, formally complete in 1953. A prolonged civil war between the Royal Lao Government and the communist Pathet Lao, backed by North Vietnam, was entangled with the wider Vietnam War. The United States conducted an extensive bombing campaign over Laos between 1964 and 1973, making it the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. The Pathet Lao took power in 1975, abolishing the monarchy and establishing the current communist state.