Portal:Laos

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Portal:Laos/Intro

Laos (/ˈlɑːoʊs/ ^ⓘ, /ˈlaʊs/, /ˈlɑːɒs/, or /ˈleɪɒs/; Lao: ລາວ, Lao pronunciation: [láːw], Lāo), or commonly referred to its colloquial name of Muang Lao (Lao: ເມືອງລາວ, Muang Lao), is a landlocked country in the heart of the Indochinese peninsula of Mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar (Burma) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southwest, and Thailand to the west and southwest.

It 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. Due to Lan Xang's central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom was able to become a popular hub for overland trade, becoming wealthy economically as well as culturally. 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 freedom in 1945 after Japanese occupation, but was recolonised by France until it won autonomy in 1949. Laos became independent in 1953 under King Sisavang Vong.

The capital city is Vientiane. Other large 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 approximately 60 percent of the population, mostly in the lowlands. Mon-Khmer groups, the Hmong, and other indigenous hill tribes, accounting for 40 percent of the population, live in the foothills and mountains.

Laos' ambitious strategies for development are based on generating electricity from its rivers and selling the power to its neighbors, namely Thailand, China, and Vietnam, as well as its initiative to become a 'land-linked' nation, shown by the planning of four new railways connecting Laos to those same countries. This, along with growth of the mining sector, 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% for the past decade. It is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia Summit and La Francophonie. Laos became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2013.

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Ho Chi Minh Trail, 1967

The Ho Chi Minh Trail (Vietnamese: Đường mòn Hồ Chí Minh), also called Annamite Range Trail (Vietnamese: Đường Trường Sơn) was a logistical network of roads and trails that ran from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through the kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia. The system provided support, in the form of manpower and materiel, to the Viet Cong (or "VC") and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), during the Vietnam War. Construction for the network began following the North Vietnamese invasion of Laos in July 1959. At the time it was believed to be the main supply route, however it later transpired that the Sihanouk Trail which ran through Cambodia was handling significantly more materials

It was named by the U.S. after the North Vietnamese leader Hồ Chí Minh. The origin of the name is presumed to have come from the First Indochina War, when there was a Viet Minh maritime logistics line called the "Route of Ho Chi Minh",^: 126 and shortly after late 1960, as the present trail developed, Agence France-Presse (AFP) announced that a north–south trail had opened, and they named the corridor La Piste de Hồ Chí Minh, the 'Hồ Chí Minh Trail'.^: 202 The trail ran mostly in Laos, and was called the Trường Sơn Strategic Supply Route (Đường Trường Sơn) by the communists, after the Vietnamese name for the Annamite Range, a major mountain range of central Vietnam.^: 28 They further identified the trail as either West Trường Sơn (Laos) or East Trường Sơn (Vietnam).^: 202 According to the U.S. National Security Agency's official history of the war, the trail system was "one of the great achievements of military engineering of the 20th century". The trail was able to effectively supply troops fighting in the south, an unparalleled military feat, given it was the site of the single most intense air interdiction campaign in history. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various Laos-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Bronze Buddha sculptures, Wat Mai, Luang Prabang (from Culture of Laos)
Image 2Brao couple farming (from Culture of Laos)
Image 3Ancient human fossil remains from Tam Pa Ling cave (from History of Laos)
Image 4Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang (from Culture of Laos)
Image 5Lao women in traditional Luang Prabang sinh (from Culture of Laos)
Image 6Emerald Buddha (from History of Laos)
Image 7A soldier of the Black Flag Army, 1885 (from History of Laos)
Image 8Lao Loum girls dancing in traditional sinh (from Culture of Laos)
Image 9Lao sculpted wood Buddhas posed "calling for rain" (from Culture of Laos)
Image 10Monks gathered at evening prayer (from Culture of Laos)
Image 11Historic Indosphere cultural influence zone of Greater India for transmission of elements of Indian elements such as the honorific titles, naming of people, naming of places, mottos of organisations and educational institutes as well as adoption of Hinduism, Buddhism, Indian architecture, martial arts, Indian music and dance, traditional Indian clothing, and Indian cuisine, a process which has been also aided by the ongoing historic expansion of Indian diaspora. (from History of Laos)
Image 12Market in Luang Prabang, c. 1900 CE
Image 13Traditional mor lam (from Culture of Laos)
Image 14Traditional spirit house (from Culture of Laos)
Image 15Lan Xang's zone of influence and neighbours, c. 1540 (from History of Laos)
Image 16Lao actors wearing Khon Masks (from Culture of Laos)
Image 17Southeast Asia in the 18th century showing the kingdoms of Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Champasak and the principality of Phuan (Xieng Khuang) (from History of Laos)
Image 18Lao princess wearing gold embroidery (from Culture of Laos)
Image 19Ruins in Vientiane, depicted by Louis Delaporte during the Mekong Expedition led by Francis Garnier (c. 1867) (from History of Laos)
Image 20Lower terrace of the Wat Phu mountain complex, Champasak
Image 21Mor lam performance-the men are playing the khene and wearing pha sarong (from Culture of Laos)
Image 22Lao sticky rice and papaya salad (from Culture of Laos)
Image 23Akha girl in traditional dress (from Culture of Laos)
Image 24Plain of Jars, Xiangkhouang (from History of Laos)
Image 25French warships bombarding the Siamese fort at Paknam (from History of Laos)
Image 26Kra-Dai (Tai-Kadai) migration route according to James R. Chamberlain (2016). (from History of Laos)
Image 27Ornate lintel Wat Phu, Champasak (from Culture of Laos)
Image 28That Luang, Vientiane (from Culture of Laos)
Image 29The mainland of Southeast Asia at the end of the 13th century (from History of Laos)
Image 30Territories abandoned by Siam in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, depicted as a map of Thailand's territorial losses. The Franco-Siamese crisis resulted in the cession of Laos to France in 1893. (from History of Laos)
Image 31Luang Prabang, Wat Mai, gilded wood bas relief scenes from the Prince Vessantara Jataka. (from Culture of Laos)
Image 32Lao monk woodworking temple details (from Culture of Laos)
Image 33Auguste Pavie, First Governor-General of the French Protectorate of Laos
Image 34Baci Soukhuan (from Culture of Laos)
Image 35Map showing linguistic family tree overlaid on a geographic distribution map of Tai-Kadai family. This map only shows general pattern of the migration of Tai-speaking tribes, not specific routes, which would have snaked along the rivers and over the lower passes. (from History of Laos)
Image 36Monks gathering morning alms (from Culture of Laos)
Image 37Morning on the Mekong River (from Culture of Laos)

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Statue of King Setthathirath
Pha That Luang, Vientiane

Setthathirath (Lao: ເສດຖາທິຣາດ; 24 January 1534 – 1571) or Xaysettha (Lao: ໄຊເສດຖາ; Thai: ไชยเชษฐาธิราช, RTGS: Chaiyachetthathirat, Burmese: ဇယဇေဋ္ဌာဓိရာဇ် Jayajyeṣṭhādhirāja) is considered one of the great leaders in Lao history. Throughout the 1560s until his death, he successfully defended his kingdom of Lan Xang against military campaigns of Burmese conqueror Bayinnaung, who had already subdued Xieng Mai (Chiang Mai) in 1558 and Ayutthaya in 1564. Setthathirath was a prolific builder and erected many Buddhist monuments including Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang, Haw Phra Kaew, Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan and the Pha That Luang in Vientiane. (Full article...)

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Photisarath Anouvong Sourigna Vongsa Phetsarath Ratanavongsa Souvanna Phouma Fa Ngum Nang Keo Phimpha Sisavang Vong Sombath Somphone Sourith Don Sasorith Kouprasith Abhay Sourith Don Sasorith Phoumi Nosavan Deuane Sunnalath Kham Ouane Boupha Alexandra Bounxouei Channapha Khamvongsa Douangdeuane Bounyavong Daoviang Butnakho Nakhon Noi Souvanna Phouma Sisavang Vatthana Souphanouvong