Laos

Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ (Lao)
  • Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
Motto: ສັນຕິພາບ ເອກະລາດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ເອກະພາບ ວັດທະນະຖາວອນ
Santiphap, Ekalat, Paxathipatai, Ekaphap, Vatthanathavon
"Peace, Independence, Democracy, Unity and Prosperity"
Anthem: ເພງຊາດລາວ
Pheng Xat Lao
"Hymn of the Lao People"
Location of Laos (green)

in ASEAN (dark grey)  –  [Legend]

Capital
and largest city
Vientiane
17°58′N 102°36′E / 17.967°N 102.600°E / 17.967; 102.600
Official languagesLao
Spoken languages
Ethnic groups
(2015[2])
Religion
Demonym(s)Lao
Laotian
GovernmentUnitary Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist republic
Thongloun Sisoulith
Bounthong Chitmany
Pany Yathotou
Sonexay Siphandone
Saysomphone Phomvihane
LegislatureNational Assembly
Formation
1353–1707
• Kingdoms of Luang Prabang, Vientiane & Champasak
1707–1778
• Vassals of Siam
1778–1893
1893–1953
1945–1949
11 May 1947
22 October 1953
2 December 1975
14 August 1991
Area
• Total
236,800 km2 (91,400 sq mi)[5] (82nd)
• Water (%)
2
Population
• 2022 estimate
7,749,595[5] (103rd)
• Density
26.7/km2 (69.2/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $74.205 billion[6] (106th)
• Per capita
Increase $9,787[6] (125th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Decrease $14.244 billion[6] (145th)
• Per capita
Decrease $1,878[6] (152nd)
Gini (2012)36.4[7]
medium
HDI (2022)Increase 0.620[8]
medium (139th)
CurrencyKip (₭) (LAK)
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
Driving sideright
Calling code+856
ISO 3166 codeLA
Internet TLD.la

Laos,[e] officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or LPDR),[f] is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. At the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest.[12] Its capital and largest city is Vientiane.

Present-day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to Lan Xang, which existed from the 13th century to the 18th century as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia.[13] Because of its central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom became a hub for overland trade and became wealthy economically and culturally.[13] After a period of internal conflict, Lan Xang broke into three separate kingdoms: Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak. In 1893, the three kingdoms came under a French protectorate and were united to form what is now known as Laos. It was occupied by Japan during World War II and briefly gained independence in 1945 as a Japanese puppet state but was re-colonised by France until it won autonomy in 1949. Laos became independent in 1953 as the Kingdom of Laos, with a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. A civil war began in 1959, which saw the communist Pathet Lao, supported by North Vietnam and the Soviet Union, fight against the Royal Lao Armed Forces, supported by the United States. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party came to power, ending the civil war and the monarchy. Laos was then dependent on military and economic aid from the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991.

Laos is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, the ASEAN, East Asia Summit, and La Francophonie. Laos applied for membership of the World Trade Organization in 1997; on 2 February 2013, it was granted full membership.[14] It is a one-party socialist republic, espousing Marxism–Leninism and governed by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, under which non-governmental organisations have routinely characterised the country's human rights record as poor, citing repeated abuses such as torture, restrictions on civil liberties and persecution of minorities.[15]

The politically and culturally dominant Lao people make up 53.2% of the population, mostly in the lowlands. Mon-Khmer groups, the Hmong, and other indigenous hill tribes live in the foothills and mountains. Laos's strategies for development are based on generating electricity from rivers and selling the power to its neighbours, namely Thailand, China and Vietnam, as well as its initiative to become a "land-linked" nation, as evidenced by the construction of four new railways connecting Laos and neighbours.[16][17] Laos has been referred to as one of Southeast Asia and Pacific's fastest growing economies by the World Bank with annual GDP growth averaging 7.4% since 2009.[18][19]

  1. ^ "The Languages spoken in Laos". Studycountry. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Results of Population and Housing Census 2015" (PDF). Lao Statistics Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Lao People's Democratic Republic's Constitution of 1991 with Amendments through 2003" (PDF). constituteproject.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017. Article 9: The State respects and protects all lawful activities of Buddhists and of followers of other religions, [and] mobilises and encourages Buddhist monks and novices as well as the priests of other religions to participate in activities that are beneficial to the country and people.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference globalReligion was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "Laos". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 24 September 2022. (Archived 2022 edition)
  6. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Laos)". International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Gini Index". World Bank. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  8. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24". United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Laos". Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2016 – via The Free Dictionary.
  10. ^ Oxford Dictionaries, UK pronunciations
  11. ^ Oxford Dictionaries, US pronunciations
  12. ^ "About Laos: Geography". Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum. Government of Laos. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016.
  13. ^ a b Stuart-Fox, Martin (1998). The Lao Kingdom of Lan Xang: Rise and Decline. White Lotus Press. p. 49. ISBN 974-8434-33-8.
  14. ^ "Lao People's Democratic Republic and the WTO". World Trade Organization. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Janssen, Peter. "China train project runs roughshod over Laos". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Laos approves Xayaburi 'mega' dam on Mekong". BBC News. 5 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  18. ^ "Lao PDR [Overview]". World Bank. March 2018. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  19. ^ "Laos Securities Exchange to start trading". Financial Times. 10 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2011.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).


© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search