Laos
Laos, officially the
Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a
landlocked socialist republic communist state in
southeast Asia, bordered by
Myanmar (Burma) and the
People's Republic of China to the northwest,
Vietnam to the east,
Cambodia to the south, and
Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of
Lan Xang or
Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the 14th to the 18th century. After a period as a French colony, it gained independence in 1945. A long civil war ended when the
communist Pathet Lao came to power in 1975.
Private enterprise has increased since the mid-1980s, but development has been hampered by poor communications in the heavily forested and mountainous landscape. Most of the population of around 6 million practice
subsistence agriculture. The country's ethnic make-up is extremely diverse, with only around 60% belonging to the largest ethnic group, the
Lao.
The country's name in the
Lao language is 'Meuang Lao'. The
French, who made the country part of
French Indochina in
1893, spelled it with the
s which is usually retained in the spelling and pronunciation of the English name (pronounced as one syllable). The usual adjectival form is "Lao" (as in 'the Lao economy'), not 'Laotian', although the latter is commonly used to describe the people of Laos (to avoid confusion with the
Lao ethnic group).
Laos traces its history to the kingdom of
Lan Xang, founded in the 14th century, which lasted until the
18th century, when
Siam invaded and assumed control of the separate
principalities that remained. To avoid a costly war with the French, the Siamese king ceded lands now known as Laos to them, and these were incorporated into
French Indochina in
1893. Following a brief
Japanese occupation during
World War II, the country declared its independence in
1945, but the French re-asserted their control and only in 1950 was Laos granted semi-autonomy as an "associated state" within the French Union. Moreover, the French remained in
de facto control until 1954, when Laos gained full independence as a constitutional monarchy.
Political unrest in neighbouring
Vietnam dragged Laos into the
Second Indochina War (
see also Secret War and Vietnam War), a destabilising factor that contributed to
civil war and several
coups d'état. The North Vietnamese Army invaded and occupied portions of eastern Laos. The North Vietnamese army, with its heavy weapons including heavy artillery and tanks was the real power behind the Pathet Lao insurgency. Significant aerial bombardment by the United States occurred by that country's attempt to eliminate North Vietnamese bases in Laos and disrupt supply lines on the
Ho Chi Minh trail.
In
1968 the North Vietnamese Army launched a multi-division attack against the Royal Lao Army. The attack resulted in the army largely demobilizing and leaving the conflict to irregular forces raised by the United States and Thailand. In
1975 the
communist Pathet Lao, backed by the
Soviet Union and the North Vietnamese Army (justified by the Communist ideology of "proletarian internationalism"), overthrew the royalist government, forcing King
Savang Vatthana to abdicate on
December 2 1975 (he later died in captivity). After taking control of the country, they renamed it the
Lao People's Democratic Republic. The Pathet Lao government afterward signed agreements giving Vietnam the right to station military forces and to appoint advisors to assist in overseeing the country. Laos was ordered in the late 1970s by Vietnam to end relations with
China which cut the country off from trade with any country but Vietnam . Control by Vietnam and socialisation were slowly replaced by a relaxation of economic restrictions in the
1980s and admission into
ASEAN in
1997. Vietnam still wields political and economic influence in Laos.
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Pha That Luang in Vientiane - The national symbol of Laos |
The 20-year embargo by the United States was lifted in
1995, although Laos has still not achieved
Most Favored Nation trading status (along with
North Korea,
Cuba, and
Vietnam, although Vietnam holds a separate trading accord). Lack of this status is often considered to be the result of
Hmong refugee activism in the United States which targets
human rights violations by the Lao government.
The only legal
political party is the
Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The
head of state is the
President, elected by parliament for a five-year term. The
head of government is the
prime minister, appointed by the president with parliamentary approval. Government policies are determined by the party through the all-powerful nine-member
Politburo and the 49-member Central Committee. Important government decisions are vetted by the Council of Ministers.
Laos adopted a new
constitution in
1991. The following year, elections were held for a new 85-seat National Assembly with members elected by secret ballot to 5-year terms. This unicameral
parliament, expanded in the
1997 elections to 99 members, approves all new laws, although the
executive branch retains authority to issue binding decrees. The most recent elections took place in February 2002 when the assembly was expanded to 115 members.
Remnants of a
Hmong group allied with the United States during the Vietnam War have been in armed conflict with the communist regime since 1975. With recent surrenders reported in the international media, this conflict appears to be on the wane. Most Hmong are integrated into or at least at peace with society, with some occupying high-ranking positions in the state system.
Attacks continue to take place sporadically throughout the country, but are difficult to attribute to a specific political movement. All dissent in Laos is suppressed, so information is difficult to obtain.
 |
Provinces of Laos |
Laos is divided into 16
provinces (
khoueng), 1 municipality* (
kampheng nakhon), and 1 special zone** (
khetphiset):#
Attapu#
Bokeo#
Borikhamxay#
Champassack#
Houaphan#
Khammouane#
Louang Namtha#
Louangphabang#
Oudomxay#
Phongsaly#
Saravane#
Savannakhet#
Vientiane *#
Vientiane Province#
Sayaboury#
Saysomboun **#
Xekong#
Xieng KhouangLaos is further subdivided into
districts (
muong).
Laos is a landlocked country in
Southeast Asia and the thickly forested landscape consists mostly of rugged mountains, the highest of which is
Phou Bia at 9,242
feet (2,817 m), with some plains and plateaus. The
Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with
Thailand, whereas the mountains of the
Annamite Chain form most of the eastern border with
Vietnam.
The
climate is tropical and characterised by
monsoons. There is a distinct rainy season from May to November, followed by a dry season from December to April. The capital and largest city of Laos is
Vientiane, and other major cities include
Luang Prabang,
Savannakhet and
Pakse.
In 1993, the government set aside 21% of the nation's land area as
National Biodiversity Conservation Areas (NBCA), which may be developed into a national park system. If completed, it is expected to be the most comprehensive and one of the finest national park systems in
Southeast Asia.
A number of animal species have been discovered or re-discovered in Laos in recent years. These include the striped or
Annamite rabbit, the
saola, and most recently the
Laotian rock rat or
kha-nyou.
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Buses connect the major cities. |
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Songthaews are pick-up trucks with benches. They are used for long-distance and local public transport. |
The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official
socialist states - began decentralising control and encouraging private enterprise in
1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% in
1988-
2004 except during the short-lived drop caused by the
Asian financial crisis beginning in
1997. As in many developing countries, the major urban centers have experienced the most growth. The economies of
Vientiane,
Luang Prabang and
Savannakhet in particular have experienced significant booms in recent years. Laos' economy is heavily dependent on investment and trade with its larger and richer cousin,
Thailand.
Pakxe has also experienced growth.
Much of the country, however, lacks adequate
infrastructure. Laos has no
railways, although a short link is planned to connect Vientiane with Thailand over the
Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The major roads connecting the major urban centres, mainly forming Route 13, have been significantly upgraded in recent years, but villages that are far from major roads are accessible only through unpaved roads that may not be accessible year-round. There is limited external and internal
telecommunication, particularly of the wire line sort, but mobile cellular phone usage has become widespread in urban centres. In many rural areas electricity is either not available or offered only during scheduled periods.
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The rivers are very important for transportation: A ferryboat on the Nam Ou river. |
Subsistence
agriculture still accounts for half of
GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy receives aid from the
IMF and other international sources and from new foreign investment in food-processing and
mining, most notably of copper and gold.
Tourism is the fastest growing industry in the country. However, economic development in general is hampered by a serious case of
brain drain. A 2005 World Bank study reported that 37% of educated Laotians lived abroad, putting the country in 5th place for worst brain drain.
In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to face lower tariffs on their exports; this may help spur growth.
See also: Tourism in Laos |
A street market in Luang Prabang |
Sixty per-cent of the country's people are ethnic
Lao, the principal lowland inhabitants and the politically and culturally dominant group. The Lao belong to the
Tai linguistic group who began migrating southward from
China in the first millennium AD. A further 8% belong to other "lowland" groups, which together with the Lao people make up the
Lao Loum. Hill people such as the
Hmong (Miao),
Yao (Mien),
Black Thai,
Dao,
Shan, and several
Tibeto-Burman speaking peoples have lived in isolated regions of Laos for many years. Mountain tribes of mixed ethno-linguistic heritage are found in northern Laos. Collectively, they are known as
Lao Soung or highland Laotians. In the central and southern mountains,
Mon-
Khmer tribes, known as
Lao Theung or mid-slope Laotians, predominate. Some
Vietnamese and
Chinese minorities remain, particularly in the towns, but many left in two waves; after independence in the late 1940s and again after 1975.
The term
Laotian does not necessarily refer to the ethnic Lao language, ethnic Lao people, language or customs, but is a political term that also includes the non-ethnic Lao groups within Laos and identifies them as "Laotian" because of their political citizenship. In a similar vein the word "Lao" can also describe the people, cuisine, language and culture of the people of
Northeast Thailand (
Isan) who are ethnic Lao.
The predominant religion is
Theravada Buddhism which, along with the common
Animism practiced among the mountain tribes, coexists peacefully with spirit worship. There also are a small number of
Christians, mostly restricted to the Vientiane area, and
Muslims, mostly restricted to the Myanmar border region. Christian missionary work is regulated by the government.
The official and dominant language is Lao, a tonal language of the
Tai linguistic group. Midslope and highland Lao speak an assortment of tribal languages. French, once common in government and commerce, has declined in usage, while knowledge of English, the language of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has increased in recent years.
Theravada Buddhism is a dominant influence in Lao culture. It is reflected throughout the country from language to the temple and in art, literature, performing arts, etc. Many elements of Lao culture predate Buddhism, however. For example, Laotian
music is dominated by its national
instrument, the
khaen, a type of
bamboo pipe that has prehistoric origins. The khaen traditionally accompanied the singer in
lam, the dominant style of
folk music; there are several different styles of
lam, some, such as
lam saravane, being more popular than others.
The country has two
World Heritage sites —
Luang Prabang and
Wat Phou — while the government is seeking the same status for the
Plain of Jars.
The
People's Republic of China has recently allowed its citizens to travel more freely to Laos. As such, Chinese
tourists are expected to account for 25% of the total number of visitors to Laos (up from only a few percent) in 2006. Pressures to modernize tourist infrastructure, particularly to cater to package tourism, are expected to significantly impact Luang Prabang and other culturally important Laotian cities.
All newspapers are published by the government, including two foreign language papers: the English language
Vientiane Times and the French language
Le Rénovateur. Additionally, the
Khao San Pathet Lao, the official news agency of the Lao P.D.R., publishes English and French versions of its eponymous paper. Internet cafes, serving the tourist market, are now common in the major urban centres. However, the government strictly censors content and controls access.
Satellite television dishes, beaming content from Thailand, are common throughout Laos. Many Laotians access the outside world through Thai television programs.
*
Communications in Laos*
Foreign relations of Laos*
List of Laos-related topics*
List of Laotian companies*
Military of Laos*
Scouting in Laos *
Transportation in Laos*
The National Assembly of Lao P.D.R.*
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lao P.D.R.*
Ministry of Trade of Lao P.D.R.*
Ministry of Commerce of Lao P.D.R.*
National Statistics Centre of Lao P.D.R.*[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/la.html CIA - The World Factbook: Laos]
