Country Information

South-East Asia.

236,800 sq km (91,429 sq miles).

6,695,166 (2013).

28.3 per sq km.

Vientiane.

People's Republic since 1975.

Laos is a landlocked country encircled to the north by China, to the south by Cambodia, Vietnam to the east, to the west by Thailand along with a 235km (146 mile)-long Mekong River border with Burma. Apart from the Mekong River plains, along the border to Thailand, the country is mountainous, particularly in the north, and in places is densely forested. The western border is demarcated by the Mekong River – which along with the tributaries covers about 20% of the land mass. Laos is mainly mountainous, with steep terrain, tapered river valleys. The mountains stretch across the north, except for around Vientiane and the Plain of Jars in Xiangkhoang Province. These mountains are sparsely populated by tribal minorities who traditionally have not acknowledged the border with Vietnam any more than lowland Lao have been constrained by the 1,754km (1,090 miles) Mekong River border with Thailand. Thus, ethnic minority populations are found on both the Laotian and Vietnamese sides of the frontier. Because of their relative isolation, contact between these groups and lowland Lao has been mostly confined to trading. Migration and conflict have affected the ethnic structure of the country and to the geographic distribution of its ethnic groups.

The official language is Lao; however, many tribal languages are also spoken. French, Vietnamese and some English are spoken.

The majority of the Lao people are Buddhists. The Laos-Lum (Valley Laos) people follow the Hinayana(Theravada) form of Buddhism. The religions of the Laos-Theung (Laos of the mountain tops) range from traditional Confucianism to animism and Christianity.

GMT + 7.

Religious beliefs should be respected. Lao people should not be touched on the head and women should not touch monks. Handshaking is not that usual; Lao people greet each other with their palms together and a slight bowing of the head. Take care when discussing politics and related subjects in conversation so as not to cause offence. Laos is a Buddhist country and guests should dress accordingly. Shorts or revealing clothes are never acceptable. For women, sarongs work well in the heat as do long-sleeved light cotton shirts. Shoes must be removed when entering a religious building or somebody's home. It is a legal requirement to carry an ID document or a passport, and fines for not having one for presentation on demand can be high. The Lao government prohibits sexual relationships, including sexual contact between foreign citizens and Lao nationals, except when the two parties have been married in accordance with Lao family law. Penalties for failing to register a relationship range from fines to imprisonment.

230 volts AC, 50Hz. Flat and round two-pin plugs are in use.

Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong since 2010.

President Choummaly Sayasone since 2006.

Laos became a republic in December 1975 when the king abdicated and the monarchy was abolished. Laos depended on Soviet aid right up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Now, although the government no longer runs the economy centrally, there is no move toward a multi-party system.