Laos
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Capital: Vientiane (Viangchan)
History
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997 and the WTO in 2013.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
236,800
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
5,083
km
|
| Border Countries |
Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km |
| Coastline |
0
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus |
| Minimum Elevation |
70
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
2,817
m
|
| Climate |
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) |
| Natural Resources |
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones |
| Arable Land |
5.91% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.42% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$2.28 billion |
| Export Items |
wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold, cassava |
| Export Partners |
Thailand 33%, China 23.4%, Vietnam 13.4% (2011) |
| Imports |
$2.65 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods |
| Import Partners |
Thailand 65.2%, China 11.1%, Vietnam 6.5% (2011) |
People
Energy
