However, historians claim the city was an ancient Khmer settlement that formed around a Hindu temple. Lao People's Democratic Republic or Laos (), is a country in southeast Asia. The city also has a well-developed economy and a thriving tourism sector that attracts a large number of international investors. If you drive into town, you might not even realize when you're actually in the city proper, as Vientiane blends seamlessly with the countryside. [44] On 9 March 1945, a nationalist group declared Laos once more independent, with Luang Prabang as its capital, but on 7 April 1945 two battalions of Japanese troops occupied the city. [28], Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang ('million elephants'), which was founded in the 13th century by a Lao prince, Fa Ngum,[29]:223 whose father had his family exiled from the Khmer Empire. Under Vietnamese pressure, he rebelled against the Siamese in 1826. For example, Laotian music is dominated by its national musical instrument, the khaen, a type of bamboo mouth organ that has prehistoric origins. Local tradition holds that there are three seasons (rainy, cool and hot) as the latter two months of the climatologically defined dry season are noticeably hotter than the earlier four months. The Tai-Kadai Languages, ":: Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission, R.o.c. Sticky rice is a staple food and has cultural and religious significance to the Lao people. [81] Debate on the issue escalated quickly. The Lao National Tourism Administration, related government agencies and the private sector are working together to realise the vision put forth in the country's National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan. From the river bank inland, the three main roads run parallel to the river, while the . Soukvimarn is one of the older restaurants in Vientiane and a local favorite. Laos's first expressway, the VientianeBoten Expressway, parallels both Route 13 and the BotenVientiane railway; the first section from Vientiane to Vang Vieng was opened in 2020, with other sections under construction. Subsistence agriculture still accounts for half of the GDP and provides 80% of employment. Laos is landlocked (it does not have a coast on a sea or ocean). With an estimated population of 760,000 in 2015, the city is also the most populous in the nation. Laos Laos is the only . [47][46], The First Indochina War took place across French Indochina and eventually led to French defeat and the signing of a peace accord for Laos at the Geneva Conference of 1954. [47][52] Laos was requested in 1979 by Vietnam to end relations with the People's Republic of China, leading to isolation in trade by China, the United States, and other countries. It is produced by the Lao Brewery Company. [144], Laos's population was estimated at 7.45million in 2020, dispersed unevenly across the country. In response, the United States initiated a bombing campaign against the PAVN positions, supported regular and irregular anti-communist forces in Laos, and supported Army of the Republic of Vietnam incursions into Laos. Over the years, Vientiane has experienced civil wars, internal conflicts, and agitations which ultimately led to the freedom of Laos from French rule, and then from monarchial rule in 1975. [149], Hill people and minority cultures of Laos such as the Hmong, Yao (Mien) (Hmong-Mien), Dao, Shan, and several Tibeto-Burman speaking peoples have lived in isolated regions of Laos for many years. Major religion Buddhism. [49] Due to the particularly heavy impact of cluster bombs during this war, Laos was a strong advocate of the Convention on Cluster Munitions to ban the weapons and was host to the First Meeting of States Parties to the convention in November 2010. The mining industry of Laos has received prominent attention with foreign direct investments. In 2017, Laos suffered fiscal and monetary difficulties which resulted in low levels of foreign reserves. During World War II, the city was briefly captured by Japan, but quickly recaptured by the French. The sinh is a traditional garment worn by Lao women in daily life. Between 1995 and 2008 approximately 1,232,900 more people had access to improved sanitation in rural areas. Laos produced tin, rubber, and coffee, but never accounted for more than one percent of French Indochina's exports. You'll find yourself slowly won over by the easy charms of this evolving . Thailand (invested US$4.489billion) and Vietnam (invested US$3.108billion) are the second and third largest investors respectively. [178] Polygamy, however, is still customary among some Hmong people. Buddha park in Vientiane, Laos. [54][55], The conflict between Hmong rebels and Laos continued in key areas of Laos, including in Saysaboune Closed Military Zone, Xaisamboune Closed Military Zone near Vientiane Province and Xiangkhouang Province. [95], Human rights violations remain a significant concern in Laos. Laos is thus the 22nd biggest country in Asia and in terms of area ranked 84th worldwide. [101] On 25 September 2009, Laos ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, nine years after signing the treaty. [24], An ancient human skull was recovered in 2009 from the Tam Pa Ling Cave in the Annamite Mountains in northern Laos; the skull is at least 46,000 years old, making it the oldest modern human fossil found to date in Southeast Asia. What is the Difference Between Democrats and Republicans. In the late 19th century, Luang Prabang was ransacked by the Chinese Black Flag Army. Trekking in Luang Namtha [48], Some 80million bombs failed to explode and remain scattered throughout the country, rendering vast swaths of land impossible to cultivate. 500 BC - The Plain of Jars, one of the most important prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia, dates from between 500 BC and 500 AD. [179] Only 3.5% of women and 2.1% of men between the ages of 1549 were in a polygamous union as of 2017. "Laos agrees to voluntary repatriation of refugees in Thailand", U.P.I., 5 June 1991. This slim paperback by Sam Brier and Phouphanomlack (Tee) Sangkhampone boasts an intuitive, sound-based way to learn the written Lao alphabet and sounds of the Lao language. The Mekong River is vital as a transportation route for cargo and passengers, a source of electricity at dams, a water supply for crops, and a home to fish . More than half of the nation's population is ethnic Laothe principal lowland inhabitants, and the politically and culturally dominant people of Laos. Government policies are determined by the party through the eleven-member Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the 61-member Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. The national carrier is Lao Airlines. Calculating U.S. Great day in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. [154] Healthy life expectancy was 54 years in 2007. Pr-histria. The airport in Paske was completed in 2009 with one terminal for both international and domestic flights. The land has a total area of 236,800 km (91,429 mi). Laos will . In their opposition of the repatriation plans, Democratic and Republican Members of Congress challenged the Clinton administration's position that the government of Laos was not systematically violating Hmong human rights. Nearly three-quarters of Laos is covered in mountains and forested hills that are too steep to live on. In 1996 as the deadline for the closure of Thai refugee camps approached, and under mounting political pressure, the United States agreed to resettle Hmong refugees who passed a new screening process. Evidence for modern human presence in the northern and central highlands of Indochina, that constitute the territories of the modern Laotian nation-state dates back to the Lower Paleolithic. and Yurnaidi, Z., 2020. Photo: Tango7174, CC BY-SA 4.0. Population 6.7 million. But around the 11th and 12th centuries, the Lao and Thai came from Southern China and overtook the area. SE Asia. has been the most successful club with 8 titles, the highest number of championship wins. When Fa Ngum was a baby, his grandfather, the reigning king, expelled Fa Ngum's father . [43], During World War II in Laos, Vichy France, Thailand, Imperial Japan and Free France occupied Laos. [47][46], Laos was a key part of the Vietnam War since parts of Laos were invaded and occupied by North Vietnam since 1958 for use as a supply route for its war against South Vietnam. The Pha That Luang Temple in Vientiane, Laos. Vientiane has been the capital since 16th century. Residents of the capital Vientiane are barred from leaving the city and outsiders must get permission to enter. Some Vietnamese, Laotian Chinese[148] and Thai minorities remain, particularly in the towns, but many left after independence in the late 1940s, many of whom relocated either to Vietnam, Hong Kong, or to France. Vientiane Capital is the home to the most significant national monument in Laos: That Luang (Great Stupa), which is the symbol of Lao and an icon of Buddhism in Laos. [1] These earliest human migrants are Australo-Melanesians associated with the Hoabinhian cultureand have populated the highlands . Export earnings from international visitors and tourism goods are expected to generate 16% of total exports or US$270.3million in 2010, growing in nominal terms to US$484.2million (12.5% of the total) in 2020. [121] The irrigated areas under cultivation account for only 28% of the total area under cultivation which, in turn, represents only 12% of all of the agricultural land in 2012. Laos does not have a well-developed capital market, although government policies increasingly support the formation of capital and free flow of financial resources. [156] Laos was ranked 117th in the Global Innovation Index in 2021 down from 113rd in 2020.[157][158][159][160][161]. [83] Around 5,000 Hmong people who were not resettled at the time of the camp closures sought asylum at Wat Tham Krabok, a Buddhist monastery in central Thailand where more than 10,000 Hmong refugees had already been living. "Lao Refugees Return Home Under European Union Repatriation Program", Associated Press Worldstream, 22 11, 1994. Other terms are Khmu, Khamu (Kammu) or Kha as the Lao Loum refer to them to indicate their Austroasiatic language affiliation. The small nation is bordered by China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Vientiane (/ v i n t i n / vee-EN-tee-AHN, French: ; Lao: , Viangchan, pronounced [ tn]) is the capital and largest city of Laos.Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. The capital city has more of a small town feel than that of a capital. However, as of 2018, there are approximately 1.9million of Lao's population who could not access an improved water supply and 2.4million people without access to improved sanitation. [46], The official and majority language is Lao, a language of the Tai-Kadai language family. Laos is a landlocked country located in the Indochinese Peninsula. Amnesty International raised concerns about the ratification record of the Lao government on human rights standards and its lack of co-operation with the UN human rights mechanisms and legislative measuresboth impact negatively upon human rights. It is bordered by Myanmar (used to be known in English as "Burma") and by China to the northwest, by Vietnam to the east, by Cambodia to the south and by . Updated on November 19, 2021. [97] The organisation also raised concerns in relation to freedom of expression, poor prison conditions, restrictions on freedom of religions, protection of refugees and asylum-seekers, and the death penalty. Laos is a part of the Southeast Asian region. [76], In 1989, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with the support of the US government, instituted the Comprehensive Plan of Action, a programme to stem the tide of Indochinese refugees from Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. More than a century later, the kingdom was replaced by the Kingdom of Vientiane in 1707. [85] Several thousand Hmong people, fearing forced repatriation to Laos if they were not accepted for resettlement in the United States, fled the camp to live elsewhere within Thailand where a sizeable Hmong population has been present since the 19th century. Vientiane has a total area of 3,920 square km and an average elevation of 174 m. The city experiences a tropical savanna climate. "Laos refuses to take back Thai-based Hmong refugees", Smith, Philip, Washington, D.C. (12 December 2014), Kyophilavong, Phouphet, et al. [128] As of 2021, despite cheap hydro power available in the country, Laos continues to also rely on fossil fuels, coal in particular, in the domestic electricity production. 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. Currently unexploded ordnance (UXO), including cluster munitions and mines, kill or maim approximately 50 Laotians every year. Laos (/los/ (listen)[9][d]), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao: ), is a socialist state and the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. [125], Laos is rich in mineral resources and imports petroleum and gas. In fact, it feels more like a welcoming village, nestled in a bend of the Mekong River, Vientiane is dotted with temples and quirky, accessible attractions like the Buddha Park featuring surreal statues of the Buddha and the Monk Chat, a monthly opportunity to hang out with, you guessed it, monks. In 1950, the French were forced to give Laos semi-autonomy as an "associated state" within the French Union. [84] Following threats of forcible removal by the Thai government, the United States, in a significant victory for the Hmong, agreed to accept 15,000 of the refugees in 2003. Since the founding of the Lao PDR in 1975, very few films have been made in Laos. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the communist Pathet Lao came to power, ending the civil war. The Thai government attempted to repatriate these refugees, but the Wat Tham Krabok Hmong refused to leave and the Lao government refused to accept them, claiming they were involved in the illegal drug trade and were of non-Lao origin. [77] Pressure to resettle the refugees grew as the Thai government worked to close its remaining refugee camps. Vientiane, also spelled Viangchan, largest city and capital of Laos, situated on a plain just northeast of the Mekong River. [19][20][21][22][23] In the Lao language, the country's name is Muang Lao () or Pathet Lao (), both of which literally mean 'Lao Country'. Pathet Lao held areas used Lao as their sole language and following the end of the Vietnam War, French began its sharp decline in Laos. The capital of Laos is Vientiane. Laos Capital City, Vientiane. 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