It briefly gained independence in 1945 after Japanese occupation but was re-colonised by France until it won autonomy in 1949. [47] Between 1964 and 1973, the US dropped two million tons of bombs on Laos, nearly equal to the 2.1million tons of bombs the US dropped on Europe and Asia during all of World War II, making Laos the most heavily bombed country in history relative to the size of its population; The New York Times notes this was "nearly a ton for every person in Laos". Vientiane was a Khmer (remember Cambodia?) Of the 2,908,440 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX. [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. [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. For example, Article 8 makes it clear that Laos is a multinational state and is committed to equality between ethnic groups. These include the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly of Laos. King Sisavang Vong of Luang Phrabang became ruler of a unified Laos, and Vientiane once again became the capital. [147] Ten percent belong to other "lowland" groups, which together with the Lao people make up the Lao Loum (lowland people). [13] Because of its central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom became a hub for overland trade and became wealthy economically and culturally. 4 min. 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. 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. "Laos refuses to take back Thai-based Hmong refugees", Smith, Philip, Washington, D.C. (12 December 2014), Kyophilavong, Phouphet, et al. In the late 19th century, Luang Prabang was ransacked by the Chinese Black Flag Army. Trekking in Luang Namtha In 2010, one in every 11 jobs was in the tourism sector. He later died under suspicious circumstances in a re-education camp. English, the language of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has become increasingly studied in recent years. . [citation needed], According to estimates, around 300,000 people fled to Thailand as a consequence of governmental repressions. Patuxay Vientiane Laos, Sunrise in morning at at Patuxai. Savada, Andrea Matles (editor) (1994) "Events in 1945". Additionally, the Khao San Pathet Lao, the country's official news agency, publishes English and French versions of its eponymous paper. Five of them were arrested and subsequently sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment on charges of treason. 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. [19] In English, the 's' is pronounced, and not silent. [9] Durante o quarto milnio a.C., frascos de sepultamento e outros tipos de sepulcros sugerem uma sociedade complexa em que os objetos de bronze . 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. A major breakthrough occurred in December 2021, when the 414-km long standard-gauge BotenVientiane railway that runs from the capital Vientiane to Boten at the northern border with China, built as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, was opened. [69] Trade relations with the United States were normalised in November 2004 through Congress approved legislation. Major festivals include Lao New Year celebrated around 1315 April and involves a water festival similar but more subdued than that of Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. The small nation is bordered by China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. The Pha That Luang Temple in Vientiane, Laos. Gunderson, Steve (18 May 1996) "State Department Outlines Resettlement Guidelines for Hmong Refugees". Getty Images offers exclusive rights-ready and premium royalty-free analog, HD, and 4K video of the highest quality. According to a Laotian epic, Vientiane was founded on the Mekong Rivers eastern banks by a prince named Thattaradtha. Since July, 2021 the United States has shared 2,908,440 safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses with the people of Laos - free of cost. Laos is a part of the Southeast Asian region. Political power is centralized in the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. The attack resulted in the RLA largely demobilising, leaving the conflict to irregular ethnic Hmong forces of the "Secret Army" backed by the United States and Thailand, and led by General Vang Pao. Fa Ngum's eldest son, Oun Heuan, ascended to the throne under the name Samsenethai and reigned for 43years. [104], In October 1999, 30 young people were arrested for attempting to display posters calling for peaceful economic, political and social change in Laos. It consists of an irregularly round portion in the north that narrows into a peninsula-like region stretching to the southeast. The city is Laos' capital and is located along the banks of the Mekong River. Capital: Vientiane. After talks with the UNHCR and the Thai government, Laos agreed to repatriate the 60,000 Lao refugees living in Thailand, including several thousand Hmong people. [26] Archaeological evidence suggests an agriculturist society developed during the 4th millennium BC. Theravada Buddhism is a dominant influence in Lao culture. [127] Of the potential capacity of approximately 18,000 megawatts, around 8,000 megawatts have been committed for export to Thailand and Vietnam. [34], Chao Anouvong was installed as a vassal king of Vientiane by the Siamese. The constitution also contains provisions for gender equality, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of press and assembly. Laos's first French-written and monarchical constitution was promulgated on 11 May 1947, and declared Laos an independent state within the French Union. The area was originally settled because of the fertility of the surrounding alluvial plains, and Vientiane became the capital city of Laos around the mid 16th century. The organisation estimates that there are 173,800 French speakers in Laos (2010 est.). . The National University of Laos, one of the country's three universities, is located in Vientiane. In 2017, Laos suffered fiscal and monetary difficulties which resulted in low levels of foreign reserves. What is the Difference Between Democrats and Republicans. The Lao subsequently established their own kingdom named the Lan Xang in 1354. 400 AD - Theravada Buddhism was introduced to Laos. Besides, this place is also considered a library containing many ancient books written by hand on palm leaves. With the end of isolationism in the early 1990s however, the French language rebounded, thanks to the establishment of French, Swiss and Canadian relations and opening of French-language centers in central Laos. [38] France rescued King Oun Kham and added Luang Phrabang to the protectorate of French Indochina. He encouraged a renaissance of Lao fine arts and literature and improved relations with Luang Phrabang. [169][170] In September 2017, Laos submitted Dearest Sister (Lao: ), Mattie Do's second feature film, to the 90th Academy Awards (or the Oscars) for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film, marking the country's first submission for the Oscars. [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. [181], Association football is the most popular sport in Laos. ", Barclay, Adam and Shrestha, Samjhana (AprilJune 2006). A coup d'tat in 1960 in the Lao capital, Vientiane, deepened the country's political instability. The French language's decline was slower and occurred later than in Vietnam and Cambodia in Laos as the monarchy of Laos had close political relations with France. The close ties between Laos and Vietnam were formalised via a treaty signed in 1977, which has since provided direction for Lao foreign policy, and provides the basis for Vietnamese involvement at all levels of Lao political and economic life. [176][177], Polygamy is officially a crime in Laos, though the penalty is minor. Area 236,800 sq km (91,400 sq miles) Major languages Lao, French. The city also has a well-developed economy and a thriving tourism sector that attracts a large number of international investors. [75], Some Hmong groups fought as CIA-backed units on the royalist side in the Laotian Civil War. A man who lost land and property to the Laos-China railway project near the capital said he has yet to receive any promised money. SE Asia. [96][97] In The Economist's Democracy Index 2016 Laos was classified as an "authoritarian regime", ranking lowest of the nine ASEAN nations included in the study. Lao Soung account for about 10% of the population. Located on a curve of the Mekong River, Vientiane Capital has a recorded history that stretches back to around 1,000 AD. Other Hmong fighters hid out in mountains in Xiangkhouang Province for many years, with a remnant emerging from the jungle in 2003. [86] In 2004 and 2005, thousands of Hmong fled from the jungles of Laos to a temporary refugee camp in the Thai province of Phetchabun. [43], During World War II in Laos, Vichy France, Thailand, Imperial Japan and Free France occupied Laos. [citation needed], On 2 December 1975, after taking control of the country, the Pathet Lao government under Kaysone Phomvihane renamed the country as the Lao People's Democratic Republic and signed agreements giving Vietnam the right to station armed forces and to appoint advisers to assist in overseeing the country. Laos will . An "urban" village is essentially a town.[58]. Vientiane Capital, the capital city of Lao PDR, is a small, relaxed city, located in the central of Laos. [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. "[132], The country's most widely recognised product may well be Beerlao, which in 2017 was exported to more than 20 countries worldwide. [98][99] Prominent civil society advocates, human rights defenders, political and religious dissidents, and Hmong refugees have disappeared at the hands of Lao military and security forces. You'll find yourself slowly won over by the easy charms of this evolving . Of the many beautiful Wats in Vientiane, a visit to Wat Sisaket is a must; built in 1818, this is one of the oldest temples in Vientiane. In 1950, the French were forced to give Laos semi-autonomy as an "associated state" within the French Union. [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. Laos produced tin, rubber, and coffee, but never accounted for more than one percent of French Indochina's exports. "Muay" comes from the Sanskrit term meaning "to box" but is generally used to describe the unarmed martial art found throughout Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Pr-histria. The national basketball team competed at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games where it beat Myanmar in the eighth place game.[185]. The indigenous Khmers are believed to have been largely displaced or killed during the 11th and 12th centuries, when the Lao people entered the region. Overall, the country extends about 650 miles (1,050 km) from northwest to southeast. A new province, Xaisomboun province , was established on 13 December 2013. French is used in government and commerce, and Laos is a member of the French-speaking organisation of La Francophonie. The 1957 document was abrogated in December 1975, when a communist people's republic was proclaimed. "Effects of AFTA on poverty: Evidence from Laos. and Yurnaidi, Z., 2020. The main international airports are Vientiane's Wattay International Airport and Luang Prabang International Airport with Pakse International Airport also having a few international flights. [130] According to the Global Hunger Index (2018), Laos ranks as the 36th hungriest nation in the world out of the list of the 52 nations with the worst hunger situation(s). His reign is often regarded as Laos's golden age. The revised constitution of 11 May 1957 omitted reference to the French Union, though close educational, health and technical ties with the former colonial power persisted. The country encompasses a total area of 237,955 square km and had a . provided 70% of the funding for a $5.9 billion, 400-km railway line between the Chinese border and the capital Vientiane, which opened for operations in December 2021. 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. [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. Vientiane, also spelled Viangchan, largest city and capital of Laos, situated on a plain just northeast of the Mekong River. Laos is a landlocked country located in the Indochinese Peninsula. The remainder, particularly in rural areas, speak ethnic minority languages. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}18N 105E / 18N 105E / 18; 105. Laos has the youngest population of any country in Asia with a median age of 21.6 years. However, villages far from major roads can be reached only through unpaved roads that may not be accessible year-round. [119] The economy receives development aid from the International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, and other international sources; and also foreign direct investment for development of the society, industry, hydropower and mining (most notably of copper and gold). Location: Champasak Province, Laos. There is limited external and internal telecommunication, but mobile phones have become widespread. A Chinese firm's plans to build a 100-meter-high Buddha statue in low-lying Vientiane encapsulate China's outsized . From 1975 to 1996, the United States resettled some 250,000 Lao refugees from Thailand, including 130,000 Hmong. His ministers, unable to tolerate his ruthlessness, forced him into exile to the present-day Thai province of Nan in 1373,[31] where he died. The Lao alphabet, which evolved sometime between the 13th and 14th centuries, was derived from the ancient Khmer script and is very similar to Thai script. [154] Healthy life expectancy was 54 years in 2007. Asia. [104] Later reports have contradicted this, claiming they were sentenced to 20 years in prison. Vientiane authorities have pledged to carry out 30 large-scale development projects from now until 2025 in a bid to accelerate the Lao capital's economic growth. [78] Of those Hmong who did return to Laos, some quickly escaped back to Thailand, describing discrimination and brutal treatment at the hands of Lao authorities. Address: 133 Chanthakhoummarn Road, Chanthabouly district. Located on the Mekong River the city has 950,000 inhabitants. Lan Xang became an important trade centre during Samsenthai's reign, but after his death in 1421 it collapsed into warring factions for nearly a century. He describes his experience in the Lao capital in fine detail, making the minutiae come alive. [108] In late February 2017, two of those imprisoned were finally released after 17 years. The main investor is Thailand. According to the International Monetary Fund, as of 01.01.2020, they amounted to USD 1.128 million. It was built in 1556, when the capital was moved from Luang Prabang to Vientiene, and took 6 years to complete. The city's central river port location in a country relying heavily on its rivers for transportation and its surrounding hinterland of intensive rice cultivation have made Vientiane the major economic centre of Laos. Laos Capital City, Vientiane. It is estimated that about 37% of educated Laotians live outside Laos. Layers of Chinese Loanwords in Proto-Southwestern Tai as Evidence for the Dating of the Spread of Southwestern Tai, "Let's hope Laos hangs on to its identity", "Slavery in Nineteenth-Century Northern Thailand: Archival Anecdotes and Village Voices", Creating Laos: The Making of a Lao Space Between Indochina and Siam, 18601945, "Laos Encyclopdia Britannica Overview", "Making More Enemies than We Kill? All these changes were partly due to the inflow of foreign capital into the Lao economy in the form of direct investment. Today, French has a healthier status in Laos than the other Francophone nations of Asia and about 35% of all students in Laos receive their education in French, with the language being a required course in many schools. [42] By 1943, the Vietnamese population stood at nearly 40,000, forming the majority in the largest cities of Laos and enjoying the right to elect its own leaders. Lao PDR: How to Attract More Investment in Small-Scale Renewable Energy? [46], During the First Indochina War, the Indochinese Communist Party formed the Pathet Lao independence organisation. [72], On 17 May 2014, Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Douangchay Phichit was killed in a plane crash, along with other top ranking officials. [47], The foreign relations of Laos after the takeover by the Pathet Lao in December 1975 were characterised by a hostile posture toward the West, with the government of the Lao PDR aligning itself with the Soviet Bloc, maintaining close ties with the Soviet Union and depending heavily on the Soviets for most of its foreign assistance. [150] Languages like Khmu (Austroasiatic) and Hmong (Hmong-Mien) are spoken by minorities, particularly in the midland and highland areas. [27] Burial jars and other kinds of sepulchers suggest a complex society in which bronze objects appeared around 1500 BC, and iron tools were known from 700 BC. Laos is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, the ASEAN, East Asia Summit, and La Francophonie. [73] The officials were to participate in a ceremony to mark the liberation of the Plain of Jars from the former Royal Lao government forces. Mon-Khmer groups, the Hmong, and other indigenous hill tribes live in the foothills and mountains. [33], In 1637, when Sourigna Vongsa ascended the throne, Lan Xang further expanded its frontiers. Visiting Vientiane, Laos, elicits such a diversity of opinions from travelers, it's often hard . Capital: Vientiane. [175] Lao citizens who have criticised the government have been subjected to enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and torture. [145] The Lao belong to the Tai linguistic group[146] who began migrating south from China in the first millennium CE. Cities []. [citation needed], The Lao government controls all media channels to prevent critique of its actions. [155] The National University of Laos is the Lao state's public university. [100], Ostensibly, the Constitution of Laos that was promulgated in 1991 and amended in 2003 contains most key safeguards for human rights. [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. [101] On 25 September 2009, Laos ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, nine years after signing the treaty. Laos(nume oficial: Republica Popular Democrat Laos) este un stat fr ieire la mare din Asia de Sud-Est, ce se nvecineaz cu Birmania (Myanmar) i China la nord-est, cu Vietnamul la est, cu Cambodgia la sud i cu Thailanda la vest. [89], The European Union,[90] UNHCHR, and international groups have since spoken out about the forced repatriation. [76] As many as 200,000 Hmong went into exile in Thailand, with many ending up in the US. 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