Set at the point where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet, Luang Prabang stands in front of a backdrop of a magnificent hilltop temple. [123] Approximately 77% of Lao farm households are self-sufficient in rice. All things considered, it . Cities []. English, the language of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), has become increasingly studied in recent years. [179] Only 3.5% of women and 2.1% of men between the ages of 1549 were in a polygamous union as of 2017. The country encompasses a total area of 237,955 square km and had a . Laos was then dependent on military and economic aid from the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991. The stupa is open from 8am-4pm daily (with a one hour break from 12-1) and costs 5,000 kip to enter the inside. 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. US Representative Steve Gunderson, for instance, told a Hmong gathering: "I do not enjoy standing up and saying to my government that you are not telling the truth, but if that is necessary to defend truth and justice, I will do that. 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. [69] Trade relations with the United States were normalised in November 2004 through Congress approved legislation. Luang Prabang and Vat Phou are both UNESCO World Heritage sites. The city was destroyed, valuables and historical artifacts were looted, and the population fled. Mountain/hill tribes of mixed ethno/cultural-linguistic heritage are found in northern Laos, which include the Lua and Khmu people who are indigenous to Laos. [46], During the First Indochina War, the Indochinese Communist Party formed the Pathet Lao independence organisation. Population 6.7 million. Laos is a part of the Southeast Asian region. Asia. [145], In the central and southern mountains, Mon-Khmer-speaking groups, known as Lao Theung or mid-slope Laotians, predominate. 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. Location: Champasak Province, Laos. [141] Access rose rapidly from 10 percent in 1995 to 38 percent in 2008. [151] . 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. Sticky rice is generally preferred over jasmine rice, and sticky rice cultivation and production is thought to have originated in Laos. Gently cut cilantro resting atop a raging furnace of flavor. Laos is a part of the Southeast Asian region. 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. SE Asia. The Pathet Lao were backed militarily by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong. Collectively, they are known as Lao Soung or highland Laotians. [181], Association football is the most popular sport in Laos. One of the most problematic economic sectors in Laos is transport. 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. [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. Savada, Andrea Matles (editor) (1994) "Events in 1945". [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. 500 BC - The Plain of Jars, one of the most important prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia, dates from between 500 BC and 500 AD. The constitution also contains provisions for gender equality, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of press and assembly. [43], During World War II in Laos, Vichy France, Thailand, Imperial Japan and Free France occupied Laos. The city has a tropical monsoon climate, every month . Theravada Buddhism is a dominant influence in Lao culture. 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. Area 236,800 sq km (91,400 sq miles) Major languages Lao, French. The Lao League is the top professional league for association football clubs in the country. [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. Lao People's Democratic Republic or Laos (), is a country in southeast Asia. French is also used in public works in central and southern Laos and Luang Prabang and is a language of diplomacy and of the elite classes, higher professions and elders. 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 . Vientiane was a Khmer (remember Cambodia?) Buddha park in Vientiane, Laos. Settathirath disappeared in the mountains on his way back from a military expedition into Cambodia, and Lan Xang fell into more than seventy years of instability, involving both Burmese invasion and civil war. Lao Basics: An Introduction to the Lao Language. King Sisavang Vong of Luang Phrabang became ruler of a unified Laos, and Vientiane once again became the capital. Even the capital Vientiane feels like a relaxed riverfront town. Compared to the hectic, bustling capitals in other South . [110][111], Human rights advocates including Vang Pobzeb, Kerry and Kay Danes, and others have also raised concerns about human rights violations, torture, the arrest and detention of political prisoners as well as the detention of foreign prisoners in Laos including at the infamous Phonthong Prison in Vientiane. The Lao government has been working with the International Rice Research Institute of the Philippines to collect seed samples of each of the thousands of rice varieties found in Laos. Patuxay, Vientiane Laos, Sunrise in the morning at at Patuxai. Paul Lvy, ''Histoire du Laos'', PUF, 1974. Between 1995 and 2008 approximately 1,232,900 more people had access to improved sanitation in rural areas. [122] Rice dominates agriculture, with about 80% of the arable land area used for growing rice. The Laos government, through attorney Colin M. Thompson, filed the petition on Monday and also named Lao . [140], Laos has made particularly noteworthy progress increasing access to sanitation. [26] Archaeological evidence suggests an agriculturist society developed during the 4th millennium BC. [citation needed], The Lao government controls all media channels to prevent critique of its actions. Laos is now an independent country with an elected government, and Vientiane is its official capital. Fa Ngum, with 10,000 Khmer troops, conquered many Lao principalities in the Mekong river basin, culminating in the capture of Vientiane. [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. From the river bank inland, the three main roads run parallel to the river, while the . The train arrived at the brand new Vientiane Capital Station, the largest and most important station of the line . By 1940, around 600 French citizens lived in Laos. During World War II, the city was briefly captured by Japan, but quickly recaptured by the French. Lao People's Democratic Republic", Asian Migrations: Social and Geographical Mobilities in Southeast, East, and Northeast Asia, "Release of the Global Innovation Index 2020: Who Will Finance Innovation? Karen J, "House Panel Hears Concerns About Hmong", States News Service, 26 April 1994. Laos will . [90][91][92][93] The Thai foreign ministry has said that it will halt deportation of Hmong refugees held in Detention Centres in Nong Khai, while talks are underway to resettle them in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States. [143], The term "Laotian" does not necessarily refer to the Lao language, ethnic Lao people, language or customs. Vientiane is the capital and largest city in Laos. The major roads connecting to urban centres, in particular Route 13, have been significantly upgraded in recent years. Laos financed the remaining 30% with loans from . Entitled The Rocket, the film appeared at the 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival and won three awards at the Berlin International Film Festival. [139]:8 Songthaews are used in the country for long-distance and local public transport. and Yurnaidi, Z., 2020. 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. [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. [56], On 3 December 2021, the 422-kilometre Boten-Vientiane railway, a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was opened. [175] Lao citizens who have criticised the government have been subjected to enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and torture. 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. The Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand, where the mountains of the Annamite Range form most of the eastern border with Vietnam and the Luang Prabang Range the northwestern border with the Thai highlands. Updated on November 19, 2021. Vientiane: Laos' Capital City . The remainder, particularly in rural areas, speak ethnic minority languages. Vientiane, the capital city of Laos in the 1990s. Additionally, many elite and French-educated Lao immigrated to nations such as the United States and France to escape government persecution. In 1960, amidst a series of rebellions in the Kingdom of Laos, fighting broke out between the Royal Lao Army (RLA) and the communist North Vietnamese and Soviet Union-backed Pathet Lao guerillas. Energy Efficiency Retrofitting of Buildings Challenges and Methods", Diller, Anthony; Edmondson, Jerry; Luo, Yongxian (2004). However, historians claim the city was an ancient Khmer settlement that formed around a Hindu temple. [15][16] Laos has been referred to as one of Southeast Asia and Pacific's fastest growing economies by the World Bank with annual GDP growth averaging 7.4% since 2009. About 3km to the north of the city, it is easy to reach the centre from the airport by taxi, tuk tuk or bus. 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. The capital city has more of a small town feel than that of a capital. [47][46], In 1968, the PAVN launched a multi-division attack to help the Pathet Lao fight the RLA. [43] Otherwise, according to Martin Stuart-Fox, the Lao might well have lost control over their own country. 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. Vientiane is the largest city with an area of 3,920km and the most populous in Laos with a population of 562,244. [43] As late as 1945, the French drew up an ambitious plan to move massive Vietnamese population to three key areas, i.e., the Vientiane Plain, Savannakhet region, and the Bolaven Plateau, which was only derailed by the Japanese invasion of Indochina. Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan, is a . However, villages far from major roads can be reached only through unpaved roads that may not be accessible year-round. Department of Statistics, Ministry of Planning and Investment, 2009. In 2017, the country sent a team for the first time to the team events at the Southeast Asian Games. 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? Laos has nine daily newspapers, 90 magazines, 43 radio stations, and 32 TV stations operating throughout the country. The Lao PDR is one of the world's few socialist states openly endorsing communism. The city is Laos' capital and is located along the banks of the Mekong River. Bangkok - Hanoi - Laos by Air 9 nights from $1,615*. [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). [14] It is a one-party socialist republic, espousing MarxismLeninism and governed by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, under which non-governmental organisations have routinely characterised the country's human rights record as poor, citing repeated abuses such as torture, restrictions on civil liberties and persecution of minorities. Residents of Laos' capital Vientiane on October 16 witnessed the arrival of the first passenger high-speed train running on the new Laos-China railway line which will, after some test runs, come into full operation in December . The Lao subsequently established their own kingdom named the Lan Xang in 1354. Xinhua That Luang Festival celebrated in Vientiane, Laos Candlelight parade surrounding the That Luang Stupa in Lao capital Vientiane on the night of Nov. 11, 2019. . [19] In English, the 's' is pronounced, and not silent. However, the latter is considered pejorative, meaning 'slave'. The airport in Paske was completed in 2009 with one terminal for both international and domestic flights. This land area is approximately 59% of the area of California. 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. Lao Theung constitute about 30% of the population. More than half of the nation's population is ethnic Laothe principal lowland inhabitants, and the politically and culturally dominant people of Laos. [138] Two new lines connecting with Vietnam, namely the VientianeVng ng and SavannakhetLao Bao railways, are also under planning, in line to meet the Laotian government's vision of becoming a land-linked nation. Currently unexploded ordnance (UXO), including cluster munitions and mines, kill or maim approximately 50 Laotians every year. [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. Laos, landlocked country of northeast-central mainland Southeast Asia. His reign is often regarded as Laos's golden age. Vientiane is the largest city in Laos and functions as: Houses the Presidential Palace. [133], The tourism sector has grown rapidly, from 80,000 international visitors in 1990, to 1.876million in 2010,[134] when tourism had been expected to rise to US$1.5857billion by 2020. [171], As of 2018, Laos has three theatres dedicated to showing films.[172]. 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. [57], Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, and it lies mostly between latitudes 14 and 23N (a small area is south of 14), and longitudes 100 and 108E. [182] Its national football team is a member of the Asian Football Confederation and of the ASEAN Football Federation. "Laos refuses to take back Thai-based Hmong refugees", Smith, Philip, Washington, D.C. (12 December 2014), Kyophilavong, Phouphet, et al. Laos Capital City, Vientiane. [87], Lending further support to earlier claims that the government of Laos was persecuting the Hmong, filmmaker Rebecca Sommer documented first-hand accounts in her documentary, Hunted Like Animals,[88] and in a comprehensive report that includes summaries of refugee claims and was submitted to the UN in May 2006. [80] Following the Vue Mai incident, debate over the Hmong's planned repatriation to Laos intensified greatly, especially in the United States, where it drew strong opposition from many American conservatives and some human rights advocates. [153][154] Buddhism has long been one of the most important social forces in Laos. Laos is the only landlocked nation in Southeast Asia. All these changes were partly due to the inflow of foreign capital into the Lao economy in the form of direct investment. Laos is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement, the ASEAN, East Asia Summit, and La Francophonie. (Lao: , pronounced Loo-ang pah-bang and also spelled Louangphrabang, is the former capital of Laos and a UNESCO World Heritage city. "Lao Refugees Return Home Under European Union Repatriation Program", Associated Press Worldstream, 22 11, 1994. "Laos agrees to voluntary repatriation of refugees in Thailand", U.P.I., 5 June 1991. 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. Located on the Mekong River the city has 950,000 inhabitants. In an effort to halt the planned repatriation, the Republican-led USSenate and House of Representatives both appropriated funds for the remaining Thailand-based Hmong to be immediately resettled in the United States; Clinton, however, responded by promising a veto of the legislation. In 2009, despite the fact that the government is still officially communist, the Obama administration in the US declared Laos was no longer a MarxistLeninist state and lifted bans on Laotian companies receiving financing from the US Export-Import Bank.[117][118]. [citation needed]. Five of them were arrested and subsequently sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment on charges of treason. In 1990 only 8% of the rural population had access to improved sanitation. Under Vietnamese pressure, he rebelled against the Siamese in 1826. The capital city of Hanoi is ready to further expand friendship and cooperation activities in various fields, including those of people-elected . 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