Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a socialist state and the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. 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. Its capital and largest city is Vientiane.
The economy of Laos is a lower-middle income developing economy. Being one of the socialist states, the Lao economic model resembles the Chinese socialist market and/or Vietnamese socialist-oriented market economies by combining high degrees of state ownership with an openness to foreign direct investment and private ownership in a predominantly market-based framework.
The foreign relations of Laos, internationally designated by its official name as the Lao People's Democratic Republic, after the takeover by the Pathet Lao in December 1975, were characterized by a hostile posture toward the West, with the government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic 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. Laos also maintained a "special relationship" with Vietnam and formalized a 1977 treaty of friendship and cooperation that created tensions with China.
Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian, is a Kra–Dai language of the Lao people. It is spoken in Laos, where it is the official language for around 7 million people, as well as in northeast Thailand, where it is used by around 23 million people, usually referred to as Isan. Lao serves as a lingua franca among the citizens of Laos, who also speak approximately 90 other languages, many of which are unrelated to Lao.
Green papaya salad is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya, that possibly originated in Laos but nowadays is eaten throughout Continental Southeast Asia. The Thai variation som tam has been listed at number 46 on World's 50 most delicious foods compiled by CNN Go in 2011 and 2018. Papaya salad was featured as Laos' national costume at the Miss Grand International 2021 pageant.
The National Assembly is the unicameral parliament of Laos. The National Assembly meets in Vientiane.
Laos has 414 km (257 mi) of 1,435 mm standard gauge railways, primarily consisting of the Boten–Vientiane railway, which opened in December 2021. It also has a 3 km (2 mi) metre gauge railway at Thanaleng terminus connected to Thailand's railway system.
Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos, Vientiane divided Administratively divided into 9 cities.as a total area of only approx 3,920 Square kilometres Located on the banks of the Mekong Close to the Thai border. Vientiane was the administrative capital during French rule and, due to economic growth in recent times, is now the economic center of Laos. The city had a population of 948,477 as of the 2020 Census.
Thanaleng station, also known as Dongphosy station, is a railway station in Dongphosy village, Hadxayfong District, Vientiane Prefecture, Laos. It is 20 km (12 mi) east of the Lao capital city of Vientiane and 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the Lao-Thai border on the Mekong River. The station opened on 5 March 2009, becoming part of the first international railway link serving Laos. Originally intended for use as a passenger station, Lao officials have stated their intention to convert it to a rail freight terminal to provide a low-cost alternative to road freight, the main mode of transport for goods entering Thailand. The station provides a connection between Vientiane and the capital cities of three other ASEAN nations: Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, and several major Southeast Asian ports.
Lao Central Airlines Public Company, operating as Lao Central Airlines, was an airline in Laos with its head office in Wattayyaithong Village, Sikhottabong District, Vientiane. The airline was founded in 2010, and ceased operations in 2014.
This page describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Laos.
Attapeu is a province of Laos in the southeast of the country. It has five districts: Samakkixay, Xaysetha, Sanamxay, Sanxay, and Phouvong, covering an area of 10,320 square kilometres (3,980 sq mi) with a population of 127,285. Its capital city lies at Attapeu.
Savannakhet is a province of Laos. The name derives from Savanh Nakhone the province's original name. It bears the same meaning as Nakhon Sawan, a city in Thailand.
The Lao League 1, known for sponsorship reasons as the Pepsi Lao League 1, is a football league representing the sport's highest level in Laos. The league is composed of five clubs for the 2022 season.
Bank of the Lao P.D.R., located in Vientiane, is the central bank of Laos. It is also the bank of last resort, controlling the money supply, managing the country's reserves, and supervising the commercial banks operating in Laos.
Pany Yathotou is a Laotian politician and member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
The Boten–Vientiane railway is a 422-kilometre (262 mi) 1,435 mmstandard gauge electrified railway in Laos, running between the capital Vientiane and the town of Boten on the border with Yunnan, China. The line was officially opened on 3 December 2021.
Laos is a nation with plentiful surface water and broad rivers, but outside of cities there is little infrastructure to make that water clean and accessible. Very little improvement has been made since the end of the Laotian Civil War in 1975, especially compared to peer nations such as Thailand. By 2015, 76% of Laotians nationwide were estimated to have access to “improved” water, while 71% were estimated to have access to “improved” sanitation.
