| Administrative divisions of Laos |
|---|
| First-level |
| Second-level |
| Third-level |
Laos is divided into 17 provinces (khoueng) and one prefecture (nakhon louang) which includes the capital city Vientiane (Nakhon Louang Viangchan). Provinces are further divided into districts (muang) and then villages (ban). An 'urban' village is essentially a town. [1]
Officially, Laos is divided into 3 administrative tiers, with different types of administrative unit on each tier:
| Level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Prefecture (ນະຄອນຫຼວງ nakhon louang) | District (ເມືອງ mueang) | Village (ບ້ານ baan) |
| Province (ແຂວງ khoueng) |
Each Laotian province is subdivided into districts ( muang ) and then subdivided into villages (baan).
Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian, is the official language of Laos and a significant language in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Spoken by over 3 million people in Laos and 3.7 million in all countries, it serves as a vital link in the cultural and social fabric of these areas. It is written in the Lao script, an abugida that evolved from ancient Tai scripts.
The Khorat Plateau is a plateau in the northeastern Thai region of Isan. The plateau forms a natural region, named after the short form of Nakhon Ratchasima, a historical barrier controlling access to and from the area.
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is divided into 17 provinces and one prefecture, the Vientiane capital city municipality. The special administrative zone, Xaisomboun, created in 1994, was dissolved on 13 January 2006. In 2013, parts of the former special administrative zone was reestablished as Xaisomboun province.
Mueang, Muang, Mong, Meng or Mường (Vietnamese) were pre-modern semi-independent city-states or principalities in mainland Southeast Asia, adjacent regions of Northeast India and Southern China, including what is now Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, parts of northern Vietnam, southern Yunnan, western Guangxi and Assam.
Laos is divided into 17 provinces and 1 prefecture, or capital city municipality. Furthermore, 1 so-called special administrative zone existed between 1994 and 2006, when it was re-merged into its surrounding provinces. The Xaisomboun special administrative zone was later recreated as the 17th province. Each province is subdivided into districts and then subdivided into villages.
Suwannaphum is a district (amphoe) of Roi Et province, in eastern Thailand. It is named after the legendary country of Suwannaphum, which according to Thai tradition was on the Chao Phraya plain. It was the seat of a small Lao mandala kingdom until the Laotian Rebellion of 1826-1829 ended vestiges of Lao independence west of the Mekong.
Pa Sang is a district (amphoe) of Lamphun province, northern Thailand.
Mueang Bueng Kan is a capital district of Bueng Kan province, northeastern Thailand. It is 759 km north-northeast of Bangkok.
Phuan or Northeastern Lao is a Tai language spoken in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Tha Uthen is a district (amphoe) of Nakhon Phanom province, northeastern Thailand.
Phu Phan is a district (amphoe) of Sakon Nakhon province, northeast Thailand.
Khok Si Suphan is a district (amphoe) of Sakon Nakhon province, northeast Thailand.
Mueang Ubon Ratchathani is the capital district of Ubon Ratchathani province, northeastern Thailand.
The Kingdom of Vientiane was formed in 1707 as a result of the split of the Kingdom of Lan Xang. The kingdom was a Burmese vassal from 1765 to 1779. It then became a Siamese vassal until 1828 when it was annexed by Siam.
Asian Highway 12 (AH12) is a route of the Asian Highway Network, with a length of 1,195 km that runs from AH3 in Nateuy, Laos, through Muang Xay, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Saraburi until its terminus at AH1 in Nong Khae District, Saraburi Province, Thailand.
Muang Sing is a small town and district (muang) in Luang Namtha Province, northwestern Laos, about 60 kilometres northwest of the town of Luang Namtha and 360 kilometres northwest of Vientiane. It lies very close to the border with Yunnan, China, surrounded by mountains and rivers. Historically, Muang Sing has been a major producer of opium and still has problems with drugs and smuggling, due to its proximity to China and Myanmar.
Bolikhamsai is a province of Laos. Pakxan, Thaphabat, Pakkading, Borikhane, Viengthong, and Khamkeut are its districts and Pakxan is its capital city. The province is the site of the Nam Theun 2 Dam, the country's largest hydroelectric project.
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.
Luang Namtha is a province of Laos in the country's north. From 1966 to 1976 it formed, together with Bokeo, the province of Houakhong. Luang Namtha province covers an area of 9,325 square kilometres (3,600 sq mi). Its provincial capital is Luang Namtha. The province borders Yunnan, China to the north, Oudomxai province to the east and southeast, Bokeo province to the southwest, and Shan State, Myanmar to the northwest.
Thailand is a unitary state, which means the territories are separated into central co-dependencies, with the central government deciding everything for the provinces. The kingdom is separated into multiple levels including regions, provinces, and many more. Though, formally, Thailand is separated into three levels: provinces, districts, and sub-districts, there are also informal divisions such as parimonthon, and phak. Furthermore, there are administrative divisions of the same level with different names such as the first-level divisions of the province and the special administrative region.
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