Prince Souvanna Phouma was the leader of the neutralist faction and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times.
Laos is divided into provinces and 1 prefecture plus the Vientiane Capital city municipality. The special administrative zone, Xaisomboun, created in 1994, was dissolved on January 13, 2006. In 2013, parts of the former special administrative zone was reestablished as Xaisomboun Province.
Wattay International Airport is one of the few international airports in Laos and the country's main international gateway, serving the capital Vientiane, located 3 km (2 mi) outside of the city centre. A larger domestic terminal was constructed in 2018 and connected to the international terminal. There is a Lao Air Force installation at one end of the airport.
The French protectorate of Laos was a French protectorate forming part of the French Colonial Empire in Southeast Asia. It consisted of much of the territory of the former kingdom of Lan Xang and was part of French Indochina from 1893 until it was granted self-rule within the French Union in 1946. The Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953 establishing Laos as an independent member of the French Union. Under the Geneva Conference following France's withdrawal from Indochina after the First Indochina War, Laos was granted independence in 1954.
The Catholic Church in Laos is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The Catholic Church is officially recognized by the Lao Front for National Construction.
Laos is divided into 16 provinces and 1 prefecture plus capital city municipality. Furthermore, 1 so-called special administrative zone existed between 1994 and 2006, when it was re-merged into its surrounding provinces. Each province is subdivided into districts and then subdivided into villages.
Christianity is a minority religion in Laos. Christians in Laos number 150,000, divided approximately equally between Protestant and Catholics. There are three major Churches in Laos: the Lao Evangelical Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The Laotian government has enacted legislation aimed against Christians, and heavily monitors all Christian activities.
Laos–Russia relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Russian Federation. On 31 December 1991, Laos recognised the Russian Federation as the successor state to the Soviet Union, after the latter's dissolution. Laos has an embassy in Moscow, while Russia has an embassy in Vientiane.
The Lao National Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Vientiane, Laos, that was built in 2009. It is used mostly for football matches as well as athletics events and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2009 Southeast Asian Games.
Lao Customs is the customs service of Laos, with the responsibility of governing and overseeing the flow of goods, people and vehicles into and out of Laos; operating customs offices; and collecting import and export duty fees. The department advises businesses and travelers incountry and participates in regional and international customs-related associations and programs.
Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos, on the banks of the Mekong River near the border with Thailand. Vientiane became the capital in 1563 due to fears of a Burmese invasion but was later looted then razed to the ground in 1827 by the Siamese (Thai). 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 820,000 as at the 2015 Census.
The football (soccer) tournament at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane of Laos. The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, while the women's tournament has no age limit.
The qualification for the 2012 AFC U-16 Championship.
The 2011 AFF U-16 Youth Championship was an international football tournament that was held from 7 July to 20 July 2011, hosted by Laos for the first time.
The 2011 AFF Women's Championship was held from 16 October to 25 October 2011, hosted by Laos. All games were played at the Laos National Stadium and New Laos National Stadium.
The 2012 AFF U-16 Youth Championship is an international football tournament that was held from 2 June to 8 June 2012, hosted by Laos for the second time.
Vientiane Province is a province of Laos, located in the northwest of the country. As of 2015 the province had a total population of 419,090 people. Vientiane Province is a large province, covering an area of 15,927 square kilometres (6,149 sq mi) with 10 districts in mid north-western Laos. The province borders Luang Prabang Province to the north, Xiangkhouang Province to the northeast, Bolikhamxai Province to the east, Vientiane Prefecture and Thailand to the south, and Xaignabouli Province to the west. The principal towns are Vang Vieng and Muang Phôn-Hông. Several kilometres to the south of Vang Vieng is one of Laos's largest lakes, Nam Ngum. Much of this area, particularly the forests of the southern part, are under the Phou Khao Khouay National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area. The principal rivers flowing through the province are the Nam Song River, Nam Ngum River and the Nam Lik River.
The Lao Premier League is a football league representing the sport's highest level in Laos. The league is composed of 8 clubs following a reduction from 14 clubs for the 2017 season.
The 2014 AFF Championship qualification tournament was the qualification process for the 2014 AFF Championship, the tenth edition of the ASEAN Football Championship. It was held in Laos from 12 to 20 October 2014, and involved the five lower ranked teams in Southeast Asia. The format was a single round-robin tournament with the top two teams qualifying for the tournament proper.
The 2015 AFF U-19 Youth Championship was the 12th edition of the tournament which was held in Laos for the first time between 22 August to 4 September 2015. It was initially going to be played in Indonesia but they were suspended by FIFA in May 2015.
