Laos

Lao Fowk's Democratic Republic ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ (Lao) Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
Banner Emblem
Motto: ສັນຕິພາບ ເອກະລາດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ເອກະພາບ ວັດທະນາຖາວອນ (Scots: "Peace, unthirldom, democracy, unity an prosperity")
Anthem: "Pheng Xat Lao" (Inglis: "Lao Naitional Anthem")
Location o  Laos  (green) in ASEAN  (dark grey)  —  [Legend]
Caipital and largest city	Vientiane 17°58′N 102°36′E
Offeecial leids	Lao
Spoken leids	Lao Hmong Khmu French
Ethnic groups (2005)	53.2% Lao 11% Khmu 9.2% Hmong 3.4% Phouthay 3.1% Tai 2.5% Makong 2.2% Katang 2.0% Lue 1.8% Akha 11.6% ithera
Releegion	Buddhism 64.7% Laotian fowk releegion 31.4% Christianity 1.7% Islam 0.8% Ither 1.3%
Demonym(s)	Laotian Lao
Govrenment	Unitar Marxist-Leninist ane-pairty socialist republic
• General Secretary o the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and Preses	Thongloun Sisoulith
• Prime Meenister	Phankham Viphavanh
• Party Standing Secretary and Vice Preses	Bounthong Chitmany
• Vice Preses	Pany Yathotou
• Preses o the Naitional Assemmly	Saysomphone Phomvihane
Legislatur	Naitional Assemmly
Formation
• Kinrick o Lan Xang	1354–1707
• Faw o Lan Xang, Kinrick o Luang Phrabang, Kinrick o Vientiane, Kinrick o Champasak an Principality o Phuan	1707–1778
• Vassal o Thonburi an Siam	1778–1893
• War o Succession	1826–1828
• French Indocheenae	1893–1949
• Unthirldom frae Fraunce	19 Julie 1949
• Declared Independence	22 October 1953
• Laotian ceevil war	9 November 1953 – 2 December 1975
• Lao Monarchy abolished	2 December 1975
• Current constitution	14 August 1991
• ASEAN Declaration	23 Julie 1997
Aurie
• Total	237,955 km2 (91,875 sq mi) (82nt)
• Water (%)	2
Population
• 2016 estimate	6,758,353 (104t)
• 2015 census	7,096,376 6,492,228
• Density	26.7/km2 (69.2/sq mi) (177t)
GDP (PPP)	2017 estimate
• Total	$44.639 billion
• Per capita	$6,115
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Tot	$14.971 billion
• Per capita	$2,051
Gini (2008)	36.7 medium
HDI (2015)	0.586 medium · 138th
Currency	Kip (LAK)
Time zone	ICT
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Drivin side	right
Cawin code	856
ISO 3166 code	LA
Internet TLD	.la
Includin ower 100 smawer ethnic groups.

Territorial Organization

Laos (pronounced /ˈlɑː.oʊs/ ^{(deprecatit template)}, /ˈlaʊ/, or /ˈleɪ.ɒs/), offeecially the Lao Fowkdemocratic Republic, is a landlocked kintra in Sootheast Asie, bordered bi Burma an Fowkrepublic o Cheenae tae the northwast, Vietnam tae the east, Cambodie tae the sooth an Thailand tae the wast.

Laos traces its history tae the Kinrick o Lan Xang or Land o a Million Elephants, which existit frae the 14t tae the 18t century. Efter a period as a French protectorate, it gained unthirldom in 1949. A lang ceevil war endit offeecially when the Communist Pathet Lao movement came tae pouer in 1975. The offeecial leid is Lao. Maist fowk are Buddhist wi a significant proportion o indigenous releegion as well. It is a member o the Association o Sootheast Asian Naitions (ASEAN), East Asie Summit an La Francophonie.

Etymology

In the Lao leid, the kintra's name is "Meuang Lao (ເມືອງລາວ)" which literally means "Lao Kintra." The French, who unitit the three separate Lao kinricks in French Indocheenae in 1893, spelled it wi a final silent "s," tae signify the unity o multiple Lao kinricks, hyne "Laos". The Lao leid itsel haes nae final "s" soond, sae Lao fowk pronoonce it as in thair native tongue tho some, especially thae livin abroad, uise the pronunciation endin in "s".

Administrative diveesions

Province map

Main airticles: Provinces o Laos an Destricts o Laos

Laos is dividit intae 16 provinces (qwang) an ane prefecture (Nakhonluang ViengChan) which includes Vientiane Caipital (Na Kone Luang Vientiane). Provinces are faur dividit intae districts (muang) an then veelages (baan). An 'urban' veelage is essentially a toun.