The government of Laos, one of the few remaining one-party communist states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. At the eve of the Vietnam War, the Secret War was beginning in Laos as political factions between communist Pathet Lao and the government occurred. (approximately $100 million)0.2% of GDP (2016 est.) For example, Khammu farmers in Luang Prabang plant the rice variety khao kam in small quantities near the farm house in memory of dead parents, or at the edge of the rice field to indicate that parents are still alive.[162]. [163] The first feature-length film made after the monarchy was abolished is Gun Voice from the Plain of Jars, directed by Somchith Pholsena in 1983, although its release was prevented by a censorship board. )1.03% (2020 est. There are two plateaux, the Xiangkhoang in the north and the Bolaven Plateau at the southern end. Laos (/los/ (listen)[9][d]), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao: , French: Rpublique dmocratique populaire lao), is a socialist state and the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. After the Pathet Lao took over the country in 1975, the conflict continued in isolated pockets. The Lao Royals are now based in France, where they work to achieve a change of government in Laos. Learn more - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab. However, only slightly more than half of the population speaks Lao natively. As a low-income country, Laos faces a brain-drain problem as many educated people migrate to developed countries. )$1.111 billion (31 December 2019 est. 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]. Laos financed the remaining 30% with loans from China. [141] The authorities in Laos have recently developed an innovative regulatory framework for publicprivate partnership contracts signed with small enterprises, in parallel with more conventional regulation of state-owned water enterprises. [119] The economy receives development aid from the International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, and other international sources; and also foreign direct investment for development of the society, industry, hydropower and mining (most notably of copper and gold). [43], During World War II in Laos, Vichy France, Thailand, Imperial Japan and Free France occupied Laos. ), urban population: 38.2% of total population (2023)rate of urbanization: 2.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est. A second Provisional Government of National Unity formed by Prince Souvanna Phouma in 1962 was unsuccessful, and the situation steadily deteriorated into large scale civil war between the Royal Laotian government and the Pathet Lao. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. [169][170] In September 2017, Laos submitted Dearest Sister (Lao: ), Mattie Do's second feature film, to the 90th Academy Awards (or the Oscars) for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film, marking the country's first submission for the Oscars. )exports: 24.114 billion kWh (2019 est. )tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est. The Government [edit | edit source] According to the Franco-Lao treaty of 1953, Laos was an independent country. [152], Sixty-six percent of Laotians were Theravada Buddhist, 1.5 percent Christian, 0.1 percent Muslim, 0.1 percent Jewish, and 32.3 percent were other or traditional (mostly practitioners of Satsana Phi) in 2010. At the same time, Laos has expanded its economic reliance on the West and other Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. )industrial: 170 million cubic meters (2017 est. All newspapers are published by the government, including two foreign language papers: the English-language daily Vientiane Times and the French-language weekly Le Rnovateur. )0.85% (2019 est. While some Hmong people returned to Laos voluntarily, with development assistance from UNHCR, allegations of forced repatriation surfaced. It is produced by the Lao Brewery Company. )female: 10.3% (2020 est. [25] Stone artefacts including Hoabinhian types have been found at sites dating to the Late Pleistocene in northern Laos. In 1950, the French were forced to give Laos semi-autonomy as an "associated state" within the French Union. Laos has nine daily newspapers, 90 magazines, 43 radio stations, and 32 TV stations operating throughout the country. The attack resulted in the RLA largely demobilising, leaving the conflict to irregular ethnic Hmong forces of the "Secret Army" backed by the United States and Thailand, and led by General Vang Pao. Fa Ngum's eldest son, Oun Heuan, ascended to the throne under the name Samsenethai and reigned for 43years. Five of them were arrested and subsequently sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment on charges of treason. )industry: 33.2% (2017 est. In 2017, the country sent a team for the first time to the team events at the Southeast Asian Games. Additionally, the Khao San Pathet Lao, the country's official news agency, publishes English and French versions of its eponymous paper. Between 20,000 and 62,000 Laotians died during the civil war. [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). (approximately $120 million)0.2% of GDP (2018 est.) Between 1763 and 1769, Burmese armies overran northern Laos and annexed Luang Prabang, while Champasak eventually came under Siamese suzerainty. [73] The officials were to participate in a ceremony to mark the liberation of the Plain of Jars from the former Royal Lao government forces. [citation needed], Massive aerial bombardments against the PAVN/Pathet Lao forces were carried out by the United States to prevent the collapse of the Kingdom of Laos central government, and to deny the use of the Ho Chi Minh Trail to attack US forces in South Vietnam. [155] Government expenditure on health is about four percent of GDP,[155] about US$18 (PPP) in 2006. [41] Under French rule, the Vietnamese were encouraged to migrate to Laos, which was seen by the French colonists as a rational solution to a labour shortage within the confines of an Indochina-wide colonial space. Laos held the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2016. )subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2020 est. Thailand (invested US$4.489billion) and Vietnam (invested US$3.108billion) are the second and third largest investors respectively. 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. [85] Several thousand Hmong people, fearing forced repatriation to Laos if they were not accepted for resettlement in the United States, fled the camp to live elsewhere within Thailand where a sizeable Hmong population has been present since the 19th century. [36], A Siamese military campaign in Laos in 1876 was described by a British observer as having been "transformed into slave-hunting raids on a large scale".[37]. )government consumption: 14.1% (2017 est. WebKingdom of Laos - Etsy Check out our kingdom of laos selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. WebThe Kingdom of Laos was a constitutional monarchy that ruled Laos beginning with its independence on 9 November 1953. ", "Laos Deputy PM Douangchay Phichit dies in plane crash", "Laos plane crash kills defence minister and senior officials", "Lao Defense Chief Among Plane Crash Victims", "Hmong Leader's Vanishing In Laos Reverberates in U.S.", Reports on results of investigations of allegations concerning the welfare of Hmong refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand and Laos, "Refugee Admissions Program for East Asia", "History of the Hmong Resettlement Task Force", Report on the situation in the Xaysomboun Special Zone and 1100 Hmong-Lao refugees who escaped to Petchabun, Thailand during 20042005, Thailand: EU Presidency Declaration on the situation of Hmong refugees, "Hmong refugees facing removal from Thailand", Deportation of Hmong Lao refugees stopped in last minute, Hmong: UNHCR Protests Refugee Deportation, "Somsanga's Secrets | Arbitrary Detention, Physical Abuse, and Suicide inside a Lao Drug Detention Center", "In charts: How the Philippines fares in Southeast Asia", "Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review: Eighth session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council", "Human Rights Watch Concerns on Laos Submitted in advance of the EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue October 2015", "Human Rights Abuses in Laos Must be Tackled Now", "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016", "Free former student leaders arbitrarily detained for 17 years", "Amnesty International Report 2016/17: Laos", "Laos, Vietnam troops kill Hmong Christians", "Laos, Vietnam troops kill four Hmong Christians: NGO", "Two teenagers rescued from forced prostitution in Laos", "Chinese marriage proposals become prostitution nightmares for some Lao girls", "Communism and Capitalism Are Mixing in Laos", https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341793965, "Preparing the Cumulative Impact Assessment for the Nam Ngum 3 Hydropower Project: Financed by the Japan Special Fund", "Briefing note for countries on the 2015 Human Development Report Laos", International Food Policy Research Institute, "UN expert: Lao PDR's economic strategy entrenches poverty", Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, European Council On Tourism And Trade Delegation Visit To Laos-World Best Tourist Destination European Council On Tourism And Trade, "The Lao People's Democratic Republic's Vision for Ecotourism", "China's BRI and its High-Speed Railways to Nowhere", "Focales n 8. [181], Association football is the most popular sport in Laos. )services: 45.9% (2017 est. [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. o din: Sato Shinsuke. Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic. The mountainous geography of Laos had impeded Laos's ground transportation development throughout the 20th century. [125], Laos is rich in mineral resources and imports petroleum and gas. ), degree of risk: very high (2020)food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fevervectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria, total: 8.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est. eBay Money Back Guarantee. [59], In 1993 the Laos government set aside 21% of the nation's land area for habitat conservation preservation. [126] In addition, the country's plentiful water resources and mountainous terrain enable it to produce and export large quantities of hydroelectric energy. [100], Ostensibly, the Constitution of Laos that was promulgated in 1991 and amended in 2003 contains most key safeguards for human rights. [56], On 3 December 2021, the 422-kilometre Boten-Vientiane railway, a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was opened. Recognition of Laotian Independence, 1950. The constitution and Family Code bar the legal recognition of polygamous marriages, stipulating that monogamy is the principal form of marriage in the country. [47] As of 22March2021[update] the head of state is President Thongloun Sisoulith. [19][20][21][22][23] In the Lao language, the country's name is Muang Lao () or Pathet Lao (), both of which literally mean 'Lao Country'. [140], Laos has made particularly noteworthy progress increasing access to sanitation. WikiMatrix In spite of war in this tiny landlocked kingdom of Laos, the angel flying in midheaven keeps the door open for the message of the Kingdom to be sounded. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. Ngum was descended from a long line of Lao kings that traced back to Khoun Boulom. (approximately $95 million)0.2% of GDP (2015 est.) According to the World Bank data conducted in 2014, Laos has met the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets on water and sanitation regarding the UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Programme. 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. [183] Since the start of the league, Lao Army F.C. )note: the Laos Government officially recognizes 49 ethnic groups, but the total number of ethnic groups is estimated to be well over 200. [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. Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam, total: 236,800 sq kmland: 230,800 sq kmwater: 6,000 sq km, about twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Utah, total: 5,274 kmborder countries (5): Burma 238 km; Cambodia 555 km; China 475 km; Thailand 1,845 km; Vietnam 2,161 km, tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April), mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus, highest point: Phu Bia 2,817 mlowest point: Mekong River 70 mmean elevation: 710 m, timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones, agricultural land: 10.6% (2018 est. Currently unexploded ordnance (UXO), including cluster munitions and mines, kill or maim approximately 50 Laotians every year. [124] Laos may have the greatest number of rice varieties in the Greater Mekong Subregion. note: data are in current year dollars$6.985 billion (2019 est. [81] Debate on the issue escalated quickly. )wine: 0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est. [17][18], The word Laos was coined by the French, who united the three Lao kingdoms in French Indochina in 1893 and named the country as the plural of the dominant and most common ethnic group, the Lao people. Let's say that Thailand, being inspired by Russia's recent moves towards Ukraine, decides that Laos is a fake country that deserves to be reunified with the Thai motherland. Laos used to be a part of Thailand and the Lao and Thai languages are mutually intelligible. So, Thailand decides to invade Laos. )consumption: 5,108,640,000 kWh (2019 est. The Lao alphabet, which evolved sometime between the 13th and 14th centuries, was derived from the ancient Khmer script and is very similar to Thai script. Department of Statistics, Ministry of Planning and Investment, 2009. Typically, SEZs grant China multi-decade leases to develop the land. In the case of Boten, Laos agreed to a 90-year land-lease deal with China. Also like in Cambodia, such agreements give the impression that Laos is becoming, or is already, a semi-colony of China. (2022)domestic: fixed-line nearly 20 per 100 and 56 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by Chinanote: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services, 6 TV stations operating out of Vientiane - 3 government-operated and the others commercial; 17 provincial stations operating with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the government-operated stations in Vientiane; Chinese and Vietnamese programming relayed via satellite from Lao National TV; broadcasts available from stations in Thailand and Vietnam in border areas; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations; state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies - 1 AM, 1 SW, and 3 FM; LNR's AM and FM programs are relayed via satellite constituting a large part of the programming schedules of the provincial radio stations; Thai radio broadcasts available in border areas and transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are also accessible, total: 2,473,689 (2020 est. Moreover, 130,000 deaths can be attributed to the civil war. [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. However, villages far from major roads can be reached only through unpaved roads that may not be accessible year-round. There are some public holidays, festivities and ceremonies in Laos. WebWho is the father of Laos? ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) Policy Brief Series, No 7. [77] Pressure to resettle the refugees grew as the Thai government worked to close its remaining refugee camps. [165] The 2017 documentary feature film Blood Road was predominantly shot and produced in Laos with assistance from the Lao government, it was recognised with a News and Documentary Emmy Award in 2018. Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th century under King FA NGUM. Recognised asylum seekers were given resettlement opportunities, while the remaining refugees were to be repatriated under guarantee of safety. It is one of the last five communist countryballs Navigate Main page Recent changes Random page Administrators' noticeboard Explore Countryballs Historical Countryballs Userbox icons Community Wiki Discussions Discord )note: data are in 2017 dollars, 2.53% (2021 est. After talks with the UNHCR and the Thai government, Laos agreed to repatriate the 60,000 Lao refugees living in Thailand, including several thousand Hmong people. )8,401.335 (2018 est. A number of Laotian sign languages are used in areas with high rates of congenital deafness.[46]. ), lowest 10%: 3.3%highest 10%: 30.3% (2008), revenues: 3.099 billion (2017 est. Sell now. Etsy Search for items or shops 183 ] Since the start of the nation 's land area for habitat conservation preservation encouraging private enterprise in.! 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