Karen J, "House Panel Hears Concerns About Hmong", States News Service, 26 April 1994. However, villages far from major roads can be reached only through unpaved roads that may not be accessible year-round. However, historians claim the city was an ancient Khmer settlement that formed around a Hindu temple. Present-day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to Lan Xang, which existed from the 13th century to the 18th century as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The city has a tropical monsoon climate, every month . He encouraged a renaissance of Lao fine arts and literature and improved relations with Luang Phrabang. [181], Association football is the most popular sport in Laos. These dishes always contain chili peppers, and usually some type of grilled vegetable, giving them a distinct smoky flavor, and sometimes fermented fish. The city was destroyed, valuables and historical artifacts were looted, and the population fled. [43] As late as 1945, the French drew up an ambitious plan to move massive Vietnamese population to three key areas, i.e., the Vientiane Plain, Savannakhet region, and the Bolaven Plateau, which was only derailed by the Japanese invasion of Indochina. Local tradition holds that there are three seasons (rainy, cool and hot) as the latter two months of the climatologically defined dry season are noticeably hotter than the earlier four months. Laos opened on May 2022 and it is nice to travel t. "[132], The country's most widely recognised product may well be Beerlao, which in 2017 was exported to more than 20 countries worldwide. The nation's most important government buildings, ministries, departments and foreign embassies are located in Vientiane. Pathet Lao held areas used Lao as their sole language and following the end of the Vietnam War, French began its sharp decline in Laos. [179] Only 3.5% of women and 2.1% of men between the ages of 1549 were in a polygamous union as of 2017. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of the Mekong, close to the Thai border.Vientiane was the administrative capital . Five of them were arrested and subsequently sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment on charges of treason. [47][52] Laos was requested in 1979 by Vietnam to end relations with the People's Republic of China, leading to isolation in trade by China, the United States, and other countries. The mountainous geography of Laos had impeded Laos's ground transportation development throughout the 20th century. 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. [144], Laos's population was estimated at 7.45million in 2020, dispersed unevenly across the country. The indigenous Khmers are believed to have been largely displaced or killed during the 11th and 12th centuries, when the Lao people entered the region. provided 70% of the funding for a $5.9 billion, 400-km railway line between the Chinese border and the capital Vientiane, which opened for operations in December 2021. Today, French has a healthier status in Laos than the other Francophone nations of Asia and about 35% of all students in Laos receive their education in French, with the language being a required course in many schools. The Lao PDR is one of the world's few socialist states openly endorsing communism. 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]. [76] As many as 200,000 Hmong went into exile in Thailand, with many ending up in the US. [65] Layers of Chinese Loanwords in Proto-Southwestern Tai as Evidence for the Dating of the Spread of Southwestern Tai, "Let's hope Laos hangs on to its identity", "Slavery in Nineteenth-Century Northern Thailand: Archival Anecdotes and Village Voices", Creating Laos: The Making of a Lao Space Between Indochina and Siam, 18601945, "Laos Encyclopdia Britannica Overview", "Making More Enemies than We Kill? [112] Laos is an origin country for sexually trafficked persons. Export earnings from international visitors and tourism goods are expected to generate 16% of total exports or US$270.3million in 2010, growing in nominal terms to US$484.2million (12.5% of the total) in 2020. With one-party state status of Laos, the General Secretary (party leader) holds ultimate power and authority over state and government and serves as the supreme leader. [127] Of the potential capacity of approximately 18,000 megawatts, around 8,000 megawatts have been committed for export to Thailand and Vietnam. Vientiane became one of the most important settlements in the kingdom, and in 1563 it became the kingdom's capital. With an estimated population of 760,000 in 2015, the city is also the most populous in the nation. [1] These earliest human migrants are Australo-Melanesians associated with the Hoabinhian cultureand have populated the highlands . Of the almost $6 billion cost for the China-Laos railway, the Chinese government will pay 70 percent. For example, Laotian music is dominated by its national musical instrument, the khaen, a type of bamboo mouth organ that has prehistoric origins. [13] Because of its central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom became a hub for overland trade and became wealthy economically and culturally. Sticky rice is generally preferred over jasmine rice, and sticky rice cultivation and production is thought to have originated in Laos. [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. Most of these projects will be carried out through public-private partnerships under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model as the government is encouraging the private sector . [56], On 3 December 2021, the 422-kilometre Boten-Vientiane railway, a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was opened. Laos's first expressway, the VientianeBoten Expressway, parallels both Route 13 and the BotenVientiane railway; the first section from Vientiane to Vang Vieng was opened in 2020, with other sections under construction. This sector has made significant contributions to the economic condition of Laos. In 1899, Vientiane became the capital of the French protectorate of Laos, which ensured further development in the city. US Representative Steve Gunderson, for instance, told a Hmong gathering: "I do not enjoy standing up and saying to my government that you are not telling the truth, but if that is necessary to defend truth and justice, I will do that. However, only slightly more than half of the population speaks Lao natively. [178] Polygamy, however, is still customary among some Hmong people. [76], In 1989, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with the support of the US government, instituted the Comprehensive Plan of Action, a programme to stem the tide of Indochinese refugees from Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. [141] Laos's progress is notable in comparison to similar developing countries. 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. Life expectancy 65 years (men), 68 years (women) Currency kip . [79], In 1993, Vue Mai, a former Hmong soldier and leader of the largest Hmong refugee camp in Thailand, who had been recruited by the USEmbassy in Bangkok to return to Laos as proof of the repatriation programme's success, disappeared in Vientiane. [128] As of 2021, despite cheap hydro power available in the country, Laos continues to also rely on fossil fuels, coal in particular, in the domestic electricity production. [147] Ten percent belong to other "lowland" groups, which together with the Lao people make up the Lao Loum (lowland people). According to the International Monetary Fund, as of 01.01.2020, they amounted to USD 1.128 million. The Pathet Lao were backed militarily by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong. Mapcarta, the open map. Set at the point where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet, Luang Prabang stands in front of a backdrop of a magnificent hilltop temple. The Pha That Luang Temple in Vientiane, Laos. According to independent non-profit/non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Amnesty International,[104] Human Rights Watch,[105] and Civil Rights Defenders,[106] along with the US State Department,[107] serious human rights violations such as arbitrary detentions, disappearances, free speech restrictions, prison abuses and other violations are an ongoing problem. Shortly after, the Kingdom of Champasak and the territory of Vientiane were added to the protectorate. Laos is simply one of those places that will capture your heart for years to come. [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. This slim paperback by Sam Brier and Phouphanomlack (Tee) Sangkhampone boasts an intuitive, sound-based way to learn the written Lao alphabet and sounds of the Lao language. The stated policy objectives of both the Lao government and international donors remain focused upon achieving sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. [46], During the First Indochina War, the Indochinese Communist Party formed the Pathet Lao independence organisation. They were the indigenous inhabitants of northern Laos. [58] Laos had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.59/10, ranking it 98th globally out of 172 countries. Subsistence agriculture still accounts for half of the GDP and provides 80% of employment. [54][55], The conflict between Hmong rebels and Laos continued in key areas of Laos, including in Saysaboune Closed Military Zone, Xaisamboune Closed Military Zone near Vientiane Province and Xiangkhouang Province. His reign is often regarded as Laos's golden age. Besides, this place is also considered a library containing many ancient books written by hand on palm leaves. [84] Following threats of forcible removal by the Thai government, the United States, in a significant victory for the Hmong, agreed to accept 15,000 of the refugees in 2003. While some Hmong people returned to Laos voluntarily, with development assistance from UNHCR, allegations of forced repatriation surfaced. 1353 - Lan Xang (Million Elephants) Kingdom, founded in the 14th century by Fa Ngum. 783.322 c phiu cn li tip tc c FPT Capital . 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]. Additionally, the Khao San Pathet Lao, the country's official news agency, publishes English and French versions of its eponymous paper. [61] According to the October 2007 UNODC fact book Opium Poppy Cultivation in South East Asia, the poppy cultivation area was 15 square kilometres (5.8sqmi), down from 18 square kilometres (6.9sqmi) in 2006. [63] There is a distinct rainy season from May to October, followed by a dry season from November to April. Laos is a landlocked country located in the Indochinese Peninsula. Laos financed the remaining 30% with loans from . [47][46], Laos was a key part of the Vietnam War since parts of Laos were invaded and occupied by North Vietnam since 1958 for use as a supply route for its war against South Vietnam. Other carriers serving the country include Bangkok Airways, Vietnam Airlines, AirAsia, Thai Airways and China Eastern Airlines. Area 236,800 sq km (91,400 sq miles) Major languages Lao, French. History of Laos. However, as of 2018, there are approximately 1.9million of Lao's population who could not access an improved water supply and 2.4million people without access to improved sanitation. [141] Laos's predominantly rural[142] population makes investing in sanitation difficult. [87], Lending further support to earlier claims that the government of Laos was persecuting the Hmong, filmmaker Rebecca Sommer documented first-hand accounts in her documentary, Hunted Like Animals,[88] and in a comprehensive report that includes summaries of refugee claims and was submitted to the UN in May 2006. For example, Article 8 makes it clear that Laos is a multinational state and is committed to equality between ethnic groups. [145], In the central and southern mountains, Mon-Khmer-speaking groups, known as Lao Theung or mid-slope Laotians, predominate. [150] Languages like Khmu (Austroasiatic) and Hmong (Hmong-Mien) are spoken by minorities, particularly in the midland and highland areas. An "urban" village is essentially a town.[58]. [80] Following the Vue Mai incident, debate over the Hmong's planned repatriation to Laos intensified greatly, especially in the United States, where it drew strong opposition from many American conservatives and some human rights advocates. During World War II, the city was briefly captured by Japan, but quickly recaptured by the French. When Fa Ngum was a baby, his grandfather, the reigning king, expelled Fa Ngum's father . But around the 11th and 12th centuries, the Lao and Thai came from Southern China and overtook the area. Vientiane, pronounced as "Viang-chan" in Lao, has been the Laotian capital city for 453 years. Muay Lao is an ancient martial art practiced throughout Laos, but mainly in the capital of Vientiane. Trekking in Luang Namtha Today, it remains the unofficial tourist capital. [124] Laos may have the greatest number of rice varieties in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Southeast Asia is a region in the southern part of Asia that is composed of 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand . Savada, Andrea Matles (editor) (1994) "Events in 1945". Laos will . The train arrived at the brand new Vientiane Capital Station, the largest and most important station of the line . [144], The people of Laos are often categorised by their distribution by elevation: (lowlands, midlands and upper high lands) as this somewhat correlates with ethnic groupings. Other Buddhist holy places are Wat Ong . [24], An ancient human skull was recovered in 2009 from the Tam Pa Ling Cave in the Annamite Mountains in northern Laos; the skull is at least 46,000 years old, making it the oldest modern human fossil found to date in Southeast Asia. In 2017, the country sent a team for the first time to the team events at the Southeast Asian Games. [110][111], Human rights advocates including Vang Pobzeb, Kerry and Kay Danes, and others have also raised concerns about human rights violations, torture, the arrest and detention of political prisoners as well as the detention of foreign prisoners in Laos including at the infamous Phonthong Prison in Vientiane. Lao PDR: How to Attract More Investment in Small-Scale Renewable Energy? Residents of the capital Vientiane are barred from leaving the city and outsiders must get permission to enter. [122] Rice dominates agriculture, with about 80% of the arable land area used for growing rice. [47], The foreign relations of Laos after the takeover by the Pathet Lao in December 1975 were characterised by a hostile posture toward the West, with the government of the Lao PDR 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. [45] The Japanese attempted to force Sisavang Vong (the King of Luang Phrabang) to declare Laotian independence, but on 8 April he instead simply declared an end to Laos's status as a French protectorate. [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. Laos (/los/ (listen)[9][d]), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao: ), is a socialist state and the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. [145] The Lao belong to the Tai linguistic group[146] who began migrating south from China in the first millennium CE. ", Barclay, Adam and Shrestha, Samjhana (AprilJune 2006). The Capital City of Laos (officially named Lao People's Democratic Republic) is the city of Vientiane.The population of Vientiane in the year 2007 was 6,521,998. Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. Pr-histria. head to the ancient capital of Laos - Vientiane, soak in the countryside of Pakse, and play with mischievous dolphins in 4000 Islands. Major festivals include Lao New Year celebrated around 1315 April and involves a water festival similar but more subdued than that of Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. [167] One production company's film that has succeeded to produce Lao feature films and gain international recognition is Lao New Wave Cinema's At the Horizon, directed by Anysay Keola, that was screened at the OzAsia Film Festival[168] and Lao Art Media's Chanthaly (Lao: ) directed by Mattie Do, which was screened at the 2013 Fantastic Fest. Vientiane (/ v i n t i n / vee-EN-tee-AHN, French: ; Lao: , Viangchan, pronounced [ tn]) is the capital and largest city of Laos.Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. Laos's first French-written and monarchical constitution was promulgated on 11 May 1947, and declared Laos an independent state within the French Union. 3. Government policies are determined by the party through the eleven-member Politburo of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the 61-member Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. 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. [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. . Energy Efficiency Retrofitting of Buildings Challenges and Methods", Diller, Anthony; Edmondson, Jerry; Luo, Yongxian (2004). 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