Country	Laos
Capital	Vientiane
Continent	Asia
Currency	Kip(LAK)
Languages	Lao

Locaion

Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Geographic Co ordinates

18 00 N, 105 00 E

Land Boundries

Total:5,083 km
Border countries:Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km

Geography - note

landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand

Population

6,993,767 (July 2010 est.)
Country comparison to the world:100

Nationality

Noun:Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
Adjective:Lao or Laotian

Ethnic groups

Lao 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups) 26% (2005 census)

Religions

Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5% (2005 census)

Languages

Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages

Country Name

Conventional long form:Lao People's Democratic Republic
Conventional short form:Laos
Local long form:Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
Local short form:Pathet Lao (unofficial)

Government Type

Communist state

Capital

Name:Vientiane (Viangchan)
Geographic coordinates:17 58 N, 102 36 E
Time difference:UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions

16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 capital city* (nakhon luang, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xekong, Xiangkhoang

Independence

19 July 1949 (from France)

National Holiday

Republic Day, 2 December (1975)

Constitution

promulgated 14 August 1991; amended in 2003

Legal system

based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state:President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006); Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006)
Head of government:Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Lt. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit (since 8 June 2006), SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 27 March 2001)
Cabinet:Ministers appointed by president, approved by National Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website)
Elections:president and vice president elected by National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held on 8 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly for five-year term
Election results:CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 97%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote from a list of candidates selected by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to serve five-year terms)
Elections:last held 30 on April 2006 (next to be held in 2011)
Election results:percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 113, independents 2

Judicial branch

People's Supreme Court (the president of the People's Supreme Court is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of the People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National Assembly Standing Committee)

Political Parties and Leaders

Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

International organization participation

ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador PHIANE Philakone
Chancery:2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone:[1] (202) 332-6416
FAX:[1] (202) 332-4923

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission:Ambassador Ravic R. HUSO
Embassy:19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam, Vientiane
Mailing address:American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546
Telephone:[856] 21-26-7000
FAX:[856] 21-26-7190

Flag description

three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band

Video

View Larger Map

Government - The National Portal of Laos Ministry Of Education
Newspapers -  Vientiane Times Le Renovateur Vientiane Mai Pasaxon KPL
Tourism -         Tourism - Laos

Google News

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