Laos - Country facts
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Location
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Background
Laos was under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government, ending a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.
Climate
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Terrain
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Population
6,217,141 (July 2005 est.)
Ethnic Groups
Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religions
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Languages
Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Map of Laos
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