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Yoshi
08-22-2005, 18:49
History: The early history of Laos was dominated by the wider Nanzhao kingdom, which was succeeded in the 14th century by the local kingdom of Lan Xang (or Land of a Million Elephants) that lasted until its decline in the 18th century, after which Thailand assumed control of the separate principalities that remained. These then came under French influence during the 19th century and were incorporated into French Indochina in 1893. Following a Japanese occupation during World War II, the country became independent in 1949 as the Kingdom of Laos under the leadership of King Sisavang Vong.

Political unrest in neighboring Vietnam dragged Laos into the greater Second Indochina War which was a destabilizing factor that contributed to civil war and several coups d'état. In 1975 the communist Pathet Lao backed by the Soviets and communist Vietnamese overthrew the royalist government of King Savang Vatthana who were backed by the US and France. After taking control of the country, they promptly renamed it the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced by a relaxation of economic restrictions in the late 1980s and the admission into ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in 1997.

Map: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/maps/la-map.gif

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Utah

Capital: Vientiane

Bordering countries: Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Vietnam

Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)

Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Environment - current issues: unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water

Natural hazards: floods, droughts

Population: 6,217,141 Population growth rate: 2.42%, Birth rate: 35.99 births/1,000 population, Death rate: 11.83 deaths/1,000 population, Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,700 (2003 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 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%

Currency: The KIP is the official currency of the Lao PDR and bank notes are presently in denomination of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 Kip.
There are money exchange facility at the airports, and several licensed bureau in towns.

Exports: $365.5 million, Imports: $579.5 million (2004 est.)

A note on Trade: Foreign trade figures for Laos do not reflect the large volume of illegal trade in opium and other products, mostly with Thailand; some estimates put smuggling at half of all trade, legal and illegal.

Military - note: Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on the Lao-Burma border (2005)

Disputes - international: Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; Laos and Thailand pledge to complete demarcation of boundaries in 2005, while ongoing disputes over squatters and boundary encroachment by Thailand including Mekong River islets persist; in 2004 Cambodian-Laotian boundary commission agrees to re-erect missing markers in two adjoining provinces; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels

Illicit drugs: estimated cultivation in 2004 - 10,000 hectares, a 45% decrease from 2003; estimated potential production in 2004 - 49 metric tons, a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003 (2005)

Politics: The only legal political party is the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The head of state is a president (currently Khamtay Siphandone) elected by parliament for a five-year term. The head of government is a prime minister (currently Bounnyang Vorachit) appointed by the president with parliamentary approval. Government policies are determined by the party through the all-powerful nine-member Politburo and the 49-member Central Committee. Important government decisions are vetted by the Council of Ministers.

Laos adopted a new constitution in 1991. The following year, elections were held for a new 85-seat National Assembly with members elected by secret ballot to 5-year terms. This unicameral parliament, expanded in 1997 elections to 99 members, approves all new laws, although the executive branch retains authority to issue binding decrees. The most recent elections took place in February 2002 when the assembly was expanded to 109 members.

Customs, Gestures and Common Courtesies: The generally accepted form of greeting among Lao people is the Nop, placing one's palms together in a position of praying, at chest level, but not touching the body. The higher the hand, the greater the sign of respect, although they should never be held above the level of the nose. This is accompanied by a slight bow to show respect to persons of higher status or age. The Nop is not only an expression of greeting, but also of thanks, of regret or saying goodbye. However, it is appropriate to shake hands with westerners.

As in many Asian cultures, the head is considered the most sacred part of the body, and the soles of the feet are the lowliest. One should not touch a person's head nor use one's foot to point at a person or any object. Men and women rarely show affection in public. It is forbiden for a women to touch a Buddhist monk.

It is customary to remove one's shoes or sandals when entering a Buddhist temple or private home. In Lao PDR, homes are raised off the ground, shoes or sandals are left at the stairs. In a traditional home, one sits on low seats or cushions on the floor. Men may sits with legs crossed or folded to one side. Women sits with legs gracefully folded to the side. Guest may be served tea or fruit, which should not be refused. On should at least take a taste.

Sources:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/la.html
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/maps/la-map.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laos
http://www.laoembassy.com/
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/latoc.html