Laos

Country	Laos
Flag
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)
Population	6,834,942 (July 2009 est.)
GMT	+7
Location	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Area	total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
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
Government type	Communist state
National holiday	Republic Day, 2 December (1975)
Constitution	promulgated 14 August 1991
Legal system	based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Background	Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination 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 and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997.
Internet country code	.la