Laos is a Southeast Asian country traversed by the Mekong River and known for mountainous terrain, French colonial architecture, hill tribe settlements and Buddhist monasteries. Vientiane, the capital, is the site of the That Luang monument, where a reliquary reportedly houses the Buddha’s breastbone, plus the Patuxai war memorial and Talat Sao (Morning Market), a complex jammed with food, clothes and craft stalls.
Languages: Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Ethnic Groups: Lao 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, other (over 100 minor ethnic groups) 26%
Belief Systems: Buddhist 67%, Christian 1.5%, other and unspecified 31.5%
Demographics:
Population: 6.54 million people (World Rank: 106th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 73.4 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 188th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 1.33 %/yr (World Rank: 93rd) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 68.3 years (World Rank: 162nd) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 20.3 years (World Rank: 148th) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Laos
Worldatlas.com
Country Profile for Laos
United Nations
Laos - Country Profile
U.S. Library of Congress
Laos - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Tourism:
Travel Info for Laos
Travelnotes.org
Language Resources:
Government Related:
Laotian Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Laotian Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
