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Laos¶

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The Lao People's Democratic Republic is a land-locked communist state in southeast Asia, east of Thailand and west of Viet Nam. (Why is it that countries called Democratic Republics are neither democratic, or republics?) The country traces its origins to the Kingdom of Lan Xang (Land of a Million Elephants) that existed from the 14th to the 18th century. The Japanese occupied the country briefly during World War II and Laos declared independence in 1945. However, France took control and official independence was not achieved until 1949, with the French finally relinguishing full control in 1954.

Laos was dragged into the Second Indochina War (aka Vietnam War), and suffered through civil war and several coups as a result. Geographically, Laos is characterized by rugged mountains and thick forests, with a tropical climate and lots of rain from May to November. The country has a poorly developed infrastructure, and subsistence agriculture accounts for half the GDP and 80% of the employment. Laos' culture is heavily influenced by Buddhism, including language, temples, art, and literature. But many elements of the culture predate Buddhism, including music that is dominated by the khene, the national instrument that dates back to the Bronze Age.

Laos on Wikipedia

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