Laos Population: 6,068,117 (July 2004 est.) Capital: Vientiane [ Select Another Country ]

An Introduction to Laos
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.

The Laotian Flag Three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band.

Rankings of The Most Populous Countries in the World.

1. China   2. India   3. United States   4. Indonesia   5. Brazil   6. Russia   7. Pakistan   8. Bangladesh   9. Japan 10. Nigeria

11. Mexico 12. Germany 13. Philippines 14. Vietnam 15. Egypt 16. Turkey 17. Iran 18. Ethiopia 19. Thailand 20. United Kingdom

21. France 22. Italy 23. Congo 24. Ukraine 25. South Korea 26. South Africa 27. Burma 28. Colombia 29. Spain 30. Poland

Some interesting facts and figures about Laos. Pop Growth Rate / Year:     • 2.44% Avg. Life Expectancy:     • 52.71 yrs - Male     • 56.75 yrs - Female Phone Lines:     • 61,900 (2002) Televisions:     • 52,000 (1997) Radios:     • 730,000 (1997) Internet Code:     • .la Did you know ... People from Laos are called Laotians