Country guide - Laos  

 
 

Introduction: Laos was a former French Indochinese state, but is the least developed of the three. It is a landlocked country located on the Indo-Chinese Peninsula of South East Asia. It is bound by Vietnam to the east, Myanmar (Burma) and China to the north and north east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west.

Official Name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
Area: 236,800 Sq Km (91,429 Sq Miles)
Population: 5,920,000
Continent: Asia
Density per square mile: 65
Capital City: Vientiane
Religions: The Lao Lum and Lao Thai are mostly Buddhists, (60%), while the Lao Theung are Animists and the Lao Soung are a mixture of Animists, Christians and Confucianists, (40%).

Language: Lao and Lao dialects (closely related to Thai), French & English.
Government: Socialist republic

Currency: New Kip
GDP: $9.9 billion
GDP Per Head: $1,700

Natural Resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Land Use: Arable Land 3.5%
Agriculture: sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Industry: Rice, tobacco, coffee, tin mining, timber, and opium.

Tourism: Laos is the least developed and most enigmatic of the three former French Indochinese states.

Natural Hazards: Droughts & Floods
Health Risks: Cholera, dengue fever, hepatitis, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, rabies, typhoid & HIV/AIDS.

Climate: Laos has a tropical climate and two seasons. A wet season during the SW Monsoon which occurs between May - October and a dry season during the NE Monsoon from November - April. Rainfall is at its heaviest in July and August with average annual rainfall ranging from 50 - 90 inches) Average temperature ranges in Vientiane are from 14 to 34 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

Time: GMT/UTC + 7 hours
National Days: December 2

Visas: Tourist visas may be obtained at the Vientiane and Luang Prabang international airports and the Thai Laos Friendship Bridge on arrival on payment of 30 American Dollars cash and provision of a passport photograph. These are valid for 14 days and can be renewed at the Department of Immigration. At all other international border crossing points open to foreigners (not all are), a visa must be obtained prior to arrival. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic does not have an embassy in the United Kingdom. Visa applications can be made before arrival at: Laotian representation in the UK.

British Embassy Details

 

The contents above, from www.bestbackpackersinsurance.co.uk is for information purposes only and we have tried to ensure that the information is as accurate as possible. We cannot accept any responsibility for any inconvenience, loss or injury as a result of the information above. You should always check and verify any critical information like visas, health and safety and customs with the relevant authorities before you travel since information can change at any time.