Country Information on Laos

Terrain Two-thirds of Laos is forested and only 10% of the country is considered suitable for agriculture. Rivers and mountains dominate the country's topography. The largest river, the Mekong (Nam Khong), runs the entire length of the country, providing fertile flood plains for agriculture and forming the country's border with Thailand. It is also Laos' main transportation artery. Over 70% of the country consists of mountains and plateaus. The Annamite Chain, bordering Vietnam, runs parallel to the Mekong for half the length of the country. The rugged mountains average between 1500 and 3000 m in height, and at their southern extremity open up to form the Bolaven Plateau, a 10,000-km²-area. The highest mountain is Phu Bia (2819 m) in northern Laos. Climate The annual Asian monsoon cycle gives Laos two distinct seasons: May to October is wet, and November to April is dry. Temperatures vary according to altitude. In the Mekong River Valley, the highest temperatures occur between March and April (38°C) and the lowest between December and January (15°C). During most of the rainy season, daytime temperatures average around 29°C in the lowlands and 25°C in the mountain valleys. Fauna/Flora Laos has one of the most pristine ecologies in Southeast Asia. Vegetation consists primarily of varieties associated with monsoon forests, such as teak, Asian rosewood and bamboo. About 50% of the country is covered with primary forest and another 30% with secondary growth. Species found in greater numbers include the Javan mongoose, Siamese hare, leopard cat, tiger, Irrawaddy dolphin, and a few Javan rhinos thought to survive in the Bolaven Plateau. History/Politics The Lao people, the predominant ethnic group in present-day Laos, migrated into Laos from southern China from the 8th century AD onwards. They are a branch of the Thai-speaking peoples who by this time had established a powerful kingdom (Nanchao) in south-western China. In the 14th century the first Laotian state was founded, the Lan Xang kingdom, which ruled Laos until it split into three separate kingdoms in 1713. During the 18th century the three kingdoms came under Siamese (Thai) rule. In 1893 they became a French protectorate, when the territory was incorporated into the Union of Indochina. During World War II, the Japanese occupied Indochina and a Lao resistance group, Lao Issarak, was formed to prevent the return of the French. Independence was achieved in 1953, but conflict persisted between royalist, neutralist and communist factions. The USA began bombing North Vietnamese troops on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in eastern Laos in 1964, escalating conflict between the royalist Vientiane government and the communist Pathet Lao who fought alongside the North Vietnamese. A coalition government was formed after the cease-fire in 1973, but when Saigon fell in 1975, most of the royalists left for France. The Pathet Lao peacefully took control of the country and the Lao People's Democratic Republic came into being in December 1975. Laos remained closely allied to the Vietnamese Communists throughout the 1980s. In August 1991, the Supreme People's Assembly adopted a new constitution that dropped all references to socialism but retained the one-party state. Laos cemented ties with its neighbours when it was welcomed into ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in 1996. President General Khamatai Siphandon has been the country's chief of state since February 1998. In a March 2001 government reshuffle, finance minister Boungnang Vorachith replaced Sisavat Keobounphan as prime minister. Economy The government of Laos has been decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise since 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, have been striking growth averaging 7% in the period between 1988 and 1996. The unemployment rate was at a low 5.7% in 1997. Major industries are tin and gypsum mining, timber, agricultural processing, construction and tourism. Laos has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications. Subsistence agriculture accounts for half of the country's gross domestic product and provides 80% of total employment. The growth in gross domestic product from app. 4% in 1999 was far below average in the region, and the inflation rate was at 167 % in spring of 2000. Culture Festivals in Laos are generally linked to agricultural seasons or historical Buddhist holidays. The lunar new year starts in mid-April and the entire country celebrates. Bun Bang Fai (the rocket festival) in May. It's a pre-Buddhist celebration with plenty of processions, music and dancing, accompanied by the firing of bamboo rockets to prompt the heavens to send rain.