Laos country Information

Geography

Southern Laos is located on the Indo-Chinese peninsula between Vietnam in the East, Cambodia in the South and Thailand in the West, where the line of border is largely determined by the Mekong River. The northern part of the country is on the south-east Asian mainland, where Laos borders on Myanmar and China. The landscape is characterized by mountain ranges, the highest mountains reaching altitudes of over 2,000 m. The country is sparsely populated with a density of 26 inhabitants/km2

Population

With a density of only 26 inhabitants per km², the country is sparsely populated. The Mekong delta, where the largest cities are situated, has the highest density. The capital Vientiane, which is both the political and cultural center, has a population of 350,000. The national and official language is Lao, closely related to Thai. It is generally not a problem to communicate with Laotians in Thai. In the tourist centers, people speak English and French as well. Laos is an ethnically diverse country counting about 50 ethnic groups. The largest of them are the Lao, Thai and Khmu. The beliefs of all ethnic groups are rooted in Buddhism.

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Economy

Laos is an agricultural country with hardly any industrialization. The most important technical goods are imported. The country’s main export products are coffee, wood, electricity and tin. Since the country incorporated the principles of a market economy in 1985, its economic performance has grown by approx. 6 percent each year. The national currency is KIP. The exchange rate to the Euro is at about 1: 10,000.

Climate

Laos has a tropical climate with high temperatures. The climate is ruled by the monsoon. Precipitation is high in the period from May to October with average rainfalls of 1,750mm/ m². From November to February, the climate is drier and temperatures are comparable to those experienced in Central European summers. Temperatures and humidity are highest in May and April.

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