Laos

[ lah-ohs, lous, ley-os; French la-aws ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a country in Southeast Asia: formerly part of French Indochina. 91,500 sq. mi. (236,985 sq. km). : Vientiane.

Laos

/ laʊs; laʊz /

noun

a republic in SE Asia: first united as the kingdom of Lan Xang ("million elephants") in 1353, after being a province of the Khmer Empire for about four centuries; made part of French Indochina in 1893 and gained independence in 1949; became a republic in 1975. It is generally forested and mountainous, with the Mekong River running almost the whole length of the W border. Official language: Laotian. Religion: Buddhist majority, tribal religions. Currency: kip. Capital: Vientiane. Pop: 6 695 166 (2013 est). Area: 236 800 sq km (91 429 sq miles) Official namePeople's Democratic Republic of Laos

Laos

Mountainous, landlocked republic in Southeast Asia , bordered by Burma to the northwest, China to the northeast, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Its capital and largest city is Vientiane.

Discover More

Notes

Civil war among communist and noncommunist factions in the 1950s and 1960s attracted extensive covert aid from the Soviet Union , China, and the United States.

During the Vietnam War , Vietnamese communists established the Ho Chi Minh Trail through the remote mountains of Laos to channel troops and supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam.

The communist Pathet Lao, with long-standing close ties to the Vietnamese communists, have been in power since 1975.

Part of French Indochina from 1893 to 1949, it was granted full sovereignty in 1954.

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Simone, who was from Orpington in south-east London, and Bethany planned to stay in Cambodia for just under two weeks, and spend four days in Laos.

From

Barring Laos, Cambodia and a war-torn Myanmar, the others are wary of Beijing's ambitions.

From

Laos and Cambodia, which are among the poorest countries in the region, are heavily dependant on Chinese investment in supply chain infrastructure.

From

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday has killed more than 1,600 people and injured more than 3,400 and was felt as far as Thailand, Laos and southern China.

From

Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Guatemala and Laos joined World Boxing in November, increasing the body’s membership to 55.

From

Laon Lao She

Browse