Key Facts

Geography:	Laos is a land-locked country in mainland Southeast Asia. Its total land area is approximately 237,000 square kilometres (similar in size to the State of Victoria, the United Kingdom or the State of Utah). Laos is bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma.
Capital:	Vientiane
Population:	6.5 million
Climate:	Laos has a tropical monsoon climate, with a wet season from June to September/October. Temperatures are coolest during December and January and highest in April and May.
Religion:	Theravada Buddhism is the state religion of Laos and is followed by approximately 65 percent of Lao people.
Language:	Lao, a tonal language similar to Thai. English is the most widely spoken second language.
Economy:	GDP (real growth rate) 7% (2007 est) GDP by sector (2006) agriculture: 42.7% industry: 31% services: 26.2%
Industries:	Agriculture, manufacturing, mining, hydro-electric power, agricultural processing.

Related documents
Factsheet on Laos (PDF 275.9kb)
World Bank Review on Laos (PDF 1.5Mb)

External Links
Country Reports
A good overview on Laos and especially the detailed history of the country.

Visit Laos
Useful information and advice for international travellers planning to visit Laos.

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
An overview of travel, economy and Laos in general.

Lonely Planet
A good independent overview of travelling in Laos.