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 Laos: Facts
General:
Laos was under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government, ending a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.
Capital:
Vientiane
The government of Laos - one of the few remaining official Communist states - began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6 % in 1988-2004 except during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis beginning in 1997.
Area:
- Total: 236,800 sq km
- Land: 230,800 sq km
- Water: 6,000 sq km
Climate:
- Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April).
Population:
- 6,217,141 (July 2005 est.)
Religions:
- Buddhist 60 %, animist and other 40 % (including various Christian denominations 1.5 %).
Languages:
- Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages.
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