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.

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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.

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Example Sentences

In the past Thai anti-monarchy activists have been abducted and disappeared in Laos, it is widely presumed by Thai security forces operating outside their own borders.

From BBC

A recent six-year £439m deal with Thailand, Cambodia and Laos - twice the value of the current agreement - provided further evidence of the continued appetite around the world for English football's top division.

From BBC

In an interview with The Times, Phone Chankhamany’s son said the victims were mostly recent immigrants from Laos with little paper trail.

From Los Angeles Times

The father of 19-year-old Holly Bowles, who died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos last month, has said he was in "disbelief" when he realised his daughter would not pull through.

From BBC

The incident comes weeks after the deaths of six tourists in the South East Asian nation of Laos because of suspected methanol poisoning.

From BBC

Laon Lao She

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