Geography 

Landlocked and ringed by five historically powerful nations, Laos is geographically-challenged.  The Mekong River forms Laos’ western border with Thailand, and has functioned more as a thoroughfare than a barrier.  It is also responsible for the fertility of the Laotian lowlands.

Laos has a tropical monsoon climate, with distinct dry and wet seasons.  Mountains in the north and east are still well-forested, although illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture are taking a toll.  The effects of US defoliants and mines from the Vietnam War are still felt.

History

The lowland Lao are closely related by language and culture to northern Thai (the current border is a colonial invention).  From the 13th to the 17th centuries this region blossomed, with evidence most visible today in the former capital, Luang Prabang.  By the late 19th century, most of today’s Laos had been subjugated by the Siamese of central Thailand.

In the late 19th century, the French elbowed their way into Southeast Asia and created Indochina, comprised of today’s Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.  Vietnam was the focus, economically and politically; Laos and Cambodia languished as colonial backwaters.  By 1953, Laos had gained independence as a constitutional monarchy. 

During the Vietnam War, defenseless Laos was pummeled.  The North Vietnamese forces used eastern Laos as a supply line, and the US bombed it to smithereens.  During the course of the war, about half a ton of munitions per person was dumped on Laos, in addition to defoliants galore.  Bush-walking in Laos is still inadvisable. 

The country was traumatized, and in 1975 the monarchy was overthrown by communists sympathetic to Vietnam.  Havoc ensued:  70,000 people were imprisoned or 're-educated', and about 300,000 resettled abroad.  The hardest hit were ethnic minorities from the highlands ('hill-tribes').  Over the years, the political leaders have mellowed a bit, and are today more notable for corruption than persecution.

People

Laos has 5 million people.  Their average life expectancy is just 54 years, second-briefest in the world outside Africa.  78% of the populace lives in rural areas; many are subsistence farmers.  

Broadly, the people of Laos fall into two camps.  The majority ethnic Lao live in the lowlands and practice wet-rice cultivation and Buddhism.  The minority hill tribes live in the highlands and practice dry-rice ('slash and burn') cultivation and Animism.  There are more than 130 identified ethno-linguistic groups, a treasure-trove of cultural diversity.

The UN ranks Laos in the 21st percentile in terms of quality of life, based on life expectancy, education and income; this is below most Asian countries, and comparable to much of Africa.

Economy

Laos is a low income country, with a GNP per capita of $320, one of the world’s lowest.  Agriculture accounts for 53% of GDP, mainly from timber and coffee.  

Economic development is uneven, with lowlanders relatively well-off and highlanders struggling on a subsistence basis.  At $57 per capita, foreign aid accounts for 23% of GNP.

The country was re-opened to tourists only in 1989, and very few make it here.  Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and with direct flights now from Thailand, more are now making the trip.

Sources:  World Bank (1998 data), Dorling Kindersley World Reference Atlas, UNDP Human Development Report, Lonely Planet