Laos. General characteristics of Laos

Laos, or Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a country located in South Asia, more precisely in the Indochina region.


One of the beautiful landscapes contained in the Lao territory.

Lao territory borders Cambodia to the south; to the east, with Vietnam; to the west, with Thailand; to the northwest, with Myanmar; and to the north, with China.


The Capital of Laos, Vientiane.

Laos covers an area of ​​236 800 km², home to 6.3 million inhabitants. Its capital is the city of Vientiane, the most populous in the country, with approximately 460 thousand inhabitants.
The territory of Laos does not have access to the Pacific Ocean, a negative factor for the country. The surface consists of mountains. The region's climate is directly influenced by the monsoons and has a tropical characteristic.

The nation's economy is modest, geared towards primary activities, especially agriculture. The transport network is inefficient due to the lack of infrastructure (railways, highways, waterways, ports, airports, etc.), given that there are no railways and Existing highways are restricted to connecting only the main urban centers, leaving hundreds of villages practically isolated, as the dirt roads are practically impassable.


Laos is quite isolated from the world, a factor resulting from the lack of modernization and expansion of telecommunications (landline and cell phones, internet, among others) in the country. The primary activity prevails, with rice being the main commercial product. There is also the illegal cultivation of opium.
General data

Coat of Arms:

Official language: Lao.
Government: One-Party Socialist Republic.
GDP (Gross Domestic Product): 12 billion dollars.
HDI (Human Development Index): 0.497 (average).
Life expectancy: 63.7 years.
Infant mortality: 51.4/thousand births.
Literacy: 68.7%.
Currency: Lao Kup.

By Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography
Brazil School Team

Countries of the world - geography - Brazil School

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