Laos

[lah-ohs, lous, ley-os, la-aws]

noun

1. a country in Southeast Asia: formerly part of French Indochina. 91,500 sq. mi. (236,985 sq. km). Vientiane.

Laos

/ laʊs, laʊz /

noun

1. Official name: People's Democratic Republic of Laos. 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)

Laos

1. 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.

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.

Example Sentences

He was likely under "financial pressure" and had travelled to Xishuangbanna, near the Golden Triangle border with Myanmar and Laos, for a job smuggling goods like watches and gold into China, Fang said.

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Top officials from Vietnam and Laos also attended.

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Malaysia is set to play against Laos in another Asian Cup qualifier this week - though the Malaysian team's line-up will look much different without the sanctioned players.

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The US had described the five - from Jamaica, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen - as "deprived monsters".

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Dozens are missing or injured after the typhoon made landfall on Sunday night, flooding roads, washing away bridges and tearing roofs off buildings before weakening and moving into neighbouring Laos.

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