Showing results for "Laos"

• plural of Lao.

Laos

American  

[lah-ohs, lous, ley-os, la-aws] / ˈlɑ oʊs, laʊs, ˈleɪ ɒs, laˈɔs /

noun

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

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Laos British  

/ 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)

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Laos Cultural  

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.

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Discover More

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

Federal officials noted Kim was the first person detained and returned to the United States from Laos.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

Specialist divers from Thailand, Indonesia, France and Australia landed in Laos to provide extra expertise.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Laos has shortened the school week from five days to three.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

Major world leaders who have attended in previous years were absent, with guests this year including the leaders of Laos, Malaysia, several post-Soviet nations and the unrecognized Republika Srpska, a Serb-controlled region in the Balkans.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Many of the isolated, heavily defended camps were on hilltops in remote locations near Vietnam’s western border with Cambodia and Laos where Special Forces could keep track of enemy movement.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge