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Total: 147,148 sq miles
Land: 143,419 sq miles
Water: 3,728 sq miles
Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Lowest point: Mekong River 230 ft
Highest point: Phou Bia 9,240 ft
6,368,481
Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
Conventional short form: Laos PDR or Laos
Local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao
Local short form: none
Communist state
Vientiane
19 July 1949 (from France)
$1,900 (2005 est.)
Kip (LAK)
GMT +7
+856
230V 50HzHz