Laos

=Laos= Laos is a landlocked country in southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand and Myanmar to the west. The land is covered with mountains and thick forests.The Mekong River is in Laos. || Laos has a population of 6,677,534. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. It does not have running water and so the people have to carry water from rivers. The people of Laos all work hard to grow enough food and they live in wooden houses near small lakes. They have golden temples. They play a sport called kataw and they make balls out of bamboo. || The Lao People's Democratic Republic is a communist state. It is also called Laos and is led by President Lt. Gen. Choummali Saignason. It became a country on July 19, 1949. The Laos national anthem is Pheng Sat. Its capital is Vientiane. Most of the people live in villages. The flag was created in 1975. Many resources have not been developed but some of the products they grow are benzoin, cardamom, cattle, cinchona, citrus fruits, corn, cotton, and rice. || The Kha were the first people to live in Laos and their Thai ancestors moved to Laos about 1,200 years ago. About 600 years ago, most of Laos joined together in a kingdom called Lan Xang. In 1779 most of Laos was taken over by the Siamese. The French controlled the country until 1945. The Japanese took over Laos for a brief time. Laos is independent now. ||
 * =Geography by Senna=
 * =People and Culture by Alexis=
 * =Government and Economy by Ashlee=
 * =History by Campbell=