Though archaeologists have discovered stone tools and other artifacts at many sites around Laos that indicate that human settlement in the region dates back as far as 10,000 years, the history of country as it is today truly begins with the first unified kingdom to be established there. Lane Xang - established by the returning prince, Fa Ngoum, in 1349 - brought together the disparate townships that had grown up across the land. Fa Ngoum also installed Theravada Buddhism as the principle religion of the country. From his capital at Luang Prabang, the charismatic king and brilliant tactician spread the power of his rule throughout present-day Laos and into northern and eastern Thailand . Under threat from both Siamese, Burmese and Chinese invaders in the sixteenth century, the capital of the faltering Lane Xang was moved to Vieng Chan ( Vientiane ) by King Setthathirat in 1560. The Burmese were not to be put off by this tactical move and finally occupied the city in 1575, holding it for seven years and finally bringing an end to the once great Lane Xang. In the wake of the Burmese retreat, at the end of the sixteenth century, the kingdoms of Luang Prabang and Vieng Chan took the place once filled by Lane Xang. These were once again united in 1591, under the leadership of King Nokeo Koumane. The seventeenth century saw the new kingdom enter its golden age with European traders exclaiming the capital, Vieng Chan, to be one of the most beautiful cities in southeast Asia. However, this was all to come to an end in less than a century as feudal lords fought over an empty throne and eventually brought about the kingdom's downfall. An unstable three way division of the kingdom, into Luang Prabang, Vieng Chan, and Champasak, left none with sufficient power to repel the ambitions of the new Siamese kingdom of King Thaksin . Luang Prabang fell to Siamese rule and Vien Chang and Champasak were reduced to vassal status. After years of paying homage to the Siamese kings, an ill-fated war against their rule in 1820 was the undoing of both these kingdoms, and also brought about the total destruction of the once beautiful city of Vieng Chan. European ambitions in the region, at the end of the nineteenth century, were of serious concern to the Siamese kings for many years. In 1893, to guarantee that the French colonialists would not challenge the country's sovereignty, Siam gave them Laos . The French - soon realising that the colony was not quite the grand acquisition they had hoped, and that the Mekong River's potential as a backdoor trade route into China had been vastly over estimated - made Laos a protectorate and left much of the running of the country to the Lao people. The fall of France to Germany and the Japanese occupation of Indochina during World War II, helped to foment a new breed of nationalism among the Lao people. The situation was exacerbated when Japanese troops forced the pro-French King Sisavang Vong to declare independence from the French in the waning months of the war. With the August 14 1945 surrender of Japan , a power vacuum was left in Laos that the French were at that time unable to refill. For a little over six months Laos was independent, but, with the help of British and Pro-French Lao forces, the colonialists were able to re-occupy Vientiane in April 1946. However, the seeds of liberty had already been sown. In October 1953, the French - their resources already seriously stretched by the war in Vietnam - finally ceded full independence to Laos . The political situation, however, was to remain unstable for many years, eventually leading to civil war between the North Vietnamese backed Pathet Lao (Land of the Lao) and the US-financed Royalist forces. The January 1973 Paris Accords - which saw the end of US involvement in the Vietnam conflict was followed a month later by a cessation of hostilities between the opposing Lao factions, leading at last to the formation of a coalition government. It was not to last. With the fall of Phnom Penh and Saigon to Communist forces in April 1975, many Royalists saw the eventual takeover of the country by the Pathet Lao as a forgone conclusion and fled to France . That August, in a symbolic gesture, a force of fifty female Pathet Lao soldiers marched into and liberated Vientiane . The Lao People's Democratic Republic was born on December 2, 1975. Laos entered a period of isolation throughout the rest of the seventies, maintaining diplomatic and economic relations with only Vietnam and the USSR . After failing to establish a successful socialist state modeled on Eastern Bloc collectivization, the Lao government moved towards a more flexible form of socialism - dismantling agricultural co-operatives in 1979, and installing economic reforms in 1986 that opened the way for the introduction of a market economy. In the last few years, Laos has made further strides towards international acceptance and integration into the global economy. The 1994 opening of the Australian-financed Friendship Bridge - linking Vientiane with Nong Khai in Thailand - and the country's 1997 ASEAN membership are both seen as positive moves towards this goal.

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The mighty Mekong in the west and the Annamite Mountains in the east offer natural borders to Thailand and Vietnam respectively, while Laos also shares borders with China in the north, Myanmar in the northwest and Cambodia in the south. With over half of this landlocked country's 236,800sq. km densely forested, and 70% of it mountainous, it is hardly surprising that a profusion of rare flora and over 1,200 species of wildlife finds a home beneath its tropical canopy.

The country's highest peak, at 2,820m, can be found in the mountainous ranges of northeastern Laos, in the province Xiang Khouang, However, nearly equally as impressive are the mountains at the southern end of the Annamite range which reach heights of 2,600m. The Khammouanne and Bolaven plateaus dominate the central region of the Annamites.

Almost all of the rivers and streams in Laos eventually end up feeding into the Mekong through one of its 15 tributaries, making a total of 2,400km of waterways and feeding the Mekong with more than half of its overall water flow. Though averaging rainfalls of between 1360mm, in Luang Prabang, to 3700mm on the Boloven Plateau during the June to October monsoon season, Laos regularly suffers from water shortages in the low-lying Mekong Delta plains. This can adversely effect the rice crops that account for almost 80% of the country's agricultural land.

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CLIMATE

Temperatures during the March to May hot season can reach high into the 30s, however, at higher elevations and during the dry season's cooler months of December and January - it can become rather chilly as temperatures drop as low as 15 degrees C and below.

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One of the lowest population densities in Asia, at 19 persons per square km, and an estimated population of only 5.4 million people, belies the fact that Laos is home to 68 different ethnic groups. These fall into three groupings, based upon language, culture and traditions. The fertile Mekong River valley and lowland plains are where 68% of the total population live and this group is classified as the Lao Loam. The mountainous slopes of Laos are inhabited by the Lao Thing, who make up 22% of the country's population. The Lao Soung (Mountain Lao), including Hmong (or Meo) and Yao (or Mien) tribes peoples make up a further 9% of the Laos population, while the remaining 1% are ethnic Vietnamese and Chinese.

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A member of the Tai Kadai (or just Kadai) language group, Lao is tonal, very similar to its Thai cousin. In fact there are more Lao speakers in Thailand 's northeastern border lands of Isaan than there are in Laos . The two languages are so similar that Thai television and radio have become very popular among the Lao people.

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First introduced by Mon Buddhist monks, Buddhism became widely popular in the fourteenth century when the Theravada form was promoted by Fa Ngoum with the arrival of the country's palladium - the golden Pra Bang Buddha image.

Today, Buddhism is the religion of 90% of the country's 5.4 million people, and its overall influence upon the daily lives of the Lao people has been little altered by the strictures of the Communist government. In fact, the Lao government has never opposed observance of the religion and has used many of its teachings to support its political goals. With the political and economic reforms of the mid-80s, Buddhism is once again flourishing. The Vientiane-based That Luang festival - reduced to a three day religious observance during the first decade of Communist control - has expanded into a full week's celebration with a huge fair, concerts

Neat and respectful dress should be worn in all religious shrines. It is not considered polite to visit religious monuments in shorts, miniskirts or hot pants. Though shoes can be worn in temple compounds, they should be removed before entering the chapel of the principal Buddha image. Indeed, all Buddha images are regarded as sacred, regardless of size, age or position, and should all be shown due respect. Buddhist monks are not allowed to touch or be touched by a woman, or accept anything from a woman's hand.

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The Lao people greet each other with a prayer-like gesture called a nop. A younger person or a person of lower status will nop their elder or better. The western custom of shaking hands has become more common in recent years - though a smile and a slight bow of the head is still considered polite. Backslapping, public displays of affection, shouting, and wild gesticulation are all considered impolite.

The head is considered the highest part of the body, while the feet are considered the lowest, both literally and figuratively. Touching someone's head or pointing at people or things with the feet are, therefore, considered extremely rude. As with entering temples, shoes are removed before entering somebody's home.

The highest position in the Lao government is the President, who is elected every five years by the National Assembly. This head of state also acts as the Commander in Chief of the country's armed forces. The highest executive organ in the Lao government is the Council of Ministers, this is headed by a Chairman, who also acts as Prime Minister, with Vice Chairmen overseeing the work of government ministers.

The country's 16 provinces (khoueng) are further divided into districts (muang) and villages (baan). Vientiane contains its own municipality - or kampheng nakhon - and the special zone of Xaisomboun, in the northeast of the province, was established in June 1994. A further special zone was set up in mid-1992 with the integration of two districts of Xaignabouri.

Heavily reliant on foreign aid - mainly from Sweden , Japan , Thailand , Taiwan and Australia - the Lao economy had been making remarkable progress up until 1997. Economic reforms, introduced by the government in 1986, had spurred growth to an average of 7% a year between 1988 and 1996. However, when Thailand - it's chief trading partner - was brought low by the 1997 economic crisis, Laos was also badly hit, with growth rates dropping to just 1.5%.

A member of both the Asian Development Bank and the Colombo Plan, which promotes economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific, Laos still struggles with a very basic infrastructure. Many roads are impassable during the monsoon and there are no railways. Only large urban areas have access to regular power supplies, while telecommunications are still very basic.

Were it not for the persistent problems of regional flooding, drought and insect infestation, Laos would be permanently self-sufficient in food. 80% of the country's workforce is involved in subsistence agriculture, which makes up about half of the GDP, with glutinous rice the country's main agricultural produce. Also grown for local use are maize, cassava, pulses, groundnuts, fruits, sugar cane, and tobacco, while main exports include timber and wood products, garments, coffee, and tin, mainly to France , Germany , Thailand and Vietnam .

Laos also has, largely untapped, reserves of tin, lead and zinc, as well as iron ore, coal and timber.

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