Laos

[ lah-ohs, lous, ley-os; French 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. 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) Official namePeople's Democratic Republic of Laos

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.

Notes

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

Suspected methanol poisoning from tainted drinks has reportedly killed five tourists in a Laos holiday town in the past fortnight.

From BBC

Briton Simone White has died after a suspected methanol poisoning thought to have killed four others in Laos, south-east Asia.

From BBC

Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, said on Thursday that Bianca Jones, an Australian, had died in Thailand, where she had been brought after becoming sick in Laos.

From New York Times

Australian teen Bianca Jones has become the fourth tourist to have died in a suspected mass poisoning in Laos.

From BBC

More than 40% of the scams have been traced back to Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, according to officials.

From BBC