Study, Work or Volunteer in Lao People's Democratic Republic

Laos, officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, is surrounded by Burma (Myanmar) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the south. The country has a total land area of 236,800 square kilometers (an area slightly larger than Great Britain), with 70% of which is made up of mountain reaching a maximum of 2,820 m in Xieng Khouang province, highland and plateuax. The country of Laos has a tropical monsoon climate. The hot season lasts from March to June and the rainy season starts in June and ends in October. The dry and cool season begins at the end of October and lasts until the end of February.

The estimated population in Laos in the year 2002 was 5.5 million, having 49 ethnic groups, each with there own customs, dialects and customs. Eighty-five percent of the national populations are farmers and large proportions are children. Lao people are mostly Buddhist, but all religions are tolerated. Temples are called Wat and are the centers of village communities. The official language of the country is Lao. It is spoken in all the parts of the country. Some old citizens speak French and some younger ones are capable of speaking English.

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic was established when the king was forced to abdicate his throne on December 2, 1975. It ended the era of a conservative monarchy dominated by a few powerful families.