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Once part of the former French colony of Indo-China, the Republic of Laos lies tucked away between Thailand, Cambodia, China, Vietnam and Myanmar. It’s a landlocked country, sparsely populated- but with a rich cultural heritage very much its own.

So come explore Laos!

The Plain of Jars in Laos is where you will find thousands of enormous jars sit in empty fields. Estimated at about 2,000 years old, each jar is capable of holding a person in it, with the largest jar weighing about 6 tons! Some experts believe that the jars were used in burial rituals but the main purpose of the jars with their makers is still a mystery.

Historically Speaking

Hmong and Mien hill tribes and migrating Thais were the first people to settle in the area now known as Laos. The first 'Lao’ principalities arose in the 13th century; a century or so later, a warlord by the name of Fa Ngum united some of these to form the Kingdom of Lan Xang. Lan Xang saw peace and prosperity for some time, but schisms developed and it split into three warring kingdoms by the 1600s. Just a century later, by the 1700s, much of Laos was controlled by Thailand (then Siam) but the Vietnamese too had an eye on the territory. The Laotians fought against Siamese control, and the result of these skirmishes was that both Laos and Vietnam came under Siamese rule.

The French arrived by the end of the 19th century, took control of Laos, and occupied it- an occupation, which was to last till 1953. Even after independence, internal tensions between royalist, communist and neutral forces kept the country in a constant state of turmoil. The communists eventually pulled off a victory and took control in 1975. Initially, the regime adopted a rather hard leftist stance, but in the past few years there has been a distinct relaxation of the rules.

Habitat

Laos is one of Asia’s landlocked countries- it shares borders with many of South Asia’s countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar. The country is one of Asia’s smaller nations, and is dominated by mountains and rivers- the longest and most important river being the Mekong. The Mekong is the major waterway- in terms of river transport- for the country, and its fertile river plains provide the basis for much of the country’s agriculture.

Around three-fourths of the country is mountain territory- nearly half of Laos’ length is covered by the Annamite Chain of mountains, which have an average height of about 2500 m, and are bounded at one end by the Bolaven Plateau.

Although Laos is still quite thickly forested despite heavy shelling during the past years- the country has the rather sad distinction of being the most-bombed nation in the history of warfare, illegal timber activities, deforestation, shifting agriculture and pollution are taking their toll on the country’s environment.

Flora and Fauna :

Laos remains one of the most thickly forested countries in South East Asia, with nearly half the land area being covered with primary forests and another quarter or so with secondary forest. The vegetation is largely that of typical monsoon forests- teak, Asian rosewood, and bamboo are some of the principal species. A number of cash crops are grown- rice, tobacco, tea and coffee are some of the main exports of Laos.

Because of Laos’ rich forest cover, its wildlife is also quite unspoilt. Not only does the country have a number of species not found elsewhere, it also has them in considerably high numbers. Native species include the raccoon dog, the snub-nosed Langur, the lesser panda, the Concolour Gibbon, the Javan mongoose, tigers, leopard cats, and Javan rhinos. The country has 17 Biodiversity Conservation Areas, where an effort is being made to ensure that these species remain intact, at least in some places.