Basic Information About Laos:

Population: The population of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is 6,971,117.

GDP:  $ 34.4 billion (2016)

Climate:  Laos has a tropical monsoon climate, with a pronounced rainy season from May through October, a cool dry season from November through February, and a hot dry season in March and April. Generally, monsoons occur at the same time across the country, although that time may vary significantly from one year to the next.

People:  The lowland Lao (Lao Loum) account for 68%, upland Lao (Lao Theung) for 22%, and the highland Lao (Lao Soung, including the Hmong and the Yao) for 9%. Ethnic Vietnamese constitutes about 2% of the population.

Religion: The predominant religion of Laos is Theravada Buddhism. Buddhism was the state religion of the pre-republic kingdom of Laos, and the organization of the community of monks and novices, the clergy (sangha), paralleled the political hierarchy. Buddhists—largely lowland Lao—account for about half the country’s people.

Capital:  Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos.

Language:  Lao or Laotian is the official language of Laos.

Currency:  The Lao or Laotian Kip is the currency of Laos.

Time Zone:  Indochina Time (ICT) +0700