The word Laos was coined by the French, who united the three Lao kingdoms in French Indochina in 1893 and named the country as the plural of the dominant and most common ethnic group, the Lao people. In

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Prehistory and early history
An ancient human skull was recovered in 2009 from the Tam Pa Ling Cave in the Annamite Mountainsin northern Laos; the skull is at least 46,000

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Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, and it lies mostly between latitudes 14° and 23°N (a small area is south of 14°), and longitudes 100° and 108°E. Its thickly forested landscape

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The Lao economy depends on investment and trade with its neighbours, Thailand, Vietnam, and, especially in the north, China.

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The term "Laotian" does not necessarily refer to the Lao language, ethnic Lao people, language or customs. It is a political term that includes the non-ethnic Lao groups within Laos and identifies them as "Laotian" because of their political citizenship. Laos has the

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Theravada Buddhism is a dominant influence in Lao culture. It is evident throughout the country, expressed in language, temples and the arts and literature. Many elements of Lao culture predate Buddhism. For example, Laotian music is dominated by its

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The Lao People's Democratic Republic is one of the world's few socialist states openly endorsing communism. The only legal political party is the

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