The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Laos:
Laos is a landlocked, sovereign nation in Southeast Asia.[1] Laos borders Burma (Myanmar) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or "Land of a Million Elephants", which existed from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. After a period as a French protectorate, it gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975, but strife between competing between factions continued for several years.
Private enterprise has increased since the late-1990s when economic reforms, including rapid business licensing, were introduced. Laos is still ranked low for economic and political freedom.[2] The economy of Laos grew at 6.89% in 2017,[3] 35th fastest in the world. Eighty percent of the employed practice subsistence agriculture.[1] The country's ethnic make-up is diverse, with around 70% belonging to the largest ethnic group, the Lao.[1]
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