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Laos Facts & Worksheets

The Lao People's Democratic Republic, commonly known as Laos or Muang Lao, is a Southeast Asian country situated at the center of the Indochinese peninsula.

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The Lao People’s Democratic Republic, commonly known as Laos or Muang Lao, is a Southeast Asian country situated at the center of the Indochinese peninsula. It is the only country in Southeast Asia bordered by land on all sides. Vientiane is the capital and biggest city of Laos.

See the fact file below for more information on the Laos or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Laos worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY

  • The Lao name “Muang Lao” means Lao Country.
  • The English name Laos was given by the French in the late 1800s.
  • Laos is the plural form of the Lao people, the dominant ethnic population in the region.

GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE

  • Laos is a landlocked country, meaning it is entirely surrounded by land.
  • To the northwest of Laos is Myanmar and China.
  • To its east is Vietnam.
  • Cambodia borders Laos at the southeast.
  • Thailand is at the western and southwestern sides of Laos.
  • The Mekong River makes up a large portion of the western border.
  • Laos is made up mainly of mountains and forests.
  • The highest peak of Laos is Phou Bia which is at 9,245 feet.
  • Laos has a tropical savanna climate.

HISTORY

  • The oldest modern human fossil in Southeast Asia was found in northern Laos. the oldest modern human fossil found to date in Southeast Asia.
  • Archaeological artifacts suggest that agricultural communities were established in Laos in the 4th millennium BC.
  • Fast forward to the 14th century, the kingdom of Lan Xang was established by Lao prince Fa Ngum.
  • Lan Xang means “Million Elephants”.
  • Lan Xang became the trade center of Laos during the reign of Fa Ngum’s son.
  • In 1520, the capital of Luang Prabang was replaced by Vientiane when Photisarath became the ruler.
  • In 1548, the national symbol of Laos which is Pha That Luang was constructed.
  • In 1636, what was known as Laos’ golden age began under the leadership of Sourigna Vongsa.
  • Late in the 19th century, the Chinese Black Flag Army sacked and pillaged Luang Prabang.
  • After France came to the rescue, the territories of Laos gradually became part of the Protectorate of French Indochina.
  • Laos became a unified nation with King Sisavang Vong of Luang Phrabang as leader.
  • During the Second World War, Laos was occupied by France, Thailand, and Imperial Japan.
  • Laos briefly declared independence when Japan retreated but the French immediately swooped in to reoccupy the country.
  • During the First Indochina War, the Indochinese Communist Party created an organisation called Pathet Lao to wage war against the French and gain independence from them.
  • The French gave in and Laos became semi-autonomous in 1950.
  • Laos gained full independence on October 22, 1953, Laos became a constitutional monarchy.
  • Laos played a key role in the Vietnam War when some Laos territories were occupied by North Vietnam.
  • In 1975, the Lao government was overthrown by the Pathet Lao and Laos officially became the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

DEMOGRAPHICS

  • The people of Laos are divided into three ethnic groups: Lao Loum (lowland people); Lao Theung (midland people); and Lao Soung (highland people).
  • Lao is the official language of Laos.
  • Lao is the language of the Tai linguistic group.
  • The Lao alphabet was derived from Khmer script.
  • Because of its French colonial past, Laos uses French in its government, education, and commerce.
  • Buddhism is the dominant religion in Laos, specifically, Theravada Buddhism.
  • Literacy rate in Laos is more than two-thirds of the population.

CULTURE

  • Theravada Buddhism is very influential in the culture of Laos – from their literature to their language.
  • The national musical instrument of Laos is the khaen which is a type of bamboo pipe.
  • The khaen is used in the country’s popular folk music called lam.
  • As for food, sticky rice is the staple food in Laos.
  • Sticky rice also holds a certain religious and cultural significance, like when farmers in Luang Prabang plant this variety of rice to commemorate their dead parents.
  • In daily life, Lao women wear a traditional hand-woven silk skirt called sinh.
  • Laos doesn’t have a very big cinema industry. The country has only three movie theaters as of 2018.
  • The national sport of Laos is Muay Lao which is similar to Thailand’s Muay Thai.

FESTIVALS

  • Lao National Day is held on December 2nd every year to commemorate the founding of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 1975.
  • A special kind of new year celebration called the Lao New Year is held for three days in April.
  • The Lao New Year is massively celebrated through Luang Prabang festivities.
  • A celebration after the rice harvest called the Boun Khoun Khao is held to make way for good fortune for the next harvest.
  • A fertility festival called Boun Bang Fai is held in May before the start of the rainy season.
  • The Boun Bang Fai is also called the Rocket Festival because rockets are fired into the air to request for rain from the gods.

Laos Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Laos across 231 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Laos worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, commonly known as Laos or Muang Lao, which is a Southeast Asian country situated at the center of the Indochinese peninsula. It is the only country in Southeast Asia bordered by land on all sides. Vientiane is the capital and biggest city of Laos.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Laos  Facts
  • Locating Laos
  • Fast Facts
  • Make It True
  • History Review
  • Creating Captions
  • French Influence
  • Festival Blanks
  • Cities of Laos
  • Comparing Countries
  • Journey Around Laos

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Link will appear as Laos Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 8, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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