The pride of Laos - Did you know that?

• The national flower of Laos is the Dok Champa (plumeria).
• Lao people from our three cities (Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse) speak different accents.
• The Lao sticky rice can be used to eat with meals or dessert.
• In Laos, there are three New Year's days in mid April.
• Laos used to have Kings and Queens for centuries, until the monarchy was abolished in 1975.
• Lao National Day (2 December) is the anniversary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the day it was established.
• There are more Lao people living outside of Laos, than inside Laos.
• It is estimated that 90% of lowland Lao people have relatives living in Thailand.
• More people in the world have heard of a country called "Thailand", than they have heard of a country called "Laos".
• Laos doesn't have any ocean because the country is surrounded by other Southeast Asian countries.  
• The Mekong River in Laos is known as "Mae nam Khong", which means, the mother of all rivers.
• The Khone Papeng in Laos is the largest waterfall on the Mekong River and the whole of Southeast Asia.
• Laos hosted the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in 2009, and the first time in our history.
• Laos sent an Olympic team to compete in the Summer Olympic Games in Moscow 1980, and the first time in our history.
• Laos has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, they are Luang Prabang and Wat Phu.
• There are over 300 giant and intriguing stone jars known as "The Plain of Jars" littering Laos for over 2,000 years.
• The average life expectancy for a citizen of Laos is 64 years from birth.

If 90% of lowland Lao people have a relative in Thailand, it doesn't mean that 90% of people in Thailand have a relative in Laos. There's a difference.  

USA Joe, Sadly, it is true. The population of Laos is under 7 million. If we combine every Lao person in Thailand, USA, Canada, Europe and Oceania, there's more than what we have in Laos at the present time.

USA Joe wrote on 12^th Aug, 2010 at 7:32am:

Because of politics. Laos is behind because we're alway under foreigner power control for century. We were under Thailand,French and now Vietnam. We are exploit by our powerful neighbor. But in 21th century Laos has potential for growth. Laos is th second fastest growing in Asia with 7.7% behind. China. As Laos economy boom so will the population.When Laos is wealthy and develop everybody will want to move there. In 10-20 year keep your eye on Laos. Laos is coming up.  

Thailand is wealthy and developed because they never been colonize, plus they're supported by US and EU. Now US back Vietnam,Laos and Combodian. It's humane nature people follow jobs and opportunity. Nobody want to be poor.

Lao Lan Xang, That means there's around 25 million Laotians in foreign countries, and around 5 million Laotians in Laos (excluding the ethnic minorities, Vietnamese, Chinese, westerners and others with no Lao ethnic roots).

It's obvious that we are losing our people, which is probably one of the reasons why the Lao government is encouraging Lao people from abroad to come back to live and work in Laos. I can't think of another country that has more of its people living in foreign soil, so that's something to observe.


Iluvstickyrice, It's good that you still cheer the Lao athletes at the summer games. Maybe one day Laos will win its first olympic medal, we will be happy with bronze.

average life 64? whoa thats a long time to live for being average i guess most laotians live longer maybe 80? anyway i have a great grandma she's like 100 years old. she eat rice, water and lettuce.

llX wrote on 12^th Aug, 2010 at 3:36pm:

i guess it is easier to blame other countries for your own situation. last i checked, the lao government was run by lao people, not vietnamese. u may point finger at politics but is your own politics that hold you back.

that is why laotian rather live away from lao.

there will always be some sort of government in control. rather you agree with their reign or not. i know u passionately blame vietnam for all lao's underachieving.

but your facts of blaming them is weak. look at what you said:
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you saying you are not allowed to earn your own money, spend, save as you wish? we both know you can

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really... so all those universities around lao are fake? and the sponsorship to china/austria/usa for international study are lies according to you.

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there are many good paying jobs, as evident by the millionaires of lao people living in mansions. its just how you go find them. i know your type. you want everything done for you.  i can see you wanting the government to find you a job. do everything and you just show up. thats fine, but dont expect a good paying job. you get what you look for.

u may try to type the same old fake long vietnam controlling lao story, but at the end of your make-up paragraph, its still you in control of your destiny.