Where did Laos come from?

The Lao people were a tribe originally from Yunnan, China, who were pushed south to the border of the Khmer empire in the 13th century. The first Lao kingdom, called Lan Xang or “land of the million elephants,” was founded by Fa Ngum in 1353.

Why did the French Colonise Laos?

French Colonization of Laos The French gave Laos its name and its present borders. They helped unify the Lao provinces on the east side of the Mekong River while their treaties with the Siamese gave the Thais control over Lao regions on the west side of the Mekong River, a move that significantly weakened Laos.

Is the country called Lao or Laos?

In English, when describing this Asian nation, the correct pronunciation is ‘Laos’ with a voiced ‘s’. The old saying (in English) goes: “When in Rome do as the Romans do”, but only if you are speaking Italian should you say ‘Roma’ or ‘Italia’.

Are Hmong Laotian?

The Hmong are an ethnic group within the country of Laos. In Laos, the Hmong are called Hmong, even by the majority Lao. So as not to confuse people, Hmong are Hmong and Lao are Lao. Both are from (Laos), but labeled differently.”

What is the history of Laos?

Laos was never a unified country until it broke from the French rule in 1953. Previously, before the french colonial rule, what is now Laos used to be a vassal state of Siam (Thailand) from 1778–1893. Laos as existing today is the result of the “ colonial imagination ” of the French.

What was the French protectorate of Laos?

The French protectorate of Laos was a French protectorate in Southeast Asia of what is today Laos between 1893 and 1953–with a brief interregnum as a Japanese puppet state in 1945–which constituted part of French Indochina. It was established over the Siamese vassal, the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, following the Franco-Siamese War in 1893.

What is the difference between Laos and Siam?

Siam remained independent, while Laos fell under French imperialism. The French Protectorate of Laos lasted from its formal establishment in 1893 to 1950, when it was granted independence in name but not in fact by France. True independence came in 1954 when France withdrew after its humiliating defeat by the Vietnamese at Dien Bien Phu.

Is Laos a developed or developing country?

In the same year, the country ranked 139th on the Human Development Index (HDI), indicating medium development. Laos is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia Summit, and La Francophonie.