Population: 6,521,998
Capital: Vientiane
Time Zone: UTC+7
Currency Name: kip (LAK)
Government Type: Communist state
Languages: Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Ethnic Breakdown: Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religion: Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8%
Major Cities: Vientiane
Phone Country Code: 856
Health Concerns:
Official Tourism Website:
High Travel Season: November - February
Voltage: 230 V - 50 Hz
Electrical Plug Type: a, b, c, e, f
Major Holidays: January 1 (New Year's Day), January 6 (Pathet Lao Day), January 20 (Army Day), Chinese New Year, March 8 (Women's Day), March 22 (Day of the People's Party), Lao New Year, May 1 (Labor Day), Buddha Day, June 1 (Children's Day), Khao Pansa, August 13 (Day of the Free Laos), Bouk Ok Pansa, October 12 (Day of Liberation), December 2 (National Day)
Misc Fact / Good to Know: People from Laos are Lao.
