Laos

Area: 237 800 km²

Population: 6 521 998 (2007)

Population density: 27.4 pers./km²

Capital: Vientiane

Government type: Socialist republic

Official language: Lao

Ethnic groups: Lao Loum 68%, Lao Theung 22%, Lao Soung 9%, Vietnamese and Chinese 1%

Religion: Buddhist 65%, Animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other 0.8%

Currency: Laotian kip (LAK)

Time zone: UTC+7

Administrative divisions: Laos is divided into 16 provinces and the capital city of Vientiane, which are subdivided into 140 districts

Highest point: Phou Bia 2 817 m

Longest river: Mekong River 4 880 km

Largest cities: Vientiane, Pakxe, Savannakhet, Luang Prabang, Xam Nua

Calling code: +856

Internet TLD: .la