Official Name
Lao People Democratic Republic (Lao PDR )

Land Area
236,800 km squared

Population
ca. 6.5 million

Capital
Vientiane

Latitude
14-23 degrees north / Longitude 100-108 degrees east.

Laos, officially known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic, covers an area of 236,800 square kilometres. It is an entirely landlocked country located in the centre of Indochina sharing borders with Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. 
The population of Laos, estimated at 6.5 million, is comprised of some 49 ethnic groups divided into four main linguistic families: Lao-Thai, Mon-Khmer, Tibeto-Burmese and Hmong-Loumien. Each group has its own distinct customs, culture, clothing and dialect. The official language of the country is Lao and the major religion is Theravada Buddhism. Vientiane is the capital and the largest city in the country.

Geographically, Laos is divided into three main regions: the north, the centre and the south. While mountains and forests cover most of this land, the majority of the population is settled along the fertile Mekong River valley. The main rivers are the Mekong (flowing 1,898 km through Lao territory), the Nam Ou (448 km), the Nam Ngum (354 km), the Nam Xebanghiang (338 km), the Nam Tha (325 km) and the Sekong (320 km).