Laos 🇱🇦
Laos is a country in Asia with a population of 7,529,475. Its capital is Vientiane. The official currency is LAK, and the main languages are Lao.
Quick facts
- Capital: Vientiane
- Continent: Asia
- Population: 7,529,475
- Area: 236,800 km²
- Density: 31.8 people per km²
- Currency: LAK
- Languages: Lao
- ISO code: LA
Where Laos sits
Laos 🇱🇦 is one of 48 countries in Asia, with its capital at Vientiane. It covers 236,800 square kilometres — 82nd in the world — and is home to about 7,529,475 people, 103rd globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Laos compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Laos sits closest to Serbia and Nicaragua. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Romania and Ghana.
At 31.8 people per square kilometre it is about 1.9 times below the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by area than by population, so it is more spacious than its population alone suggests.
Lao is listed as official in Laos alone. The LAK is used by Laos and no one else.
To see Laos next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Laos
Vientiane sits on the bank of the Mekong, looking across the river at Thailand. The flag shows the same scene: a white moon over a blue river.
The flag of Laos: red, blue and white
🇱🇦 The flag is a wide blue horizontal band between two red bands, with a white disc in the centre. Red stands for those who struggled for independence, blue for the Mekong River and prosperity, and the white disc for the full moon over the Mekong and the unity of the people.
Region and neighbours
Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, with the Mekong River running along much of its western edge. It shares land borders with 5 countries: China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Laos is landlocked, with no coast on the open ocean.
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Vietnam 🇻🇳 — capital Hanoi
- Cambodia 🇰🇠— capital Phnom Penh
- Thailand 🇹🇠— capital Bangkok
- Myanmar 🇲🇲 — capital Naypyidaw
Three facts about Laos
- Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia.
- The town of Luang Prabang, with its Buddhist temples and old wooden houses, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The Plain of Jars is covered in thousands of ancient stone jars whose exact purpose is still studied, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sources: Wikipedia: Laos, Wikipedia: Flag of Laos, Wikipedia: Vientiane, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Laos
- Asian capitals quiz — match Laos to Vientiane
- Asian flags quiz — spot the Laos flag among its neighbours
- Landlocked countries quiz — Laos has no sea coast
Quizzes that include Laos
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Laos those are:
- Asia map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Asia flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Asia capitals quiz — match it to Vientiane
- Laos capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Laos, plus the answer quizzes most often try to trick you with
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Laos
- Capital of Laos: Vientiane — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 48 countries of Asia
Nearby countries
- Afghanistan 🇦🇫 — capital Kabul
- Armenia 🇦🇲 — capital Yerevan
- Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 — capital Baku
- Bahrain 🇧🇠— capital Manama
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- Bhutan 🇧🇹 — capital Thimphu
- Brunei 🇧🇳 — capital Bandar Seri Begawan
- Cambodia 🇰🇠— capital Phnom Penh
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Georgia 🇬🇪 — capital Tbilisi
- India 🇮🇳 — capital New Delhi
- Indonesia 🇮🇩 — capital Jakarta
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Laos flag?
The flag of Laos is a wide blue horizontal band between two red bands, with a white disc in the centre. Red stands for those who struggled for independence, blue for the Mekong River and prosperity, and the white disc for the full moon over the Mekong and the unity of the people.
Which countries border Laos?
Laos shares land borders with China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.
How can I remember the capital of Laos?
Vientiane sits on the bank of the Mekong, looking across the river at Thailand. The flag shows the same scene: a white moon over a blue river.