The landlocked nation of Laos is one of the most delightful destinations in Asia. Stretching from the southern borders of China to northern Cambodia, with Thailand to the west and Vietnam to the east, Laos is many people's favorite destination on their visit to Southeast Asia.

Laos has historically been at a disadvantage, constantly caught between powerful empires. The Mekong River has served as a western border, and the rugged Annamite mountains as an eastern border. These natural boundaries have helped to preserve the nation, but have been relentlessly challenged by neighboring Siam and Vietnam, as well as China to the north. Earliest evidence suggests the country was first settled by immigrants from China. By the 11-th century, much of the country was under the rule of the now powerful Khmer Empire, centered in Angkor. In 1345, the first real Laotian kingdom was founded, under Fa Ngum, a Lao prince who had been raised in the court of Angkor. Far Ngum exploited the weaknesses of the Khmer empire to expand his own domain, which he called "Lan Xang" - the land of a million elephants. His empire included all of present day Laos, and much of what is now northeastern Thailand. The northern hill people remained independent; this region has always maintained a distinct, semi-autonomous status, as the culture of the inhabitants is distinctly different to mainstream Lao culture.

The Lan Xang empire ruled until the end of the 17-th century, before breaking up into a series of three kingdoms, each one ruled by conflicting factions from Vietnam, Thailand, China, and Burma. Eventually, the region came under Siamese suzerainty. Various rebellions attempted to regain Laotian independence, but never again was the country to know the freedom and selfrule it had known under The Lan Xang kingdom.

Near the end of the 19-th century, the Siamese court agreed to cede control of Laos to the French, in exchange for a French commitment to non-interference in Siamese domestic affairs. The country became known as "the land of the lotus eaters": the mountainous geography prohibited plantations, there was little mineral wealth, and expeditions along the Mekong in search of new trading routes to China proved to be disappointing. The one significant export from Laos was opium. French civil servants based in Laos were notorious for their decadent lifestyle, and tended to set up house with native consorts, much to the disdain of their colleagues based in seemingly more civilized parts of Indochina.

After World War II, Laos began the all too common cycle of domestic upheaval and conflict that spread like a cancer throughout Indochina. The Japanese forced the French-installed King Sisavang Vong to declare independence from the French; the Prime Minister formed the Las Issara (Free Lao) movement to ensure that the country actually maintained its freedom after the Japanese departure. The French sowed further divisions in their attempts to resume control over their protectorate. French oppression of the Lao Issara led to many members splintering off and starting the Pathet Lao, which was supported by the Vietminh of North Vietnam. The French granted full suzerainty to Laos in 1953, but the Pathet Lao considered the royalist government to be a puppet of Western forces. As the French withdrew from Indochina after their humiliation at Dien Bien Phu, the Royal Lao government received arms and support from the American government. The late 50's and early 60's saw a dizzying series of coups, counter-coups, coalitions and dissolutions dominating Lao politics, leaving the country ever more unstable.

The following period of civil war, domestic strife, and international meddling was awesome even by the chaotic standards of modern Indochina. If Cambodia was a sideshow to the Vietnam War, then Laos was a multi-ringed circus. From 1964 to 1973, the country was hacked to pieces by foreign governments running highly covert operations from the technically neutral grounds of Laos. The Americans ran "The Other Theater", with military landing strips, CIA advisors, Green Berets, and pilots based throughout the mountains between Vientiane and Xieng Khouang. The North Vietnamese had 34,000 combat troops, and thousands of other support troops, advisors, and engineers operating in eastern Laos. The Chinese were operating in the north, and the Thais in the east. Laos still holds the dubious honor of being the largest, most expensive paramilitary operation ever carried out by the United States. By the end of the war, approximately 1.9 million metric tons of bombs had been dropped on Laos: equivalent to over half a ton for every man, woman and child living in Laos.

In 1973, a ceasefire was reached in Laos. In 1975, the Lao People's Democratic Republic was formed. An estimated 40,000 people were sent to "re-education camps"; many more escaped Laos, and lived as refugees in Thailand. Since 1991, the country has generally become increasingly liberalized. There is a conflict between old-style leaders, influenced by Vietnamese communist approaches, and younger, more liberal leaders. Relations with Thailand have also increased recently: the Friendship Bridge was opened in 1994, linking the two countries for the first time. While it is generally felt that this ease is motivated by economic desires, there is no doubt that the political landscape and culture of Laos is changing rapidly.

Ethnically, Laos is predominantly a nation of hilltribes: nearly half of the population are members of over 60 hilltribe groups. Just under half of the population are Lao Loum: these rice cultivators descended from China in the 6-th century, and tend to live in the Mekong River valley and its tributaries. Predominantly Buddhist, many still engage in animist traditions. Hilltribe groups include the Lao Thai: these Thai subgroups are closely related to the Lao, but tend to be considered more 'tribal'; they also tend to live further upland, and be more animist than Buddhist. The Lao Theung consist of 45 subgroups; they are the largest hilltribe contingent. Their standard of living is much lower than other groups. Living amongst the mountains of northern and southern Laos, they practice slash and burn agriculture. The Lao Sung include the Hmong and Yao; an animist culture who practice ancestor worship, many of them grow opium.

Most of the hilltribes are distinguishable by their specific clothes, jewelry, textiles, religious practices and customs. Elaborate weaving and embroidery patterns are found throughout all the tribes.

As well as being ethnically fascinating, Laos is also a stunningly beautiful land. The landscape is dominated by lush, forested mountains, broad plateaus, and rivers coursing through the hills. Plans are under way for the construction of major hydroelectric projects along the Mekong, although this will undoubtedly cause major disturbance to the livelihood of fishing communities, and the diverse flora and fauna that has yet to be completely recorded and studied.

Laos' vegetation is a mixture of tropical and subtropical, with a plethora of orchids, fruit trees, and hardwoods. Endemic species include pangolin, lesser panda, pygmy slow loris, and the snub-nosed langur. There are over 500 species of birds, including pheasants, songbirds and hawks. Many rare fish dwell in the Mekong; their presence, and the lack of full knowledge about their lifecycles, has led many conservationists to oppose Chinese and Laotian plans for the development of the Mekong River. Near the Lao - Cambodian border, the Irrawaddy dolphin lives in the Si Phan Don region, although its habitat is being disturbed by Cambodian use of dynamite for fishing.

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