 The population of Laos is ethnically complex, with each ethnic group closely tied to related groups outside the country's borders than to the Laotian nation. The dominant group are the LAO, who account for over 50% of the total population and are concentrated in the alluvial floodplains along the Mekong River valley and its tributaries. There are even more Lao people (Isaan) in neighboring Thailand than in Laos. They practice a high-yielding wet-rice (paddy) form of agriculture. The Lao Teung, occupying middle elevations in the highlands, practice a low-yielding slash-and-burn form of agriculture. They are regarded as the original inhabitants and constitute about 25% of the total population. At higher elevations, above 1,067 m (3,500 ft), are the Hmong (MEO) and Man (YAO) hill tribes, which account for about 13% of the total population. Also separate are the tribal Tai, who practice a religion different from that of the lowland Lao. Lao people trace their history back to the ancient kingdom of Lan Xang. For some periods of Laotian history the country was dominated by the Thais. In 1899 the French combined small kingdoms in the region and renamed the area Laos. This political agglomeration obtained its independence from France in 1953. The official language is Lao, which is the language of the Lao ethnic group and is similar to Thai. Lao, like Thai, is a tonal language but is much easier to speak than Thai. The Lao Teung all speak languages of the Mon-Khmer family, and the Meo and Man languages are regarded as belonging to the Miao-Yao language family. French is still spoken by many government officials and educated members of the older generation but English is popular with younger people. The official religion is Theravada Buddhism, which remains an important part of Lao life under the Communists. The Lao Teung, tribal Tai, and other hill tribes practice various forms of animism and ancestor worship. By Southeast Asian standards Laos is sparsely populated, even in the alluvial lowlands where most people are concentrated. The population is predominantly rural. The largest urban area is Vientiane, the capital city. Other population centers are Pakse and Luang Prabang. The birthrate is high and there is a government ban on birth-control practices. The death rate is also high, so the net population increase is moderate. Also, since 1975 at least 500,000 refugees, including most of the educated, wealthy elite, and many tribespeople from the hills, have left the country. Six years of schooling is compulsory. Primary school education begins at age 6 and lasts for five years. Secondary and senior high school lasts for three years each. Since 1975, Lao has replaced French as the language of school instruction, now english is more common. Higher education has been available at the university in Vientiane, or in East European universities. |
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