Map of Laos

Laos officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic commonly referred to by its colloquial name of Muang Lao, is a communist and landlocked country in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese peninsula, bordered by Myanmar (Burma) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southwest, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Laos became independent in 1953, with a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. Shortly after independence, a long civil war ended the monarchy, when the Communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975. According to the anti-corruption non-governmental organization Transparency International, Laos remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world. This has contributed to a third of the population of Laos currently living below the international poverty line (living on less than US$1.25 per day).  Laos has a low-income economy, with one of the lowest annual incomes in the world. In 2014, the country ranked 141st on the Human Development Index (HDI), indicating lower medium development. The country has also had a poor human rights record. The capital and largest city is Vientiane. Other major cities include Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Pakse. The official language is Lao. Laos is a multi-ethnic country, with the politically and culturally dominant Lao people making up about 55 percent of the population, mostly in the lowlands.