Part of the country series of articles.
| Kingdom of Laos | |
|---|---|
| Constitutional Monarchy | |
 |
|
| Capital | Vientiane |
| Languages | Lao, French, Thai, and many highland languages |
| Population | 4,200,000 |
The Kingdom of Laos is a constitutional monarchy occupying the northern half of the Laotian territory, bordered by Thailand to the west and China to the north. It is a poor and predominantly agricultural country that has modernised quickly on the back of substantial Thai and Chinese foreign investment, most of it military. That China and Thailand back the same side against a Soviet-aligned neighbour is a source of ongoing diplomatic awkwardness, managed by all parties with studied vagueness about their respective interests. The Kingdom has profited handsomely from their ongoing border dispute with the Lao PDR, which has reduced to a simmering tension.
The capital of Vientiane sits on the Mekong and is the kingdom’s showpiece, a riverside city of French colonial boulevards, gilded temple complexes and extravagant new ministries built at considerable expense with foreign money. It is more beautiful than the country can afford and the government knows it, but Vientiane functions as much as an argument as a city – a demonstration that the kingdom is best off with its king.