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 landlocked constitutional monarchy occupying the northern half of historical Laos, bordered by Thailand to the west and China to the north. It is a predominantly agricultural country that has developed slowly and remains dependent on foreign investment and aid from Thailand and China, much of which is directed towards military and infrastructure in Vientiane, the capital. The Kingdom fought a long and costly war against the Soviet-aligned People’s Democratic Republic of Laos to its south, which saw it fail to recapture its insurgent southern provinces. Although at a stalemate, the war carries on as a low-level skirmish along their militarised border.
Vientiane, the capital, sits on the Mekon River. It is has retained much of the French colonial architecture of its colonial period, but its wide boulevards are now choked with traffic as nearly a million people – a quarter of its population – have relocated to the capital in the last fifty years. The country is heavy centralised on Vientiane’s urban centre, which serves as the seat of the royal government and of national commerce. The Mekong valley lowlands are the most productive agricultural area, and its upland regions are home to a variety of ethnic minorities who maintain distinct languages and customs.