The capital is municipality of Vientiane (the province of Vientiane is another provincial administration. Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of the last kingdom always maintains traces of the old reigns. Other principal cities are Savannakhet (with 766.000 people) and Champassaks (with 572.000 people)

POPULATION:
It was estimated that, the population of Laos had 5.2 years million and develops with the 2.4% annual ones. The density of average population is 21 per square kilometres, giving to Laotian the low density of population in Asia. Around 85% of the population are farmers and live in rural sectors. More than 70% (2.220.547) are engaged in the production work, and 936.870 are without employment, a classification which includes the students (69.4%), the domestic workmen (12.6%), old (14.6%). There are 576.758 people with work in the cities, and work 2.580.659 in the countryside. There are 3 principal ethnic categories: Laotian Loum (low landers), Laotian Thueng (lower inhabitants of mountain), and Laotian Soong (tops landers). The great majority of Laotian are Buddhist

CLIMATE:
Laos has a hot and tropical climate with two seasons: the rain season of the beginning from May with at the end of September and the season dries as from October at April. The average temperature 29 degrees of centigrade. The maximum temperature can reach up to 40 degrees of centigrade. The temperatures can as fall with bottom as 15 degrees or even drop in mountains. In Vientiane the temperatures minimum of 19 C must be envisaged in January. In mountainous sectors, however, the temperatures fall at 14-15 C during the winter months, and in cold nights reach the freezing point easily. Average precipitation is highest in southernmost Laos, where the mountains of Annamite receive more than 3000 millimetres annually. In Vientiane precipitations are approximately 1500-2000 millimetres, and in the Scandinavian provinces only 1000-1500 millimetres. Generally, of the tourists are recommended to visit Laos during November to March because they are fresh months and precipitations are lower than other periods.

GEOGRAPHY:
With the finished half of the 236,800sq. kilometer of this land-locked country in mass covered from forests, and 70% of him mountainous, it hardly astonishes that a profusion of rare flora and more than 1.200 species of fauna finds a house under its tropical canopy. Roughly 70% of its total surface (236.800 square kilometres) comprise sectors of mountain and plates.

LANGUAGE:
The official language used in Laos east Laotian language. However, the use of the language can differ from north and the south. English, French and Russian are spoken in the businesses or by some elder civils servant of government. Many tradesmen can include/understand basic English and French.

RELIGION:
Buddhism appeared the first time in Laos during eighth century A.D. as shown by the image of Buddha and the stone inscription found with Talat prohibition close of Vientiane, now exhibé with the Ho Prakeo museum. After the base of the unified kingdom of the Xang lane, King FaNgum (14th century) declared Buddhism like religion of state and invited the people to give up the animism or any other belief such as the worship of the spirits. Its policy meant to develop the Laotian culture based on a common faith: Buddhism of Theravada. Today Buddhism of Theravada is the professed religion approximately of 90% of Laotians. Buddhism is an inherent device of everyday life and mussel a strong influence on the Laotian company. The Laotian woman can be seen each morning giving alms to the monks, earing the merit to decrease the number of their rebirth. One expects that Laotian men become a monk during at least little time in their lives. Traditionally they spent three months during the rain season in a tank, a Buddhist temple. But nowadays the majority of the men shorten their stay with one or two weeks.

GOVERNMENT:
The highest position in the Laotian government is the president (Mr. H.E. Khamtay Siphandone), who is elected every five years by the French National Assembly. This Head of State also acts as a commander in the chief of the forces armed with the country. The executive body highest in the Laotian government is the Council of Ministers, this is directed by a President, who also acts as a Prime Minister (Mr. H.E. Bounnyang Vorachit), with the vice-president (Mr. H.E. Somsavath Lengsava) supervising the work of the ministers of government. The provinces of country 16 (khoueng) are still divided into zones (muang) and villages (baan). Vientiane contains its own nakhon municipality - or of kampheng - and the special zone of Xaisomboun, in the North-East of the province, was established in June 1994. Still another special zone was installed in mid-1992 with the integration of two zones of Xaignabouri. AIMED: Visitors of visas travelling to Laos so need for tourism a visa, which can be obtained in the deferent way. An easy manner is to hold an excursion in Laos with a travel agency authorized abroad which has a formal contact with one of organizers of local voyages. This agency will provide you the form necessary, to allow you to apply for the visa your embassy of Laos or consulate (a list of the latter east provide to the bottom of this obtain) or you nearer can make the contact directly with the organizers of local voyages. If you reserve an excursion in Laos and you be resident of a country who proportion not to have an embassy of Laos or in the event of urgency, you can obtain the visa on the airport of Vattay of arrival only and the bridge of Mittaphab that both are the point of international control of border in Vientiane. You to make thus will have to meet at least some of the following conditions: - pay fees - have a plane ticket of return or a valid visa of a third country. - have a confirmation of hotel in Laos PDR. - certificate of a bank statement of account or a life insurance

EXCHANGE MONEY:
The kip is the official currency of Laos. The banknote are currently in the denomination of the kip 100, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000. All the principal currencies suck while the dollar of the USA, the frank of France, the DM, the Yens, Bath and the others can be exchanged at the banks which are located in all the principal cities. In competing rates of Luang Prabang and Vientiane many authorized private offices of exchange are offered. A service of exchange is available to the airport of Wattay in Vientiane. The offices and the banks of exchange will cash cheques of traveller in principal currencies. Moreover, the most domestic bank and most foreign in Vientiane allow withdrawals of species on charts of credit rating of visa can be employed in many restaurants and hotels, too. In the event of voyage to the distant areas it, of cause, is recommended to take a good provisioning of kip with you. Rate of exchange (DEC 2000) 1 USS = kip 8.200 = baht 42.5 1 baht = kip 198 Holidays of festival and civil servant: In Laos, the working days take place of Monday at Saturday, 8 a.m. of the morning at 12 hours of the morning and form 14 hours up to 5 TOKEN ENTRIES. One observes a variety of festivals and ceremonies religious throughout all the year. Most important are enumerated below.

HOLIDAYS:
New year again 1st) lao year(jan international (semi of avr.), national day (DEC 2st).