Relatively untouched by the touristic armadas, Laos is an enchanting nation bursting with ethnic diversity and color, lush rice fields and tea plantations, surging waterfalls and small, graceful cities and villages.

• TOTAL AREA: 236,800 sq km

• LAND AREA: 230,800 sq km

• WATER AREA: 6,000 sq km

• POPULATION: 6,368,481

• RELIGIONS: Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)

• LANGUAGES: Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: Communist state

• CAPITAL CITY: Vientiane

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: kip (LAK)

• TIME ZONE: GMT/UTC +7