Living in Laos

Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia and borders, among others, Thailand, Vietnam, and China; around 7.1 million people live there. Mountains, forests, rivers, and the broad Mekong Valley shape the landscape. The climate is tropical, with a warm rainy season and a generally drier, somewhat cooler season. Many people in villages live in simple houses, often on stilts, while in Vientiane and other cities, apartments, markets, and small shops shape everyday life. Rice farming, handicrafts, trade, and services are important areas of employment. Depending on the region, people get around by motorcycle, bus, or boat. In the mountainous north, life is often more dispersed than in the more densely populated south and along the Mekong.