Laos ' isolation from foreign influence offers travellers an unparalleled glimpse of traditional Southeast Asian life. From the fertile lowlands of the Mekong River valley to the rugged Annamite highlands, Laos is the highlight of Southeast Asia . This is the least developed and most enigmatic of the three former French Indochinese states. A ruinous sequence of colonial domination, internecine conflict and dogmatic socialism finally brought the country to its knees in the 1970s, and almost 10% of the population left the country. Now, after two decades of isolation from the outside world, this landlocked, sparsely populated country is enjoying peace, stabilizing its political and economic structures, and admitting foreign visitors - albeit in limited numbers, owing to a general lack of infrastructure.

Full country name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
Area: 236,800 sq km
Population: 6 million
People: 50% Lao Loum (lowland Lao), 30% Lao Theung (lower-mountain dwellers of mostly proto-Malay or Mon-Khmer descent), 10-20% Lao Sung (Hmong or Mien high-altitude hill tribes) and 10-20% tribal Thais
Language: French, English, Lao
Religion: 60% Buddhist, 40% animist and spirit cults
Government: communist state
Head of State: President Khamtai Siphandon
Head of Government: Prime Minister Boungnang Vorachith
GDP: US$9.7 billion
GDP per capita: US$1,700
Annual Growth: 4%
Inflation: 7.8%
Major Industries: Rice, tobacco, coffee, tin mining, timber
Major Trading Partners: Thailand , Vietnam , Malaysia , Japan