PEOPLE

Laos has a total population of 5.41 million, 13% of whom live in Vientiane province. People share a rich ethnic diversity, comprising such groups Hmong, Khmu, Yao, Akha, Lu etc. Most of them have kept their own customs; dialects and traditional dress in total 47 different groups are accounted for in Laos. These can be classified into three broad groups:

+ The Lao Lum (lowlanders) who make up 70% of the population and predominantly live Mekong River.

+ The Lao Theung (uplands) who comprise 20% of the population and on the lope and with an elevation of less than 1,000metres.

+ The Lao Song (hill tribes) who constitute 10% of the population and live in the mountainous areas.

The population density of Laos amounts to 19 people per square kilometer, a small number compared to the country's neighbors: 120 people per square kilometer in Thailand; and 200 people per square kilometer in China.

LANGUAGE

A member of the Tai Kadai (or just Kadai) language group, Lao is tonal, very similar to its Thai cousin. In fact there are more Lao speakers in Thailand's northeastern border lands of Isaan than there are in Laos. The two languages are so similar that Thai television and radio have become very popular among the Lao people.