Religion, State and Society in Contemporary Laos

Abstract

"Founded in the mid-fourteenth century as the kingdom of Lanxang, Laos was a monarchy until the declaration of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) in 1975. It has a population of some 5 million, of which about 80 per cent are peasants. It is listed amongst the 20 least developed countries in the world. A considerable proportion of the population practises 'slash and burn' cultivation, and about a third are illiterate despite tremendous educational efforts. Laos is a multinational country. The Lao themselves make up half the population; but more than 50 ethnic groups are represented, of Mon-Khmer, Miao- Yao and Tibeto-Burman stocks."