World
Backgrounder: Lao People’s Democratic Republic
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Source: CCTV.com | 11-20-2006 09:11
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China and Laos are good friends and neighbors. While China has quickly modernized, Laos has also been taking the necessary steps to improve its economy.
Laos is a landlocked country located in southeast Asia, covering 237,000 square kilometers. It has a population of 6.4 million people, and the capital is Vientiane. And it has 3 ethnic groups, including more than 60 small tribes. Buddhism is the main religion practiced in the country.
Laos won its independence from France on July 19th, 1949, and it established a socialist society in 1975, ending a six-century-old monarchy.
In 1986, Laos launched an "open and revolutionary policy" that encouraged private enterprises. Since then, various industries have witnessed rapid progress. The growth rate averaged 6 percent from 1988 to 2004, and reached 7.3 percent in 2005.
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But Laos remains a country with a relatively primitive infrastructure. It still leans mostly on agriculture, with farmers making up 80 percent of the population.
China and Laos established diplomatic relations in April 1961. And the two countries have maintained neighborly and friendly ties ever since.
Editor:Wang Ping
