Only Legal Political Party In Laos example essay topic

Introduction My country is Laos. It is a small, poor country in Southeast Asia. The population is about five million. It is 91,400 square miles and the language is Lao but french and english is only spoken for buisnesse purposes mainly.

The currency is Kip. Human beings began living in the present territory of Laos more than 10,000 years ago. Stone tools and skulls were discovered in the Huaphan and Luang Prabang provinces. They did carbon dating on these artifacts and test say there around 10,000 years old. The giant jars in Xieng Khouang province and stone columns in Huaphan province date from the neolithic period. Humans in Laos used iron for their tools as early as the last century B.C. Community grouping of people slowly formed into townships between the fourth and eight century A.D. on both sides of the Mekong River and along its tributaries.

In 1349-1357, a movement emerged under the command of King Fa Ngoum, a national hero, to group the townships into a unified Lan Xang Kingdom, the capital of which stood at Xiengdong Xiengthong, now known as Luang Prabang. From then on, the Kingdom of Lan x ang entered into an era of national defence and construction under King Fa Ngoum who first introduced Hinayana Buddhism from the Khmer Kingdom into Laos, which is still the religion professed by the majority of Lao people. From 1479 to 1570, the Lao people were forced to defend the country against foreign aggressors. Under the rule of King Setthathirath, the capital was moved from Xiengdong Xiengthong to Vientiane in 1560.

A moat was built to protect the new capital whose name means the rampart if sandalwood. King Setthathirath built a shrine to house the Phra Kae o, the Emerald Buddha. He also erected the Luang Stupa, a venerated religious shrine which is now the symbol of the Lao nation. In the seventeenth century, under the reign of King Souliyavongsa, the Kingdom entered its most brilliant era.

It was respected by neighbouring countries and was reputed in many countries of the world. in 1694, a Dutch merchant of the East Indian Company, Geri tt Van Wuysthoff, and later, two Italian missionaries, Loria and Marini, visited the Kingdom of Lan Xang. They wrote awed reports on the rich and beautiful palaces and temples, and the splendid religious ceremonies, saying Vientiane was the most magnificent city in South East Asia. At the end of the reign of King Souliyavongsa, the feudal lords of Lan Xang became contenders for the throne which led to the division of the country into three Kingdoms in 1713: Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champassak. The division created opportunities for new foreign aggressors.

The Lao people fought relentlessly to recover their national independence. The most fire ce but unsuccessful struggle in the Kingdom of Vientiane was led by King Anouvong, now a National Hero. Vientiane was ransacked completely destroyed by the Siamese, with the exception of That Luang and vat Sis aket. The Emerald Buddha was taken to Bangkok. This disaster happened in 1827. In 1893, Laos became a French colony.

The Lao people of different ethnic groups under the leadership of the Communist Party of Indochina, continued to struggle for the self determination and independence of Laos. Lao finally got its independence in 1954. Despite the agreement, neo-colonialist people stepped into Laos to replace the old. During this time period, the ethnic Lao people suffered enormously. The pain of the people and the destruction of land and property was beyond physical measure. Because of the perseverance and struggle of the Lao people, victory after victory was scored until the people was able to seize power throughout the country, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic was established on December 2, 1975.

Economy The traditional Lao economy was based on agriculture, handcraft production, and trade. Indeed, for centuries before Europeans arrived, flourishing local and long-distance trade networks had linked Southeast Asia with East and South Asia. It was the prospect of controlling the lucrative Asian trade in spices and other luxury goods that initially lured the French and other Europeans to Southeast Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries. Later they also hoped to exploit the region's natural resources. However, French efforts to develop Laos economically in the late 19th and early 20th centuries came to little, as they quickly concluded that Laos's terrain made commercial agriculture and mining difficult. The civil war that followed independence in 1953 further impeded economic development.

Even today, a large majority of Lao still engage in subsistence agriculture. Industry is limited to small-scale manufacturing of consumer products, though clothing and textile products have become a significant export. Government revenue is insufficient to cover expenditure and investment in infrastructure development, leaving the deficit to be met by foreign aid. The principal aid donors are Japan, France, Sweden, and Australia.

In the late 1980's the government opened the economy to foreign investment. As a result, the average growth rate between 1990 and 1998 was 6.6 percent, and by 1998 Laos's gross domestic product (GDP) had climbed to $1.3 billion. Average GDP per capita rose to $360, compared to $360 in Vietnam and $250 in Cambodia. Like the economies of other countries in the region, the Lao economy suffered badly when the value of several Asian currencies fell sharply in the late 1990's. Laos has a total labor force of 2.3 million, of whom 78 percent are in agriculture, 6 percent are in industry, and 16 percent are in the service sector. Rural underemployment and urban unemployment remain high.

There is an official Federation of Trade Unions, but independent unions are banned. Agriculture is the principal economic activity in Laos, contributing 53 percent of GDP. Only 3 percent of Laos's total land area is cultivated, but 80 percent of the cultivated land is planted in rice. Other crops include corn, coffee, soybeans, sugarcane, and sweet potatoes. Cotton, tobacco, and cardamom are also grown. The government encourages animal husbandry, and livestock numbers have steadily increased since the late 1970's.

Lao farmers raise water buffalo, cattle, pigs, horses, goats, and poultry. Timber is a major export for Laos, with production estimated at 5.5 million cu m (194 million cu ft) in 1998. Some timber is processed as sawn boards and plywood, but most is exported in the form of logs. Despite government attempts to regulate and manage the industry, illegal logging and smuggling of timber remain widespread. Fish is an important item in the Lao diet, but the catch of 40,000 metric tons is sufficient only for local consumption. Laos produces few minerals, although mining yields small amounts of tin, gypsum, rock salt, and coal.

Exploration has located reserves of coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, silver, and gemstones, as well as small deposits of other minerals. Manufacturing is limited to saw milling, rice milling, brick making, and production of consumer products such as cigarettes, detergents, matches, plastics, beer, and soft drinks. Foreign investment spurred growth in the garment industry: In the 1990's more than 40 garment factories opened in the Vientiane area. Energy production offers the best prospect for increasing exports. Laos already exports to Thailand most of the 1 billion kilowatt-hours of power that it currently generates, 97 percent of it in the form of hydroelectricity. Government The present government of Laos is a republic, effectively controlled by the Communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic was proclaimed on December 2, 1975, replacing the Kingdom of Laos, which gained independence from France in 1953. From 1975 to 1991, power nominally resided in an interim Supreme People's Assembly but was actually wielded by the Political Bureau of the LPR P. In 1989 national elections were held for the first time, and in 1991 Laos's first constitution was enacted. All citizens who are aged 18 years or older may vote. Laos became a member of the United Nations (UN) in December 1955. It joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July 1997. Under the 1991 constitution, executive power is vested in a president, who is chosen by the National Assembly for a five-year term.

The president is assisted by a vice president. The president appoints a prime minister, whose cabinet must be approved by the National Assembly. The prime minister and his government also serve a five-year term. Legislative power rests with the National Assembly. Its 99 members are elected every five years. The National Assembly has the power to amend the constitution, pass laws, and approve the budget.

Justice is administered by the Supreme People's Court and by provincial and district people's courts. Both the president of the Supreme People's Court and the public prosecutor general are appointed by the National Assembly. Judges are appointed by the Ministry of Justice. Laos is divided into 16 provinces, the special region of Xaisomboun, and the municipality of Vientiane. Provinces are divided into districts comprising towns and villages.

All are administered by people's administrative committees, whose activities are closely monitored at the district and provincial levels by parallel committees of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. The ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party, known until 1972 as the Lao People's Party, came to power in 1975. It is the only legal political party in Laos. The party president presides over the main organ of political power, the Political Bureau. The Central Committee, charged with leading the party between party congresses, elects the Politburo. Though nominally a Communist party founded on the principles of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party is more concerned with maintaining a monopoly of political power than with ideology.

In 1990 the Lao People's Revolutionary Party dominated government stamped out attempts to establish an opposition party by giving ringleaders long prison sentences. In 1976 the guerrilla forces that overthrew the royal Lao regime became the Lao People's Army. In 1998 the Lao People's Army had 25,000 members, equipped with aging tanks and artillery. The air force numbered 3,500 men and also was equipped with aging equipment, including MiG-21 fighters, helicopters, and transport planes. A tiny 600-strong navy patrols the Mekong River. Lao men must serve in the military for a minimum of 18 months.

Recreation The recreation in Laos is very limited, due to the underdeveloped tourist infrastructure in Laos, there are virtually no organised activities. For the adventurous and resourceful, this can be a real boon. The hilly nature of the country makes it perfect trekking territory, though overnight camping is not allowed; ask around towns for a local guide. Mountain-biking is the next best way to take advantage of the terrain; there are bikes for higher in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. On Don Khon, an island in the Mekong River, there's an interesting walk across the southern tip of the island, which offers the chance to see Irrawaddy dolphins in the late afternoon between December and May.

ComminicationRadio and television broadcasting are government monopolies. There our only Four television channels, ten medium-wave AM radio stations, seven short-wave AM radio stations, and one FM radio station. These supply programs to 145 radio receivers and 10 television sets per 1,000 people. The country's three daily newspapers are government owned, with a combined circulation of only 18,000. Only 6 in every 1,000 people have telephones. There is also one ground satellite station linked to the Intersputnik system.

All other international telecommunications go by antiquated high-frequency radio to Hong Kong and short-wave link to Bangkok. Family There our three different categories of people in Laos: the Lao Lum, the Lao Thoeng, and the Lao Sung. All of these families our mostly large and farming is there way of life. The Lao Lum (lowland Lao) account for 66 percent of the population and comprise those groups who live at lower altitudes, speak Tai languages, and practice wet-rice cultivation. Major groups in this category include the ethnic Lao, who make up just over 50 percent of the total population. The Lao Thoeng (Lao of the mountain slopes) make up 24 percent of the population, live at medium altitudes, speak Mon-Khmer languages, and practice slash-and-burn agriculture.

They are believed to be Laos's earliest inhabitants. The Lao Sung (Lao of the mountaintops), who make up the remaining 10 percent of the population, migrated to Laos beginning in the early 19th century. They live at high altitudes in northern Laos. They use slash-and-burn methods of farming and grow marijuana and opium. Education Education for the Lao Lum traditionally took place in the wat, where Buddhist monks taught boys the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion. Other ethnic groups did not have traditions of formal education.

Under French rule, from 1893 to 1953, education was limited to an urban elite. From 1953 to 1975, the royal Lao government developed a modern education system with a Lao curriculum, but even so it catered to only about one-third of the school-age population. When the Lao People's Revolutionary Party came to power in 1975, it placed great emphasis on education, especially on eradication of illiteracy. It had few resources, however, and standards fell. In 1995, the literacy rate stood at 56.6 percent. Almost all Lao Lum children of school age attend primary school for six years, and 29.4 percent continue on to secondary school for an additional six years.

The school attendance rates for Lao Thoeng and Lao Sung children are considerably lower, however, and the goal of universal education is still some way off. Laos has one university, the National University of Laos, located in Vientiane. Regional technical colleges are located in Louangphrabang, Savannah " et, and Pakx'e. Transportation Laos has no railroads and an inadequate road system totaling only 22,321 km (13,870 mi). Maintenance is poor, and most roads are not paved. However, Laos is strategically situated in the middle of the Southeast Asian peninsula, and international funding is helping to upgrade roads linking Thailand with Vietnam and southern China through Laos.

River transport remains important, and Laos has 4,620 km (2,870 mi) of navigable inland waterways. In 1995 Laos and Thailand opened the first bridge between their countries across the Mekong River. Air transport links all provincial capitals, and Lao Aviation offers a limited international service. Religion / Values The official language of Laos is Lao, which is written with an alphabet derived from a southern Indian script. The indigenous languages of Laos fall into four major groups: the Dai c or Tai-Kauai languages, Mon-Khmer, Tibeto-Burman, and Hmong-Mien. A number of the languages and dialects spoken in Laos have never been properly studied by linguists.

Some of these languages are spoken by only a few thousand people. As a state that nominally embraces Communism, with its opposition to religion, Laos has no official religion. Nevertheless, a large majority of the population practices Theravada Buddhism. Even members of the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party attend Buddhist ceremonies. The wat forms both the religious and social center of most lowland Lao Lum villages. Animism was once practiced throughout Southeast Asia and is still practiced by many upland dwellers.

Most Lao Thoeng and Lao Sung are animists, although some have converted to Buddhism. Among the Lao Lum, only a few Tai groups are animists. A few Lao practice Christianity, both Protestant and Catholic, and there is a mosque in Vientiane for the tiny Indian Muslim community (see Islam). Architecture / Houses Rural Lao Lum traditionally live in self-sufficient villages, typically made up of some 40 to 50 households. Houses of timber, thatch, and split bamboo are constructed on wooden piles, with the floor about 6 ft above the ground. Lao Thoeng villages are generally smaller than those of the lowland Lao but are constructed of similar materials.

Lao Sung villages are similar in size to those of the Lao Thoeng, and like them may be relocated when soils are exhausted. Unlike other Lao, the Lao Sung construct their houses on the ground with a stamped earth floor. The precepts of Buddhism dictate the principles of Lao architecture and inspire the scenes that are often carved or painted in murals on temple walls. A typical temple compound includes a structure for ordaining new monks, a library for storing scriptures, living quarters for the monks, and various shrines for storing relics of the Buddha. Temples have high-peaked, tiered, outward-curving roofs, which in the northern style descend to within 6 ft of the ground. The form of the Lao temple and its roof decoration reflect the influence of Thai architecture.

Lao innovations include the tiered roof style that curves near to the ground, and a bronze roof ornament with five spires that symbolizes the Hindu Mount Meru. Laos's most sacred Buddhist shrine is the 16th-century That Luang stupa in Vientiane. Technology / Tools Laos is way behind in the technology department like many second and third world countries. Almost all the technology is government owned like phones, television and radio stations. There is only Four television channels, seventeen AM radio stations and one FM radio station in the whole county.

On average there our only 145 radio receivers, 6 phones and 10 television sets per 1,000 people. Location Lao's is located in Indochina, between latitude 14-23 degrees North and longitude 100-108 degrees East. It has common borders with China to the north, Cambodia to the south and Vietnam to the east. Laos has a tropical climate, with a summer rainy season from May to October followed by a cool dry period from November to February, and a hotter dry period in March and April. Wide variations in temperature are due more to differences in elevation than to seasonal change. Temperatures range from as high as 104^0 F in the Mekong lowlands in April to as low as 41^0 F in the mountains in winter.

In Vientiane, temperatures vary from an average of 84^0 F in April to 72^0 F in January. Rainfall varies regionally but averages about 70 in annually. Place Lao is 236,800 square km, the major part being mountains and forest. The country is divided into three geographical areas: the Northern, the Central, and the Southern areas. The Mekong river flows through 1,865 km of Lao PDR territory and forms the major portion of the border with Thailand. 60% of the water entering this major river system originates in Lao.

The three highest 'phu' (mountains) are all located in Xieng K huang province. The highest is Phu Bia (2,820 m), then Phu Lao (2,690 m), and Phu Xamxum with (2,620 m). Vientiane is the capital and the largest city. Human environment interaction The people of Laos mostly use their environment for jobs.

Many of the people grow, harvest and sell rice, marijuana and opium for a living. Some earn their living as slash and burn farmers. This means they our payed to clear forest by cutting and burning them while others grow, sell and process livestock. Region Laos has three distinct features. The first is the steep, heavily forested mountains that lie in the north but extend southeast to the Annam Highlands. The spine of this mountain chain forms the border between Laos and Vietnam.

Elevations in the north reach as high as 9,249 ft at Phu Bia, the countries tallest mountain. In the south, the mountains reach heights of about 6,500 ft, and the limestone terraces mounting to the east are more sparsely forested. Laos's second distinctive topographic feature is the narrow but fertile floodplains of the Mekong River, which traverses Laos's entire north-south length, and its tributaries. These plains are very narrow in the north but are wider farther south. Finally, three high plateaus are situated throughout the country: the Plain of Jars in the north, the Khammouan Plateau in the center, and the Bol ovens Plateau in the south. Movement of the country Laos does not seem to be moving anywhere really.

It is a small, poor country that lacks in technology, communication, transportation, health care and money. There tourism is very low and people mainly just work and live in little villages. Recently they " ve been having trouble with terrorists. There is a drug problem, there our many drug lords selling marijuana and opium. Recently the US has been helping cracking down on drug trade. Summary Day to day life in Laos seems pretty simple besides living in poverty.

They do not have the technology craze, pressures or high crime rates like many large countries. Lao people our hard workers that work together in small villages to survive. There families our mostly very large. Map