The people's democratic republic of Laos is located in the center of Indochina, sharing borders with China to north west, Thailand to west, Cambodia to the south, and Vietnam to the east.
Laos has a population of about 5, 5 million people and is made up of 48 different ethnic groups within an area of 236, 800 square kilometres. Around 70 % of its terrain is mountainous reaching a maximum elevation of 2, 820 m in Xieng Khouang province. The landscapes of northern Laos and regions adjacent to Vietnam in particular are dominated by hills. The Mekong river is the main geographic feature in the west and in fact, forms a natural border with Thailand and some other areas. The Mekong flows through nearly 1, 900 km of Laos. In the south the Mekong reaches a breadth of 14 km, creating an area with thousands of islands. The capital Vientiane and all other major cities and towns are located of the bank of the Mekong river, while virtually every village depends on the vital bond between the land and water. The first kingdom of Laos is Lane Xang kingdom (the Land of Million Elephants).
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