LAOS

THE FLAG

THE FLAG’S MEANING The Red stripes represent the blood shed in the country's fight for independence. The blue stands for Laos' wealth and prosperity and the white symbolizes unity and justice. Another interpretation of the Laotian flag states the white circle symbolizes the full moon over the blue Mekong River, which runs through and alongside the majority of Laos.

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

LOCATION IN RELATION Laos is a landlocked country in southeast Asia bordered by Vietnam, Thailand, China, Burma, and Cambodia.

SIZE, POPULATION, AND ENVIRONMENT  Laos is twice the size of Pennsylvania.  A very diverse range of climates.  Laos is very mountainous to the north in the highlands.  At lower elevations trees abound.  The forests occupy the northeast corner of the country.  The population of Laos is around 6.6 million individuals.

ECONOMY  GDP per capita is $3,000 with an unemployment rate of 2.5%.  Population below poverty 26%.  Imports: machinery, vehicles, fuel, and consumer goods.  Exports: rice, wood, coffee, and electricity

LEADERSHIP & GOVERNMENT  The current leader of Laos is Choummaly Sayasone. (Choo-ma-lee Say-a-sawn)  Laos is a communist state but has been decentralizing since  Age of suffrage is eighteen.  Date of independence from France: 19 July  Main languages: Lao, French, English, plus various ethnic languages.

CULTURAL INFORMATION  73% of Laos’s population over the age of 15 can read & write.  Average total years of schooling is nine years.  Population breakdown for ethnic groups is: Laotians 55%, Khmou 11%, Hmong 8%, and various others 26%.  Population breakdown for religious groups is: Buddhism 67%, Christianity 1.5%, Unspecified 31.5%.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS  Human rights violations are indeed present in Laos.  Limited to no freedom of religion.  Persecution and hunting/removing of the Lao-Hmongs has been going on for THIRTY-TWO years.  This is done all by Laotian soldiers.  No freedom of expression + media sources highly filtered.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONTINUED  Popular expression in Laos is as follows, “The rich cannot be imprisoned, the poor cannot be hospitalized.”  Political Freedom: Denied no right to vote for political leaders.  Religious Freedom: Suppressed they have some religious freedom but not much.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONTINUED  Media Freedom: Severely monitored they have all modern sources but not without being filtered first by the government.  Free Trial System: Denied Laotians do not have a jury of peers in court because all branches of the government are completely communist.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONTINUED  Educational Freedom: Denied no free public school system  Medical Freedom: Denied Its hard for a lower class Laotian to be treated in a hospital because of greed in the hospitals

WORKS CITED Wikipedia Central Intelligence Agency. “Laos.” CIA – The World Factbook. CIA, n.d. web 13 April “Laos.” Infoplease. Highbeams Research, n.d. web. 13 April 2013.