for teachers

Laos is one of the countries which, along with Vietnam and Cambodia, once formed “French Indochina.” A Theravada Buddhist country, Laos has seen the rise and fall of a number of independent Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms, the most important being the Nan-chao kingdom which ruled the area for several hundred years, until begin destroyed by the Mongols in the late 13^th century. Its recent history has seen its involvement in struggles for independence from the French, the Thais, the US and Vietnam.  Today, it is a country with a rich ethnic diversity, pristine forests, a great variety of wildlife and a communist government which is only now beginning its recovery from years of war and repression.  For more information on Laos, please click on the above buttons.