1. Kingdom of Lan Xang
Laos traces its historical and cultural identity to the kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Khao (Kingdom of a Million Elephants Under the White Parasol). Lan Xang existed as a unified kingdom from 1354 to 1707 and at the time it was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia.
Foundation of Lan Xang 1354
Prince Fa Ngum established the kingdom of Lan Xang in 1354 by unifying the several principalities in the area, which were founded in the 1100s and 1200s.
Lan Xang
Lan Xang became wealthy economically and culturally as it was a popular hub for overland trade due to its central geographical location in Southeast Asia. Throughout its history Lan Xang was a landlocked country and the Mekong River formed the major means of transportation in the kingdom.
Lan Xang was surrounded by populous and powerful neighboring states like Ming China, Burma, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Lanna, the Dai Viet and the Khmer.
Partitioning of Lan Xang 1707
In 1707 Lan Xang was partitioned into the kingdoms of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champassak after a period of internal conflict.
2. French Indochina 1887-1954
Cambodia and Vietnam 1887
French Indochina was formed in 1887 when Cambodia and the three Vietnamese areas of Tonkin, Annam and Cochinchina were grouped together.
Laos 1893
In 1893 Luang Prabang, Champasak and Vientiane were added to the protectorate. These three kingdoms had separated from each other in 1707, when the kingdom of Lan Xang was partitioned.
Guangzhouwan lease 1898
In 1898 the Chinese territory of Guangzhouwan was leased.
World War II 1940s
In the 1940s Laos was occupied by Imperial Japan, Vichy France, fascist Thailand, Free France and Chinese nationalist armies during World War II after the fall of France.
Independence 1953
Laos briefly got freedom in 1945 before France recolonized it again. Laos got autonomy from France in 1949. In 1953 Laos gained full independence from France as a constitutional monarchy. Cambodia got independence from France in 1953 as well. North Vietnam had declared independence already in 1945 and South Vietnam became independent in 1954.
3. USA's Bombings in Laos
Bombings in Laos 1964-1973
Between 1964-1973 USA dropped two million tons of bombs on Laos, which nearly equals the 2,1 million tons of bombs that USA dropped on Europe and Asia during the whole World War II. Relative to the size of its population, Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the history.
About 80 million tons of bombs failed to explode and they remain scattered around the country. These unexploded bombs kill or injure 50 Laotians every year. A lot of of land is also impossible to cultivate because of these bombs.
Reason for the bombings
The reason for the bombings was the Vietnam War. USA was the ally of South Vietnam and the Royal Lao Army. There was a civil war in Laos at the moment between the Royal Lao Army and the Pathet Lao guerrillas. The Pathet Lao guerrillas were backed by USA's enemies, communist North Vietnam and Soviet Union. North Vietnam occupied some parts of Laos for use as a supply route for its war against South Vietnam and its allies. USA bombed Laos, because it wanted to prevent the collapse of the Royal Kingdom of Laos and to deny the usage of the Ho Chi Minh trail supply line.
4. Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia
The Golden Triange is an area of about 950,000 square kilometers that overlaps the mountains of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Along with Afghanistan in the Golden Crescent, the Golden Triangle has been the most extensive opium producing areas of Asia since the 1950s.
Until the 21th century, most of the world's heroin came from the Golden Triangle, before Afghanistan became the world's largest producer. Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of opium after Afghanistan currently.
In Laos the Hmong ethnic minority inhabit the northern mountain areas. The Hmongs have fought against the central government and mainly the Hmong people have had the control of the opium production in the border areas of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand out of the reach of the government's supervision.
5. Xayaburi Dam Project at Mekong River
Laos traces its historical and cultural identity to the kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Khao (Kingdom of a Million Elephants Under the White Parasol). Lan Xang existed as a unified kingdom from 1354 to 1707 and at the time it was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia.
Foundation of Lan Xang 1354
Prince Fa Ngum established the kingdom of Lan Xang in 1354 by unifying the several principalities in the area, which were founded in the 1100s and 1200s.
Lan Xang
Lan Xang became wealthy economically and culturally as it was a popular hub for overland trade due to its central geographical location in Southeast Asia. Throughout its history Lan Xang was a landlocked country and the Mekong River formed the major means of transportation in the kingdom.
Lan Xang was surrounded by populous and powerful neighboring states like Ming China, Burma, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Lanna, the Dai Viet and the Khmer.
Partitioning of Lan Xang 1707
In 1707 Lan Xang was partitioned into the kingdoms of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champassak after a period of internal conflict.
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| Lan Xang c. 1540 |
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| Southeast Asia after the partition of Lan Xang |
2. French Indochina 1887-1954
Cambodia and Vietnam 1887
French Indochina was formed in 1887 when Cambodia and the three Vietnamese areas of Tonkin, Annam and Cochinchina were grouped together.
Laos 1893
In 1893 Luang Prabang, Champasak and Vientiane were added to the protectorate. These three kingdoms had separated from each other in 1707, when the kingdom of Lan Xang was partitioned.
Guangzhouwan lease 1898
In 1898 the Chinese territory of Guangzhouwan was leased.
World War II 1940s
In the 1940s Laos was occupied by Imperial Japan, Vichy France, fascist Thailand, Free France and Chinese nationalist armies during World War II after the fall of France.
Independence 1953
Laos briefly got freedom in 1945 before France recolonized it again. Laos got autonomy from France in 1949. In 1953 Laos gained full independence from France as a constitutional monarchy. Cambodia got independence from France in 1953 as well. North Vietnam had declared independence already in 1945 and South Vietnam became independent in 1954.
Laotian flag during French rule
During the French rule Laos used a flag with three elephants and a parasol above them. This royal symbol derived from the legend, which told that Fa Ngum, the founder of Lan Xang rode a white elephant with a parasol.  |
| Flag of Laos as a French colony |
3. USA's Bombings in Laos
Bombings in Laos 1964-1973
Between 1964-1973 USA dropped two million tons of bombs on Laos, which nearly equals the 2,1 million tons of bombs that USA dropped on Europe and Asia during the whole World War II. Relative to the size of its population, Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the history.
About 80 million tons of bombs failed to explode and they remain scattered around the country. These unexploded bombs kill or injure 50 Laotians every year. A lot of of land is also impossible to cultivate because of these bombs.
Reason for the bombings
The reason for the bombings was the Vietnam War. USA was the ally of South Vietnam and the Royal Lao Army. There was a civil war in Laos at the moment between the Royal Lao Army and the Pathet Lao guerrillas. The Pathet Lao guerrillas were backed by USA's enemies, communist North Vietnam and Soviet Union. North Vietnam occupied some parts of Laos for use as a supply route for its war against South Vietnam and its allies. USA bombed Laos, because it wanted to prevent the collapse of the Royal Kingdom of Laos and to deny the usage of the Ho Chi Minh trail supply line.
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| Map of US bombings in Laos 1965-1973 |
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| Ho Chi Minh trail, 1967 |
4. Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia
The Golden Triange is an area of about 950,000 square kilometers that overlaps the mountains of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Along with Afghanistan in the Golden Crescent, the Golden Triangle has been the most extensive opium producing areas of Asia since the 1950s.
Until the 21th century, most of the world's heroin came from the Golden Triangle, before Afghanistan became the world's largest producer. Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of opium after Afghanistan currently.
In Laos the Hmong ethnic minority inhabit the northern mountain areas. The Hmongs have fought against the central government and mainly the Hmong people have had the control of the opium production in the border areas of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand out of the reach of the government's supervision.
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| Heroin production areas of the world |
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| Harvested poppy capsules |
The construction of the controversial Xayaburi Dam started in 2012 in Laos despite the approval of the other countries in the region. The Finnish company Pöyry is the consulting company of the project and the Thai Ch Karnchang is the construction company of the dam project. The Xayaburi Dam is the first of the 11 dams planned on the lower Mekong River.
Environmentalists say that the dam would affect 60 million people living along the Mekong River. Cambodia and Vietnam oppose the project, because they are concerned about the flow of water further downstream. Mekong delta is home to nearly 20 million people and it supplies 50% of Vietnam's rice output and over 70% of both its seafood and fruit output. The dams would also restrict the flow of water over agricultural areas, that are linked to the Mekong River.
The Mekong River Commission carried out a study concluding that the Xayaburi Dam might fundamentally undermine the abundance, productivity and diversity of the Mekong fish resources. This is particularly problematic as fish are the staple of the diet in Laos and Cambodia. An estimated 80% of the Cambodian population's annual protein intake comes from fish caught in the Mekong River system and there's no alternative source to replace them.
A staggering 95% of the electricity produced by the dam would be sold to Thailand. Laos would keep 70% of the revenues generated by the dam.
Possible effects of the Xayaburi Dam
Environmentalists say that the dam would affect 60 million people living along the Mekong River. Cambodia and Vietnam oppose the project, because they are concerned about the flow of water further downstream. Mekong delta is home to nearly 20 million people and it supplies 50% of Vietnam's rice output and over 70% of both its seafood and fruit output. The dams would also restrict the flow of water over agricultural areas, that are linked to the Mekong River.
The Mekong River Commission carried out a study concluding that the Xayaburi Dam might fundamentally undermine the abundance, productivity and diversity of the Mekong fish resources. This is particularly problematic as fish are the staple of the diet in Laos and Cambodia. An estimated 80% of the Cambodian population's annual protein intake comes from fish caught in the Mekong River system and there's no alternative source to replace them.
A staggering 95% of the electricity produced by the dam would be sold to Thailand. Laos would keep 70% of the revenues generated by the dam.
Possible effects of the Xayaburi Dam
- resettlement of 2100 people
- loss of agricultural land and riverbank gardens
- end of gold panning in the river
- less access of the forest resources of the Luang Prabang Range
- extinction of the endangered Mekong giant catfish
- irreversible environmental impacts
- the spawning and migratory pattern of 229 fish species would be affected by a mainstream dam
- change in fish abundance and biodiversity would affect tens of millions of people living in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, who depend on the river for their food and livelihood
- Mekong could become little more than a series of unproductive lakes
- loss of agricultural land and riverbank gardens
- end of gold panning in the river
- less access of the forest resources of the Luang Prabang Range
- extinction of the endangered Mekong giant catfish
- irreversible environmental impacts
- the spawning and migratory pattern of 229 fish species would be affected by a mainstream dam
- change in fish abundance and biodiversity would affect tens of millions of people living in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, who depend on the river for their food and livelihood
- Mekong could become little more than a series of unproductive lakes
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| Xayaburi Dam construction site |
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| Xayaburi Dam project. Constructed dams (green), under construction (black), under planning (grey) |
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| Mekong Giant Catfish |
Timeline
1500BC Bronze objects appeared around this time
700BC Iron tools were known since then
800s The Thai tribes moved to the area of present-day Laos from southern China
1354 Prince Fa Ngum established the kingdom of Lan Xang after unifying the several principalities that were founded in the 1100s and 1200s
1354-1707 The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang (Million Elephants and White Parasols) existed as a unified kingdom
1707 Lan Xang was partitioned into the kingdoms of Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champassak
1763-1769 Burmese army annexed Luang Phrabang in northern Laos and Champasak came under Siamese suzerainty
1826 Chao Anouvong, the vassal king of Vientiane installed by the Siamese, failed in the rebellion against the Siamese
1893 Luang Prabang became part of French Indochina and shortly after the Kingdom of Champasak and the territory of Vientiane were added to the protectorate
1940s Laos was occupied by Imperial Japan, Vichy France, fascist Thailand, Free France and Chinese nationalist armies during World War II
1946 French troops reoccupied Laos and conferred the country limited autonomy
1950 Laotian Pather Lao together with the Vietnamese Viet Minh started the anti-French Indochina war forcing France give semi-autonomy
1953 October 22th Laos gained full independence as a constitutional monarchy from France, which had remained in de facto control of the country until then
1954 Geneve Conference after the French defeat in the First Indochina War
1940s Laos was occupied by Imperial Japan, Vichy France, fascist Thailand, Free France and Chinese nationalist armies during World War II
1946 French troops reoccupied Laos and conferred the country limited autonomy
1950 Laotian Pather Lao together with the Vietnamese Viet Minh started the anti-French Indochina war forcing France give semi-autonomy
1953 October 22th Laos gained full independence as a constitutional monarchy from France, which had remained in de facto control of the country until then
1954 Geneve Conference after the French defeat in the First Indochina War
1960 After the elections, the fighting between the Royal Lao Army and the communist North Vietnam-backed and Soviet Union-backed Pathet Lao guerrillas
1962 The situation escalated into a large scale civil war between the Royal Laotian government and the Pathet Lao
1964-1973 USA dropped two million tons of bombs on Laos after aerial bombardments against the Pathet Lao, which were allied with USA's enemy, the People's Army of Vietnam
1975 The Pathet Lao with the Vietnam's People's Army and backed by the Soviet Union, overthrew the royalist Lao government
1975 December 2nd Pathet Lao took the control of the country forcing King Savang Vatthana to abdicate
1970s and 1980s the Post-Vietnam war occupation of Laos continued by the Soviet-backed Vietnamese People's Army
1987 Border disputes between Laos and Thailand
1975-1996 USA resettled about 250,000 Lao refugees from Thailand
1995 USA stopped its trade embargo against Laos
1962 The situation escalated into a large scale civil war between the Royal Laotian government and the Pathet Lao
1964-1973 USA dropped two million tons of bombs on Laos after aerial bombardments against the Pathet Lao, which were allied with USA's enemy, the People's Army of Vietnam
1975 The Pathet Lao with the Vietnam's People's Army and backed by the Soviet Union, overthrew the royalist Lao government
1975 December 2nd Pathet Lao took the control of the country forcing King Savang Vatthana to abdicate
1970s and 1980s the Post-Vietnam war occupation of Laos continued by the Soviet-backed Vietnamese People's Army
1987 Border disputes between Laos and Thailand
1975-1996 USA resettled about 250,000 Lao refugees from Thailand
1995 USA stopped its trade embargo against Laos
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