Laos
Lao People's Democratic Republic · South-Eastern Asia
Laos is a country in South-Eastern Asia, with Vientiane as its capital, home to about 7,873,046 people. Laos shares land borders with 5 countries, listed below alongside its flag, currency, calling code and ISO codes.
| Capital | Vientiane |
|---|---|
| Region | South-Eastern Asia |
| Currency | Lao kip (LAK ₭) |
| Calling code | +856 |
| ISO codes | LA / LAO / 418 ISO 3166-1 |
| Flag emoji | 🇱🇦 |
| Population | 7,873,046 (2025) World Bank |
| Area | 236,800 km² |
| Languages | Lao |
| Internet domain | .la |
| Demonym | Laotian |
Bordering countries
What does the flag of Laos mean?
The Lao name for the flag, thung duang duan, means 'moon flag', and the white disc at its centre is described both as the unity of the Lao people and as a full moon over the Mekong. The broad blue band, twice the height of the others, stands for the Mekong itself and for the nation's prosperity, and the red bands above and below it for the blood shed by the Lao in their struggle for freedom from French colonial rule. Maha Sila Viravong designed it in 1945; it was first adopted on 12 October 1945 under the Lao Issara government and readopted on 2 December 1975 when the Pathet Lao took power.
Source: Wikipedia: Flag of Laos
About Laos
Laos, officially Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a United Nations member state in South-Eastern Asia. Its capital and seat of government is Vientiane. It is landlocked, sharing all of its borders with neighbouring countries and no coastline. The official currency is the Lao kip (₭), using the code LAK.
Curious about the city itself? See what is the capital of Laos for Vientiane’s own facts and history.
To call Laos from abroad, dial the country code +856. In international standards it is identified by the ISO 3166-1 codes LA (alpha-2) and LAO (alpha-3), which appear in everything from web addresses to shipping labels. As of 2025, its population is around 7,873,046.
Frequently asked questions
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What do the colors on the flag of Laos mean?
How Laos compares
- Area: 236,800 km², ranking 82 of 194 sovereign states by land area.
- Population: 7,873,046, ranking 102 of 193 sovereign states.
- Density: about 33 people per square kilometre.
- Land borders: 5, against an average of 4.1 across the sovereign states that have any.
Flags with the same colours as Laos
43 other national flags use exactly the same set of colour families (red, blue, white). Similar colours are the most common reason flags get mistaken for one another, though colour alone says nothing about layout. Showing the first 12.
Laos appears in these lists
Population from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL); flag, capital, currency, calling code and ISO data from open datasets. Rankings, density and flag colour matches are computed from that same dataset. Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.