Laos Country Information - a last eden...
Landlocked by the very countries that have waged war on it for nearly 300
years, a diamond in the rough, enigmatic Laos remains content on retaining its title
as South-East Asia’s last remaining backwater, a secret and last eden.
Holding
the admiration of its foreign visitors, the land of Lane Xang, "The land of
one million elephants", provides an unparalleled glimpse into an ancient world
that has remained virtually isolated until the end of the 20st century.
Laos the Last Eden Roughly
the size of Great Britain and bordering on the countries of Thailand, Myanmar, China,
Vietnam, and Cambodia - Laos - a hodgepodge of mountainous terrain, narrow valleys,
steep gorges, and lush tropical jungle, with a striking 50 or more of the country
remaining covered with primary, rain and monsoon-forest - is anything but marginal.
In this patchwork of dense green, flowers, rosewood, teak and sandalwood, evergreens,
vines, pine, birch, liana, tapang, hornbeam betel, dozens of other varieties of
trees thrive. Birds, reptiles, and insects abound in the more inaccessible parts
to the forest, particularly in the northeast of Laos. Here hornbills, butterflies,
long-horned beetles, bulbuls and pythons find a natural habitat in the distinct
micro-climates of each forest. Gibbons, lemurs, wild pigs, loris, rare deer, wild
buffalo and many other endangered species such as panthers can still be found in
the remotest jungles of the Annam Chain.
Despite the devastation of war and further erosion of the environment by hunters, illegal loggers, over zealous business interests, and unscrupulous elements operating within its porous borders, ecologically speaking Laos continues to merit the designation of Indochina’s last Eden.
Land of a Thousand Smiles Cambodians
plant the rice, the Vietnamese harvest the rice, and the Laotians listen to the
rice grow. Lao commonly express the notion that too much work is bad for your brain,
and they often say they feel sorry for people who think too much. With a staggering
150 diverse ethnic groups, Laos’ (which is actually about 50 major groups)complex
ethnic stratification can be delineated as less a state than a conglomeration of
tribes and languages. Recognizing the complexity of their plight, the Lao government
officially formulated a triumvirate, condensing the groups to fit this triad, roughly
according to the altitude at which they reside: valley, slope, and high place.
The Lao Loum
have traditionally resided in the Mekong River valley
or along its lower tributaries. Mastery in the techniques of wet-rice agriculture
and military arts has enabled them to become the undisputed architects of the nation’s
chief institutions and traditions; the Lao Theung and their most numerous group
the Khamu live on mid-altitude mountain slopes of 300-900 meters. Known by the pejorative
term ‘khaa’ meaning slave, they were used as indentured labourers by the Lao monarchy;
the Lao Sung, recent immigrants of Tibet include those hill tribes who make their
residence at altitudes greater than 1000 meters above sea level contain numerous
groups including the Hmong. Disassociating themselves from other groups by their
choice of physical proximity, they are livestock farmers yet more notoriously known
for their cultivation of opium, a cash crop that has helped them to remain economically
self-sufficient. While the disparities that separate the groups are vast, a similarity
shared amongst all Lao people that can hardly go overlooked is the big, warm smile
that fills their faces, welcoming you into their town and the homes of their hearts.