Laos

Laos, officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, is Southeast Asia’s only land-locked country.

A French colony until 1953, Laos is largely mountainous, with the most fertile land found along the Mekong plains. It is intersected by a multitude of rivers and streams, the most important of which is the mighty Mekong River.

It is also known as “The Land of a Million Elephants” (a translation from its historic nickname of “Lane Xang”), though its elephant population is fast dwindling.