National Symbols of Laos

Last updated on March 15th, 2023 by Editorial Staff

Table Of Contents

Introduction
Country Information
Coat of arms
Flag map
Country motto
National animal
National flower
National bird
Rest of national symbols
State symbols
Neighbouring countries
Proverbs & sayings
Compare with other countries
Location

Laos is a landlocked country in Asia. The official name of Laos is the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It shares borders with 5 countries: China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar (Burma). The people of Laos are called Lao. The country is situated in Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, and west of Vietnam.

Etymology discusses where a term is considered to have originated from and how its meaning has changed over time. Etymology has been a factor in the naming of countries all across the world, and Laos has also been influenced. The etymology of Laos can be defined as; The word Laos was coined by the French, who united the three Lao kingdoms in French Indochina in 1893 and named the country as the plural of the dominant and most common ethnic group, the Lao people.

An ethnicity is a group or sub-group of people who are connected based on common characteristics which may include religion, origin, language, traditions, or culture. The ethnic groups in Laos include Lao, Khmu, Hmong, Phouthai, Tai, and Makong.

Lao Airlines is the national airline of Laos. The national colors of the country are red, blue, and white. The emoji flag of the country is 🇱🇦, and the ISO code is LAO.

Laos is known for holding the title of “Country of a Million Elephants.” It is well-known for its breathtaking landscapes and undiscovered areas. The national dish of Laos is sticky rice, larb, and tam mak hoong. Lao Lao, in addition to being a traditional beverage, is one of the country’s national drinks. The national instrument of Laos is Khaen.

The country has the time zone UTC+7 (ICT) followed by dd/mm/yyyy as the standard date format.

Laos is divided into 17 provinces and 1 prefecture. The capital of the country is Vientiane, which is also the largest city in Laos.

The literacy rate in Laos is 84.7%.

The country’s total area is 237,955 km² (91,875 sq mi), and the total population is 7,275,560. The country’s average elevation is 710 m (2,329 ft), whereas the country’s terrain can be defined as; Mostly rugged mountains; some plains, and plateaus. The country’s usual climate is tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April).

The Lao kip serves as the national unit of currency, and the Bank of the Lao P.D.R. is recognized as the country’s central bank. The domain for Laos is .la and the country code is +856. The elephant is the country’s coat of arms.

Museums are known to educate and connect visitors with the nation’s history, culture, civilization, art, and architecture. Lao National Museum serves the same purpose and is considered one of the most significant tourist attractions. Lao National Museum is home to a large collection of artifacts. It has been designated as the national museum of the country.

The national dress of Laos is the Xout lao, and 2 December is designated as National Day. In Laos, the majority of the population practices Buddhism as their religion.

Nature is a blessing from God and we must protect it because it provides us with the oxygen and food to survive. It also helps to keep our environment beautiful and clean. To emphasize the significance of nature, Laos has selected a few forces of nature as national symbols. Laos’s national bird is the Siamese Fireback, while its national animal is the Indian Elephant. The national flower is Nosegay. The national tree of Laos is the Frangipani, and the highest peak is Phou Bia.

Sports have always played an important role in developing the social and cultural structure of Laos and other countries. When it comes to designating a sport as the official symbol, Muay Lao is considered the country’s national sport.

Fa Ngum is the founder of Laos. The country’s national anthem was written by Sisana Sisane, and composed by Thongdy Sounthonevichit.

Mausoleums are buildings dedicated to holding someone’s remains. It serves as a reminder of the nation’s revolutionary fighters who sacrificed their lives for the country. Mausoleums are one of the most significant historical landmarks. The national mausoleum of Laos is Laos Memorial. The country’s national hero is King Anouvong.

Due to their unique qualities and rich cultural or historical backgrounds, national monuments around the world are of great importance. Pha That Luang is recognized as the national monument of the country. It attracts visitors from all around the world.

Numerous organizations are working on a global level to improve the current state of affairs and to collaborate in order to establish and maintain constructive partnerships. Laos is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), and United Nations (UN). Laos collaborates with them to organize, analyze, and address various events and situations.

The tourism slogan of the country is “Simply Beautiful” whereas, “ສັນຕິພາບ ເອກະລາດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ເອກະພາບ ວັດທະນາຖາວອນ – “Peace, independence, democracy, unity, and prosperity” is the official motto of the country.

Phankham Viphavanh is the current Prime minister of Laos, and Thongloun Sisoulith is the President.

Laos has declared Lao and ‎Hmong as the country’s official languages.

– Further information regarding the symbols and knowledge of Laos can be found in the table of contents –

Country information

Former name(s)	Lan Xang
Official name(s)	Lao People's Democratic Republic
Alternative name(s)	Lao People's Democratic Republic (official, English) Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxôn (romanized Lao)
Regional location	Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, and west of Vietnam
Country name etymology	The word Laos was coined by the French, who united the three Lao kingdoms in French Indochina in 1893 and named the country as the plural of the dominant and most common ethnic group, the Lao people
Climate	Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Terrain	Mostly rugged mountains; some plains, and plateaus
Population	7,275,560
National Day	2 Dec 1975
Language(s)	Lao and ‎Hmong
Religion	Buddhism
Country code	+856
Literacy rate	84.7%
Currency	Lao kip
Capital city	Vientiane
ISO	LAO
Domain(TLD)	.la
Ethnicity	Lao, Khmu, Hmong, Phouthai, Tai, and Makong
Head of government	Prime Minister
Nationality	Lao
Driving side	Drive on the Right-hand side
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Total area	237,955 km² (91,875 sq mi)
Timezone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Average elevation	710 m (2,329 ft)
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)
Mains electricity	230 V
Emergency telephone numbers	Emergency Telephone Numbers

Coat of arms

Flag map of Laos

Motto of Laos

ສັນຕິພາບ ເອກະລາດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ເອກະພາບ ວັດທະນາຖາວອນ - "Peace, independence, democracy, unity and prosperity"

National animal of Laos

The National animal of Laos is Indian Elephant

National flower of Laos

The National flower of Laos is Nosegay. Botanical name is Plumeria Alba.

National bird of Laos

The National bird of Laos is Siamese Fireback

Rest of the National symbols of Laos 👇

Neighbouring countries of Laos

Lao Proverbs - Popular quotes, proverbs and sayings.

Ten mouths speaking are not as good as seeing with one’s own eyes; ten eyes that see are not as good as what one has in one’s hand.

Live with vultures, become a vulture; live with crows, become a crow.

A person’s stripes are inside; those of a tiger are outside.

When you have money, you can speak; When you have wood, you can build your home.

If you must be a servant, serve the rich; if you must be a dog, let it be a temple dog.

Although he who walks behind an elephant may feel very secure, he is likely to get splattered with elephant dung.

One has to cross upstream, higher up, to come downstream properly.

Learning means loving the country.

Listen with one ear; be suspicious with the other.

When you’ve heard it you must see it; when you’ve seen it make a judgement with your heart.