One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
proper noun
A landlocked country in SE Asia; population 6,800,000 (estimated 2015); official language, Laotian; capital, Vientiane.
Part of French Indo-China, Laos became independent in 1949, but for most of the next twenty-five years was torn by civil strife between the communist Pathet Lao movement and government supporters. In 1975 the Pathet Lao achieved total control and a communist republic was established