The Land of a Million Elephants: Laos

by Songül Arslan

It strikes me funny that a country with only four letters in its name is also known as the land of a million elephants. Actually, Laos is short for Lao People's Democratic Republic, and in addition to all those elephants, it has about 6 million human inhabitants. Geographically and politically, it is one of the most isolated countries in the world. It lies squeezed between neighbour countries China, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam. Along with Vietnam and Cambodia, it is one of the former states of French Indochina.

Laos is one of the last Communist states remaining in the world. The others are China, Cuba, North Korea and Vietnam. Maybe that distinction is what makes it different compared to some other countries, even though it is not the first country that comes to mind when you think of a communist state. After having been closed to foreigners for quite some time, Laos is open again thanks to glasnost and perestrojka in the former U.S.S.R. Visitors to the once hidden country can only marvel at the world-renowned nature and Buddhist culture that they were denied access to for so long.

The Mekong River is like the life vein of Laos. It flows from Tibet throughout the whole of the country. People use this river as drinking water, as bath water, as a sewer, and as everything else that can be done with (and to) water.

Buddhist statues are more or less everywhere, but it is strictly forbidden to take them out of the country. Because it was closed to outsiders for so long, Laos has maintained many cultural characteristics from the very old days. Most of the more than 60 minorities still have a lively culture and tradition, unaffected by other influences.

Many things are striking about Laos. For instance, there are no railroads. The nation's infrastructure is still quite primitive, particularly when compared to Western countries. It is not the an ideal destination for the traveller who depends too much on convenience and luxury. (Although it is true, of course, that if one has enough money, convenience can be bought anywhere.) Also, Laos is the only country in Pacific Asia that has no coastline, which means there are no beaches on which to lie and gaze out at the sea. But the most striking thing about the country is its history. During the Vietnam War, more bombs were dropped on Laos than on Germany and Japan together during WWII.

In the years Laos spent under the French protectorate, hardly any development was undertaken in the country. Unsurprisingly, the Laotians grew weary of the French occupation and searched for a way to shake off its protectorate. France was considerably weakened in WWII, but it wasn't until 1954 that Laos was granted full independence.

Laotian history is quite extensive and full of political turmoil and that is why it is all the more astonishing that this land of a million elephants has kept a serene air about itself. It is a country of opposites. A communist country with a Buddhist way of life, it is something of a riddle, an enigma. In studying its history, the million pieces of the puzzle that is Laos can be solved. I hope the small piece I've given you here inspires you to find some of the others.