Laos is a landlocked country in the heart of the Indochinese peninsula of Mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by Myanmar (Burma) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southwest, and Thailand to the west and southwest.
Laos' ambitious strategies for development are based on generating electricity from its rivers and selling the power to its neighbors, namely Thailand, China, and Vietnam, as well as its initiative to become a 'land-linked' nation, shown by the planning of four new railways connecting Laos to those same countries. This, along with growth of the mining sector, Laos has been referred to as one of East Asia and Pacific's fastest growing economies by the World Bank, with annual GDP growth averaging 7% for the past decade.
It is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia Summit and La Francophonie. Laos applied for membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1997; on 2 February 2013, it was granted full membership.
Notable firms
This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.
| Name | Industry | Sector | Headquarters | Founded | Notes | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boun Oum Airways | Consumer services | Travel & leisure | ? | 1964 | Aviation, defunct 1967 | P | D |
| Electricite du Laos | Utilities | Electricity | Vientiane | 1959 | Electric utility | P | A |
| Lao Airlines | Consumer services | Travel & leisure | Vientiane | 1976 | Aviation | S | A |
| Lao Brewery Company | Consumer goods | Food & beverage | Vientiane | 1971 | Beverage | P | A |
| Lao Central Airlines | Consumer services | Travel & leisure | Vientiane | 2010 | Aviation, defunct 2014 | P | D |
| Lao Holding State Enterprise | Utilities | Electricity | Vientiane | 2005 | Electric utility | S | A |
| Lao Skyway | Consumer services | Travel & leisure | Vientiane | 2002 | Aviation | P | A |
| Nam Theun 2 Power Company | Utilities | Electricity | ? | ? | Electric utility | P | A |
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A market in Luang Prabang.
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Bank of the Lao P.D.R., central bank.
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Lao Securities Exchange.
See also
References
- "ABOUT LAOS: GEOGRAPHY". Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum. Government of Laos. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- "Laos approves Xayaburi 'mega' dam on Mekong". BBC News. 5 November 2012.
- "Lao PDR [Overview]". World Bank. September 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- "Laos Securities Exchange to start trading". Ft.com. 10 January 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
- "Lao People's Democratic Republic and the WTO". World Trade Organization. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
