Laos is the only landlocked nation in mainland Southeast Asia.
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Unlike its neighbours on the mainland, it has no coastline, although the Mekong River forms much of its western boundary.
Laos became a French protectorate in the late nineteenth century and gained full independence in 1953. Vientiane, on the Mekong, is the national capital and largest city.
The phrase mainland Southeast Asia distinguishes countries on the Asian mainland from maritime states such as Indonesia and the Philippines. Laos is also one of the world’s few countries without direct access to an ocean, making river transport and cross-border trade especially important.