The only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, Laos is pinched between 5 different countries with the mighty Annamite Mountains and Vietnam on the east, and the even mightier Mekong River and Thailand on the west. Spread out over mountainous terrain, thick forests, and paddy- filled plains, Laos is home to just over 7 million people representing 49 different ethnic groups and 240 sub-ethnic groups who speak 82+ languages.
