Officially name: The Lao People's Democratic Republic
Capital: Vientiane
Largest city: Vientiane
Official language: Lao
Government: Socialist republic, Communist single-party state
The politics of Laos takes place in the framework of a single-party socialist republic.
One of the lowest population densities in Asia, at 19 persons per square km, and an estimated population of only 5.4 million people, belies the fact that Laos is home to 68 different ethnic groups. These fall into three groupings, based upon language, culture and traditions.