Part of the country series of articles.
| Kingdom of Laos | |
|---|---|
| Constitutional Monarchy | |
 |
|
| Capital | Vientiane |
| Languages | Lao, French, Thai, and many highland languages |
| Population | 4,200,000 |
The Kingdom of Laos is a constitutional monarchy occupying the northern half of the Laotian territory, bordered by Thailand to the west and China to the north. It is a predominantly agricultural country that has received substantial foreign investment from both Thailand and China, much of it directed toward military and infrastructure development. The Kingdom is engaged in an ongoing territorial dispute with the Soviet-aligned Lao PDR to its south, which has settled into a persistent low-level conflict along a defined border.
Vientiane, the capital, sits on the Mekong River. The city contains French colonial-era boulevards, Buddhist temple complexes and government ministries built with foreign funding. It serves as the primary seat of royal government and the kingdom’s commercial centre. The Mekong valley lowlands are the most productive agricultural area; upland regions are home to a variety of ethnic minority communities with distinct languages and customs.