According to eningbo, Laos in 2012 was a small landlocked country located in Southeast Asia. Despite its small size, the country had a population of more than 6.5 million people, mostly Laotian citizens. Laos had been an independent state since 1953 and is a member of the United Nations. In 2012, Laos faced many challenges including high poverty levels due to its underdeveloped economy and heavy reliance on foreign aid and investment. In addition, political instability was high due to frequent government changes and allegations of corruption and human rights violations by the government. The economy was largely dependent on agricultural exports, which accounted for more than 40% of GDP. In order to address these issues, the government had implemented various initiatives aimed at improving living standards for its citizens. These included welfare programs for job creation initiatives as well as infrastructure development projects such as building roads, bridges and schools. In addition, efforts were being made to promote economic growth by encouraging foreign direct investment and encouraging private sector development in sectors such as manufacturing and tourism. The government also sought to strengthen relations with neighboring countries through diplomatic efforts and regional cooperation initiatives such as joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). All these changes showed that Laos had come a long way since independence but much work still needed to be done if it was going to continue on this path towards progress. Laos, officially known as the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Asia. With an estimated population of 6.9 million people in 2015, Laos is the second least populous nation in Southeast Asia. It borders Thailand to the west and northwest, Vietnam to the east and northeast, China to the north and Cambodia to the south. In 2015 Laos was a one-party socialist republic ruled by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The LPRP had been in power since 1975 following its victory in the Laotian Civil War which ended with a ceasefire agreement between it and its opponents. The government of Laos was largely authoritarian with restrictions on freedom of speech, press and assembly as well as restrictions on religion with Buddhism being seen by some as the official state religion. Economically Laos was one of the poorest countries in Asia with a GDP per capita of US$1,800 in 2015 compared to US$2,500 for Vietnam or US$3,500 for Thailand. Despite this poverty rate Laos had achieved some economic growth over recent years due to increased investment into sectors such as mining or tourism which had also led to an increase in foreign direct investment from other countries such as China or Thailand. In terms of international relations Laos was a member state of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) since 1997 and participated in various regional forums such as East Asia Summit (EAS) or ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). It also maintained diplomatic relations with many other countries including Russia, China and Japan amongst others while also having close ties with its neighbors such as Vietnam or Cambodia who have helped support it economically over recent years via aid programs or investment into infrastructure projects for example. Overall, then 2015 was an important year for Laos with much progress being made both domestically and internationally but still many challenges remaining especially when it came to poverty reduction initiatives or human rights issues such as freedom of speech or press which were still restricted by law at this time. Check cheeroutdoor for Laos Business.