The People of Laos

Laos is considered one of the poorest countries in the world however it has not experience the problem of famine, debt and slum that are associated with many third world and developing countries. Approximately 80% of the Laos population lives in rural areas with the remaining population residing within Laos’s capital city of Vientiane and a few other capital provinces (Laos Cultural Profiles, 2009). In these urban areas of Laos, there are markets and administrative centers of trade and communication.

The population in Laos consists of over forty ethnic groups that represent three families and within each family there are different living patterns, agriculture practices, governmental policies and religious beliefs. The three family groups consist of; 1) Lao sung 2) Lao Theung (midland Lao) and 3) Lao Loum (lowland Lao) (Laos Society , n.d.).

Lao Sung people reside within the mountains tops or hillside and they are made up of six different ethnic groups, with Hmong consisting of the majority of the population. Initially they were mobile people who would venture out to new land leaving the old village for another group of farmers to continue to use. However the population increased the villages became more stable. A Lao Sung village is generally made up of 60 – 80 houses, with about twenty people sharing one home (Upland Lao Society, 2011). The houses are built on the ground and are usually made of plank wood and split bamboo. The houses are divided into two areas one for cooking and the other for sleeping. Within the homes there are dirt floor and furnishings are minimal with a low table and wood or bamboo stools. There are also beds or sleeping benches and a supply of rice and corn is kept inside the home. The Lao Sung p...

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