Lao people

Uncommon card · No. 122772

The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the Lao language of the Kra–Dai languages. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population. The majority of Lao people adhere to Theravada Buddhism. They are closely related to other Tai people, especially (or synonymous) with the Isan people, who are also speakers of Lao language, native to neighboring Thailand. Prior to Laos gaining independence from French colonial rule in 1953, the terms "Lao" and "Laotian" were applied interchangeably to all inhabitants of Laos, regardless of their ethnic background. Since independence, "Lao" has come to refer specifically to the ethnic group, while "Laotian" denotes any citizen of Laos, irrespective of ethnicity. Some countries and international organizations continue to use these terms interchangeably in their demographic statistics.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Lanphraya, CC BY-SA 3.0