Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia located between Vietnam and Thailand. It has a population of around 7 million people and its capital and largest city is Vientiane. The country has a tropical climate and was colonized by France in the late 19th century. Notable aspects of Laos include its cuisine, such as larb, its primary language of Lao, its predominant religion of Buddhism, and its currency of Lao kip.