Kingdom of Laos

The Kingdom of Laos was the was the form of government in Laos from 1947 to 1975.

Kingdom of Laos ພຣະຣາຊອານາຈັກຣ໌ລາວ  (Lao) Royaume du Laos  (French)
1947–1975
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: ເພງຊາດລາວ Pheng Xat Lao "Hymn of the Lao People"
Status	French protectorate (1947–1953) Independent state (1953–1975)
Capital	Vientiane (administrative) Luang Phabang (royal)
Largest city	Vientiane
Official languages	Lao French
Spoken languages	Lao Hmong Khmu French
Ethnic groups	Lao Khmu Hmong Phouthai Tai Makong Katang Lue Akha
Religion	Buddhism (official[1]) Tai folk religion Christianity Other/Irreligion
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy under military dictatorship (1959–1960)
King
• 1946–1959	Sisavang Vong
• 1959–1975	Sisavang Vatthana
Prime Minister
• 1947–1948 (first)	Souvannarath
• 1962–1975 (last)	Souvanna Phouma[a]
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Royal Council
• Lower house	National Assembly
History
• Unification	11 May 1947
• Independence	22 October 1953
• Recognized	21 July 1954
• United Nations admission	14 December 1955
• Communist takeover	23 August 1975
• Lao PDR established	2 December 1975
Area
• Total	236,800 km2 (91,400 sq mi)
Population
•	3,100,000
Currency	Kip (₭) (LAK)
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Date format	dmy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+856
ISO 3166 code	LA
Preceded by Succeeded by French Protectorate of Laos French Indochina Lao People's Democratic Republic Royal Lao Government in Exile
Today part of	Laos
Held the position several times.

Located in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, it was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. It was governed as a Constitutional monarchy, under the Khun Lo dynasty. Its last king, Sisavang Vatthana abdicated the throne in 1975 after his defeat in the Laotian civil war. he and his family were sent to a re-education camp by the new government. The Pathet Lao would eventually emerge victorious in the Laotian Civil War and establish the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975.