Kingdom of Laos
| Kingdom of Laos | ||||||||||||||
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ພຣະຣາຊອານາຈັກລາວ Phra Ratxa A-na-chak Lao Royaume du Laos |
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| French protectorate (1947–1953) | ||||||||||||||
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Anthem Pheng Xat Lao |
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| Capital | Vientiane (administrative) Luang Phabang (royal) |
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| Languages | Lao | |||||||||||||
| Government | Constitutional monarchy | |||||||||||||
| King | ||||||||||||||
| • | 1947–1959 | Sisavang Vong | ||||||||||||
| • | 1959–1975 | Savang Vatthana | ||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | ||||||||||||||
| • | 1962–1975 | Souvanna Phoumaa | ||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||
| • | Autonomy | 11 May 1947 | ||||||||||||
| • | Independence | 22 October 1953 | ||||||||||||
| • | United Nations admission | 14 December 1955 | ||||||||||||
| • | Communist takeover | 23 August 1975 | ||||||||||||
| • | Lao PDR established | 2 December 1975 | ||||||||||||
| Area | 236,800 km² (91,429 sq mi) | |||||||||||||
| Population | ||||||||||||||
| • | est. | 3,100,000 | ||||||||||||
| Density | 13.1 /km² (33.9 /sq mi) | |||||||||||||
| Currency | Kip | |||||||||||||
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| Today part of |
 Laos
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| a. | Several times. | |||||||||||||
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The Kingdom of Laos was a constitutional monarchy that ruled Laos beginning with its independence on 9 November 1953. The monarchy survived until December 1975, when its last king, Savang Vatthana, surrendered the throne to the Pathet Lao, who abolished the monarchy in favor of a Marxist state called the Lao People's Democratic Republic, which has controlled Laos since.
Given self-rule with the new Constitution in 1947 as part of a federation with the rest of French Indochina, the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a sovereign, independent Laos, but did not stipulate who would rule the country. In the years that followed, three groups led by the so-called Three Princes, contended for power: the neutralists under Prince Souvanna Phouma, the right-wing party under Prince Boun Oum of Champassak, and the left-wing, North Vietnamese-backed Lao Patriotic Front (now called the Pathet Lao) under Prince Souphanouvong and future Prime Minister Kaysone Phomvihane.
The Kingdom of Laos was officially proclaimed when the new Constitution was promulgated in 1947, as part of the colonial French Union, and obtained full independence in 1953.
Following the Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953, which gave Laos independence, the Royal Lao Government took control of the country. This treaty established a constitutional monarchy, with Sisavang Vong as King and Prince Souvanna Phouma as Prime Minister.
Many attempts were made by the Three Princes and King Sisavang Vatthana to establish a coalition government. The First Government of National Unity was established in 1958 under Prince Souvanna Phouma, but collapsed after two months. The Prime Minister, who under the constitution appointed his ministers and received advice from the King, made a deal with his brother Prince Souphanouvong.
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Wikipedia