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Updates: 

Update 7 to Geopolitical Entities and Codes, the successor to FIPS standard 10-4, was issued with the date 2012-02-01. It removes Xaisômboun and changes the spelling of Xiangkhoang to Xiangkhouang.

Xaisômboun special region was created in 1994-06. Change Notice 1 to FIPS PUB 10-4, dated 1998-12-01, lists a division of Laos into 16 provinces, one city, and one special zone. ISO 3166-2 Newsletter Number I-2 was published on 2002-05-21. It showed Xaisômboun special region, but called it a province. This error was corrected in ISO 3166-2 Newsletter number I-4, dated 2002-12-10. Xaisômboun special region was dissolved on 2006-01-13.

Erratum: "Administrative Subdivisions of Countries" says that Luang Prabang is the capital of Laos. It should be Vientiane. I don't know where the error originated. Source [7] says that the "administrative seat moved from Louangphrabang to Vientiane c. 1563 due to hostilities with Burmese and Thais". The Statesman's Year-Book (1959 edition) said that Luang Prabang was currently the royal capital, and Vientiane, the administrative capital.

Country overview: 

Short name	LAOS
ISO code	LA
FIPS code	LA
Language	Lao (lo), French (fr)
Time zone	+7
Capital	Vientiane

 

Laos was a French colony at the start of the 20th century. It was a union of two former kingdoms, Luang Prabang and Vientiane. The French administered it as a territory within the protectorate of French Indo-China. After World War II, French Indo-China was divided up into three independent countries within the French Union: Cambodia, Laos (independent on 1949-07-19), and Vietnam. See Cambodia for related information.

Other names of country: 

1. Danish: Laos
2. Dutch: Laos, Lao Democratische Volksrepubliek (formal)
3. English: Lao People's Democratic Republic (formal), Lanxang (obsolete)
4. Finnish: Laos
5. French: Laos m, République f démocratique populaire Lao
6. German: Laos, Demokratische Volksrepublik f Laos n
7. Italian: Laos m
8. Lao: Saathiaranarath Prachhathipatay Prachhachhon Lao (formal)
9. Norwegian: Den demokratiske folkerepublikk Laos (formal) (Bokmål), Den demokratiske folkerepublikken Laos (formal) (Nynorsk), Laos
10. Portuguese: Laos m, República f Popular Democrática Lao (formal)
11. Russian: Лаос, Лаосская Народно-Демократическая Республика (formal)
12. Spanish: Laos, República f Democrática Popular Lao (formal)
13. Swedish: Laos
14. Turkish: Laos Demokratik Halk Cumhuriyeti (formal)

Origin of name: 

ethnic name Lao, applied by Portuguese explorers in the plural

Primary subdivisions: 

Laos is divided into sixteen khoueng (provinces) and one kampeng nakhon (municipality or prefecture).

Province	HASC	ISO	FIPS	Pc	Population	Area(km.²)	Area(mi.²)	Capital
Attapu	LA.AT	AT	LA01	18	112,097	10,320	3,985	Attapu (Muang Samakhisai)
Bokeo	LA.BK	BK	LA22	05	145,216	4,970	1,919	Ban Houayxay
Bolikhamxai	LA.BL	BL	LA23	11	225,272	16,470	6,359	Muang Pakxan
Champasak	LA.CH	CH	LA02	16	607,333	15,415	5,952	Pakxé
Houaphan	LA.HO	HO	LA03	07	280,898	16,500	6,371	Sam Neua
Khammouan	LA.KH	KH	LA15	12	337,314	16,315	6,299	Thakhek (Muang Khammouan)
Louang Namtha	LA.LM	LM	LA16	03	145,289	9,325	3,600	Louang Namtha
Louangphrabang	LA.LP	LP	LA17	06	407,012	16,875	6,515	Louangphrabang
Oudômxai	LA.OU	OU	LA07	04	265,128	15,370	5,934	Muang Xay
Phôngsali	LA.PH	PH	LA18	02	165,926	16,270	6,282	Phôngsali
Saravan	LA.SL	SL	LA19	14	324,303	10,385	4,009	Saravan
Savannakhét	LA.SV	SV	LA20	13	825,879	22,080	8,525	Savannakhét (Muang Khanthabouly)
Vientiane	LA.VN	VI	LA27	10	388,833	19,990	7,718	Muang Phôn-Hông
Vientiane [prefecture]	LA.VT	VT	LA24	01	698,254	3,920	1,514	Vientiane
Xaignabouri	LA.XA	XA	LA13	08	338,646	11,795	4,554	Muang Xayabury
Xékong	LA.XE	XE	LA26	17	84,985	7,665	2,959	Ban Phone (Muang Laman)
Xiangkhoang	LA.XK	XI	LA14	09	229,521	17,315	6,685	Phônsavan
17 divisions					5,621,322	230,980	89,182
Province: Vientiane [prefecture] is a municipality. HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. ISO: Province codes from ISO 3166-2. For full identification in a global context, prefix "LA-" to the code (ex: LA-SL represents Saravan). FIPS: Code from FIPS PUB 10-4. Pc: First two digits of postal codes. Population: 2005-03-01 census (source [4]). Population of Xaisômboun omitted. Area: Source [3].

Postal codes: 

Laos uses four-digit postal codes (source [1]). They don't seem to be much used. The system was probably implemented before Xaisômboun special region was created.

Further subdivisions:

See the Districts of Laos page.

The provinces are further subdivided into muong (districts).

Origins of names: 

1. Bokeo: Lao for "gem mine"
2. Vientiane: Lao vieng: city, chan: sandalwood

Change history: 

1. 1904: Two Siamese (Thai) provinces, corresponding to modern Xaignabouri and parts of Louangphrabang and Vientiane, annexed to Laos. Stoeng Trêng province transferred from Laos to Cambodge.
2. 1941: The same provinces were restored to Thailand under pressure from Japan.
3. 1947: The same provinces reverted to Laos as pre-war boundaries were restored.
4. 1966: Name of Nam Tha province changed to Houakhong.
5. ~1969: Capital of Xiangkhoang moved from Xiangkhoang to Phônsavan after the former was destroyed by bombing.
6. ~1972: Name of capital of Khammouan province changed from Thakhek to Muang Khammouan.
7. 1973-11-20: Champhon province (capital Ban Kengkok) temporarily split from Savannakhét; Vangviang province (Muang Vangviang) temporarily created from parts of Louangphrabang and Vientiane.
8. 1973-12-26: Hôngxa province (Muang Hôngxa) and Paklay (Muang Paklay) temporarily split from Xaignabouri.
9. ~1976: (Capitals in parentheses.) Name of Houakhong province changed back to Louang Namtha; Borikhan province (Muang Pakxan) merged with Vientiane; Xédôn (Pakxé) and Sithandon (Muang Khong) provinces merged with Champasak (Champasak); Vapikhamthong province (Muang Khôngxédôn) merged with Saravan; Oudômxai province split from Louangphrabang.
10. 1983: Bokeo province split from Louang Namtha (formerly FIPS=LA05); Bolikhamxai province formed from parts of Khammouan (LA04) and Vientiane (LA11) provinces; Xékong province split from Saravan (LA09).
11. ~1987: Capital of Oudômxai province moved from Ban Nahin to Muang Xay.
12. ~1989: Vientiane prefecture split from Vientiane province (LA21); capital of Vientiane province moved from Vientiane to Muang Phôn-Hông.
13. 1994-06: Xaisômboun khetphiset (special region) formed from parts of Bolikhamxai, Vientiane, and Xiangkhoang provinces.

Province	HASC	FIPS	Pop-2005	Pop-1996	Area(km.²)	Capital
Attapu	LA.AT	LA01	112,097	87,700	10,320	Attapu (Muang Samakhisai)
Bokeo	LA.BK	LA22	145,216	114,900	6,196	Ban Houayxay
Bolikhamxai	LA.BL	LA23	225,272	164,900	14,863	Muang Pakxan
Champasak	LA.CH	LA02	607,333	503,300	15,415	Pakxé
Houaphan	LA.HO	LA03	280,898	247,300	16,500	Sam Neua
Khammouan	LA.KH	LA15	337,314	275,400	16,315	Thakhek (Muang Khammouan)
Louang Namtha	LA.LM	LA16	145,289	115,200	9,325	Louang Namtha
Louangphrabang	LA.LP	LA17	407,012	367,200	16,875	Louangphrabang
Oudômxai	LA.OU	LA07	265,128	211,300	15,370	Muang Xay
Phôngsali	LA.PH	LA18	165,926	153,400	16,270	Phôngsali
Saravan	LA.SL	LA19	324,303	258,300	10,691	Saravan
Savannakhét	LA.SV	LA20	825,879	674,900	21,774	Savannakhét (Muang Khanthabouly)
Vientiane	LA.VI	LA27	388,833	286,800	15,927	Muang Phôn-Hông
Vientiane [prefecture]	LA.VT	LA24	698,254	531,800	3,920	Vientiane
Xaignabouri	LA.XA	LA13	338,646	293,300	16,389	Muang Xayabury
Xaisômboun	LA.XS	LA25	39,416		7,105	Ban Mouang Cha
Xékong	LA.XE	LA26	84,985	64,200	7,665	Ban Phone (Muang Laman)
Xiangkhoang	LA.XI	LA14	229,521	201,200	15,880	Phônsavan
18 divisions			5,621,322	4,551,100	236,800
Province: Vientiane [prefecture] is a municipality and Xaisômboun is a special region. HASC: Hierarchical administrative subdivision codes. If periods are replaced by hyphens, these are the same as the province codes from ISO standard 3166-2, except for the special zone, whose ISO code is LA-XN. FIPS: Code from FIPS PUB 10-4. Pop-1996: 1996 estimates, based on 1995-03-01 census (source [3]). Pop-2005: 2005-03-01 census (source [4]). Area: Provided by Karem Abdalla.

1. 2006-01-13: Xaisomboun special region dissolved. "Longsan, Xaysomboun, Phun, and Hom districts were added to Vientiane province while Thathon district was attributed to Xiengkhuang province" (source [2]).

Other names of subdivisions: 

In transcription from Lao, some sources break names at syllable endings (e.g. Boli Kham Xai)

1. Attapu: Atpu, Attapeu, Attopei, Attopeu, Muang Mai (variant)
2. Bolikhamxai: Bolikhamsai, Bolikhamxay, Borikhamzay (variant); Borikane, Borikhan, Borikhane (obsolete)
3. Champasak: Bassac, Champassack, Champassak (variant); Champassac, Khong, Pakse (French)
4. Houaphan: Hua Phan, Huaphanh (variant); Sam Neua, Xam Nua (obsolete)
5. Khammouan: Khammouane, Khammuan, Khammuane (variant)
6. Louang Namtha: Haut-Mekong (French-obsolete); Luangnamtha, Muong Luang Namtha, Namtha (variant); Hiuakhong, Houa Khong, Upper Mekong (obsolete)
7. Louangphrabang: Loang Prabang, Louangphabang, Louang Prabang, Luang Phabang, Luangphrabang, Luang Prabang (variant)
8. Oudômxai: Oudomsai, Oudomsay, Oudomxay, UdomXay (variant)
9. Phôngsali: Fong Sali, Phongsaly (variant)
10. Saravan: Salavan, Salavane, Saravane (variant)
11. Savannakhét: Svannakhet (variant)
12. Vientiane: Viangchan (variant)
13. Vientiane [prefecture]: Kamphaeng Nakhon Viang Chan (formal); Vientián (Spanish)
14. Xaignabouri: Sayaboury, Xaignabouli, Xayabouri, Xayabury (variant)
15. Xaisômboun: Saysomboune, Xaysomboun (variant)
16. Xékong: Sekhong, Sekong (variant)
17. Xiangkhoang: Xiang Khouang, Xieng Khouang, Xiengkhuang, Xieng Khwang (variant)

Sources: 

1. [1] The U.S. Postal Service page on Country Conditions for Mailing - Laos  (retrieved 2010-11-23) has a partial list of Laotian postal codes. (First retrieved from http://pe.usps.gov/text/Imm/immicl/immicllm_001.html, now a dead link, on 2007-09-02).
2. [2] Socio-economic ATLAS of the Lao PDR, Section A: Geographical Overview . Page 6 has a map of the districts of Laos (retrieved 2010-11-23).
3. [3] The Statesman's Yearbook 1997-98, ed. Brian Hunter. St. Martin's Press, New York 1997.
4. [4] Dependency Ratio by Province, result from the population census 2005  (click on the "DependencyRatio" tab at the bottom; retrieved 2020-11-23). The two columns add up to the total population for each province.
5. [5] German Development Cooperation with Laos  page has a mouse-sensitive map and some history of province formation (retrieved 2010-11-23). However, its data are in such perfect agreement with mine that I suspect they were acquired from the Statoids site; therefore, citing this page would be circular reasoning.
6. [6] Library of Congress country study  (retrieved 1999).
7. [7] Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition. G. & C. Merriam, Springfield, MA, 1997.