Laos Genealogy

Asia Laos

Guide to Laos ancestry, family history and genealogy parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Country Information
Laos is a landlocked country on the South East Asia Peninsula. it's official name is the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It has a population of close to 6.5 million people.

Initially a loose adjunct to ancient Imperial China, Laos became a separate entity following the establishment of the kingdom of Lan Xang somewhere about 1350 A.D. In 1893 it became a colony of the French, and briefly gained independence from France in 1945 after the WWII Japanese occupation. However it gained autonomy in 1949, and became an independent state in 1953, with a constitutional monarchy.

Finally, after a long civil war, the communist Pathet Lao came to power, establishing a communist government. Today the country functions as a Socialist power, with the military exercising control over the people.

It is an economically destitute country, with a third of the population living on less than US$1.25 per day. The Global Hunger Index places it as the 25th. hungriest nation in the world. Most houses are cobbled together from scrap materials, and those houses are cohabited by people and their domestic animals. (See lead picture above)

Laos also has a very bad human rights record, particularly with the genocide practiced by the government against its Hmong minority.

There is almost no industry as such in Laos. Its present economic strategy is to use its rivers to generate electricity and sell that electricity to neighboring countries. However recently large deposits of industrial metals have been discovered, and mining is becoming a major source of income.

"Country" Clickable Map
Genealogy records are kept on the local level in the United States. Click on a place below to go to the corresponding Wiki article listing more information.

Jurisdictions
Genealogy records are kept on the local level in the United States. Click on a place below to go to the corresponding Wiki article listing more information.

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in resourcing your family.
 * Facebook Communities - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research
 * Learning Center - Online genealogy courses
 * Historical Records
 * Family History Center locator map