Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Its population was estimated to be around 6.5 million in 2012. A third (33%) of the country's population lives below the international poverty line which means living on less than U.S. $1.25 per day.

The Kingdom of Pagan (also commonly known as the Pagan Dynasty and the Pagan Empire) was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-day Burma (Myanmar). Pagan's 250-year rule over the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery laid the foundation for the ascent of Burmese language and culture, the spread of Burman ethnicity in Upper Burma, and the growth of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and in mainland Southeast Asia.

These poignant portraits look to shine awareness on the plight of some of the world’s most endangered ecosystems and species of wildlife. The images combine animals, art and celebrity, with Asia's top models posing with the likes of rhinos, giraffes, leopards and marine life. Here: Mikki Yao with an Asian Elephant. (Photo by Sean Lee-Davies/Caters News)

In the early morning of September 22, 2021, in the Baiyun Mountain Forest Park, Wuzhou City, Guangxi, the surrounding mountains are unobstructed, clouds and mists are lingering, and the gorgeous colorful glow is reflected by the sunrise. (Photo by Sipa Asia/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Bangladeshi fisherman feed their otters as they catch fish in Narail some 208 kms from Dhaka on March 11, 2014. The fishermen are using a rare technique that relies on coordination between man and trained otters, a centuries-old fishing partnership that has already long died out in other parts of Asia. (Photo by Munir Uz Zaman/AFP Photo)

The shoemaker in Turkey, the potato seller in Vietnam, and the weaver in Bolivia are among the billions of low-income entrepreneurs who make the world go round. They are also the type of people who can benefit significantly from microfinance. Every year, the Consultative Group To Assist The Poor (or CGAP) hosts a photo contest asking entrants to submit photos based around the idea of microfinance.The purpose of the contest is to give amateur and professional photographers a chance to show the different ways that poor households manage their financial lives and make their lives better through financial inclusion. Photo: South Asia Regional Winner – “Bricks Worker”, Bangladesh. A private enterprise worker is working at a brick field. These small businesses are creating new job opportunities for many poor people. (Photo by Moksumul Haque)

Vets of Animals Asia Foundation's Vietnam Bear Rescue Center hold a paw of a sun bear as they check its health while it is rescued from a Vietnamese family in Nam Dinh province, south of Hanoi, Vietnam August 18, 2016. A man in northern Vietnam has voluntarily handed over a bear his family had caged for seven years to an animal rights organization, which will take it to a nearby sanctuary. (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

This picture taken on January 26, 2016 shows a monkey sitting on a bench during rehearsal at a monkey training school in a zoo in Dongying, eastern China's Shandong province. Shows featuring performing simians, popular in China and throughout Asia, are expecting a boost in the Lunar New Year of the monkey, which begins on February 8. But they are facing a growing backlash from Chinese people concerned about animal welfare. (Photo by Wang Zhao/AFP Photo)