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)

Creative dog grooming is especially popular in Asia, but is becoming more and more prevalent in Europe and the States as well. See some pics of Barkleigh's Creative Styling Contest 2009 (Pasedena, CA).

“The Challenge!” Young boy relishes in a game of tug of war before school. Photo location: Lake Titicaca, Peru. (Photo and caption by Paul Heyman/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Children admire the work “Little Lost Boy” by Australian artist Paul Trefry is seen on Tamarama Beach as part of the Sculptures By The Sea outdoor art exhibition on November 10, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Blood drips down from the face of a Shi'ite Muslim boy after practicing a self-flagellation ritual during a religious procession of the Ashura mourning period on December 6, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

A Palestinian boy carries dates from palm trees during harvest season in southern Gaza September 25, 2016. (Photo by Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)