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.

A man from the Ogiek community harvests honey in Mount Elgon game reserve, where they have reached an agreement with the government allowing them to remain in their ancestral lands in western Kenya, April 26, 2016. (Photo by Katy Migiro/Reuters)

Co-hosts Kat Dennings (L) and Beth Behrs onstage at The 40th Annual People's Choice Awards show at Nokia Theatre LA Live on January 8, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/WireImage)

British Liberal politician Cyril Smith relaxes on the beach at Margate, prior to the morning session of the annual Party Conference. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1979

Jason Derulo (C) performs “Get Ugly” at the People's Choice Awards 2016 in Los Angeles, California January 6, 2016. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Show hosts Anna Faris (L) and Allison Janney dance on stage during the 2015 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles, California January 7, 2015. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Mr. Olympia Phil Heath poses during a media call ahead of the 2012 IFBB Australian Pro Grand Prix XIII on March 16, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

American free climber Dean Potter walks on a 41-meter-long and two-centimeter-wide slackline over Enshi Grand Canyon at an altitude of 1,800m on April 22, 2012 in Enshi, Hubei Province of China. Potter successfully finished the lone slackline walk in about three minutes without taking any protective measures. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress)