Laos ((, , , or ) ,
Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao), officially the
Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) , is a
landlocked country in
Southeast Asia, bordered by
Myanmar (Burma) and
China to the northwest,
Vietnam to the east,
Cambodia to the south, and
Thailand to the west. Since 1975, it has been ruled by a
Marxist and
communist government. Its population was estimated to be around 6.8 million in July 2014.