Historical Dictionary of Laos

by Martin Stuart-Fox

Overview

Laos is the smallest state in terms of population, the weakest militarily, and the least developed economically in mainland Southeast Asia. Yet a glance at the map shows how strategically it is positioned, between Thailand and Vietnam and between Cambodia and China. As in the past Laos was a crossroads for trade routes, so in the future it will be a crossroads for communications in this rapidly developing region. It is even possible to anticipate that the greatness of Laos in the past may be matched by the emergence of Laos in the future as a significant partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which it is already a member. The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of Laos_through its chronology, introductory essay, appendixes, maps, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects_traces Laos' history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810864115
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	02/06/2008
Series:	Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East , #67
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	552
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Martin Stuart-Fox is Emeritus Professor in the School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics at the University of Queensland. Professor Stuart-Fox is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

Table of Contents

	Editor's Foreword	ix
	Maps	xi
	Preface	xxi
	Acknowledgments	xxv
	Note on Spelling	xxvii
	List of Alternative Spellings	xxix
	Acronyms and Abbreviations	xxxi
	Chronology	xxxv
	Introduction	1
	The Dictionary	15
	Appendixes	377
1.	Kings of Lan Xang	377
2.	Kings of Viang Chan	378
3.	Kings of Luang Phrabang	379
4.	Kings of Champasak	380
5.	Residents Superieurs in Laos	381
6a.	Kings of the Kingdom of Laos	383
6b.	Presidents of the Lao People's Democratic Republic	383
6c.	Vice-Presidents of the Lao People's Democratic Republic	383
7.	Prime Ministers	384
8.	Members of the Lao Issara Government (1945)	385
9.	Members of the Pathet Lao Resistance Government (1950)	385
10.	Members of the Central Committee of the Free Laos Front (1950)	386
11.	Members of the Central Committee of the Lao Patriotic Front (1956)	387
12.	Members of the First Coalition Government (1957)	388
13.	Members of the Second Coalition Government (1962)	389
14.	Members of the Third Coalition Government (1974)	390
15.	Members of the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (1975)	391
16.	Ministerial Members of the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (1998)	393
17.	Members of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (1972)	394
18.	Members of the Political Bureau of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (1972-1996)	395
19.	Population of Laos by Province (1921)	396
20.	Population of Laos by Province (1943)	396
21.	Population of the Principal Towns of Laos (1943)	397
22.	Population of Laos by Province and the Principal Towns (1958)	398
23.	Population of Laos by Province (1995)	400
24.	Population of Laos by Ethnic Group (1995)	401
	Bibliography	403
	Introduction	403
1.	General
A.	Bibliographies	411
B.	Official Documents and Statistics	413
(i)	Colonial Period	413
(ii)	Royal Lao Government	413
(iii)	Pathet Lao	415
(iv)	Lao People's Democratic Republic	416
(v)	Official Foreign Documentation on Laos	417
C.	Travel and Exploration	420
(i)	Pre-1900	420
(ii)	Post-1900	423
D.	Guidebooks and Handbooks	424
E.	Biographies and Memoris	425
2.	Geography and Environment
A.	Geography and Geology	428
B.	Frontiers and Maps	428
C.	Environment, Flora, and Fauna	429
3.	History
A.	General Works	432
B.	Archeology and Prehistory	434
C.	Classical Kingdoms	438
(i)	Lan Xang	438
(ii)	Regional Kingdoms	442
D.	Colonial Period	443
E.	World War II	447
F.	First Indochina War	448
G.	Kingdom of Laos	450
H.	Pathet Lao Resistance	454
I.	Second Indochina War	458
J.	Lao People's Democratic Republic	462
K.	Historiography and Review Articles	470
4.	Politics and Government
A.	Government and Institutions	471
B.	Constitution and Law	472
C.	Political Parties	474
D.	The Armed Forces	475
E.	International Relations	476
(i)	General	476
(ii)	With Vietnam	477
(iii)	With China	477
(iv)	With Thailand	478
(v)	With the United States	479
F.	Foreign Policy	482
5.	Economy
A.	General	483
B.	Agriculture and Forestry	484
C.	Development	486
D.	Finance and Investment	488
E.	Industry and Commerce	489
F.	Labor	490
G.	Transportation and Communications	490
H.	Foreign Aid	491
6.	Society
A.	Population	492
B.	Anthropology and Ethnography	493
C.	Education	497
D.	Public Health	498
E.	Religion	500
F.	Sociology	503
G.	Women	506
H.	Refugees	508
7.	Culture
A.	General	509
B.	Customs and Festivals	510
C.	Language and Literature	511
(i)	Language, Linguistics, and Writing	511
(ii)	Literature	513
D.	Art, Architecture, and Sculpture	517
E.	Music, Dance, and Drama	520
F.	Textiles, Crafts, and Ceramics	522
8.	Media and Publications
A.	General	525
B.	Lao Newspapers and Periodicals	525
C.	Foreign Magazines and Periodicals	525
D.	Academic and Official Journals	526
	About the Author	527

Editorial Reviews

Focuses on the more recent political events and those individuals who played a central role in them, but expands coverage of the economy, society, culture, and earlier history in the second edition. The dictionary is double the size of the first edition, with twice the number of entries. Although cross-referenced, there is no subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

A useful research tool for more information resources on Laos written in French and English.... a very important addition to the reference shelf of most international studies or world affairs libraries and collections.

March 2009 American Reference Books Annual