Back Vientiane ACE Vientiane Afrikaans ቭየንትዬን Amharic Vientiane AN فيينتيان Arabic فيينتيان ARZ ভিয়েনটিয়েন Assamese Vientián AST Vyentyan Azerbaijani Вьентьян Bashkir
Vientiane
ວຽງຈັນ | |
|---|---|
| ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ | |
 | |
  Vientiane  Vientiane | |
| Coordinates: 17°59′N 102°38′E / 17.98°N 102.63°E | |
| Country |  Laos |
| Prefecture | Vientiane Prefecture |
| Settled | 9th century[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Athsphangthong Siphandone |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,920 km2 (1,510 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 174 m (570 ft) |
| Population (2023[2]) | |
• Total | 840,940 |
| • Density | 210/km2 (560/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | US$ 3 billion (2022) |
| • Per capita | US$3,600 (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
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Vientiane (Lao: ວຽງຈັນ, romanized: Wiang Chan, pronounced [wíaŋ tɕàn]) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong River at the Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 as of the 2023 Census. Established as the capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom in 1563, Vientiane served as the administrative center during French rule and retains colonial-era architecture alongside Buddhist landmarks such as Pha That Luang, a national symbol of Buddhism, and Haw Phra Kaew, which once housed the Emerald Buddha until its 18th-century relocation to Thailand.
The city functions as Laos’ political, economic and transportation hub, emphasizing regional connectivity through infrastructure projects like the Laos-China Railway. This railway, a component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, terminates in Vientiane after linking Kunming, China, and is slated to connect to Thailand’s rail network via the Mekong Railway Bridge.[4]
- ^ Lao Statistics Bureau (21 October 2016). "Results of Population and Housing Census 2015" (PDF). Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ Vientiane Capital
- ^ Vientiane Capital Records 4.83% Economic Growth in 2022
- ^ "The World According to GaWC 2020". GaWC - Research Network. Globalization and World Cities. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.