Encyclopedia > Vientiane

Article Content

Vientiane

Vientiane, estimated population 140,000 (1990), is the capital of Laos. It is pronounced "Viangchan."

King Setthathirath established it as the capital of Lan Xang in 1560. When Lan Xang fell apart in 1707 it became an independent kingdom. In 1779, it was conquered by the Siamese general Phraya Chakri and made a vassal of Siam.

When King Anouvong raised an unsuccesful rebellion, it was obliterated by Siamese armies in 1827. It eventually passed to French rule in 1893. It became the capital of the French protectorate of Laos in 1899.

All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!

Featured Article

Astronomy and astrophysics

... a more detailed history of astronomy, see the history of astronomy. See also : Astronomers and Astrophysicists, Amateur Astronomy, History of astronomy, ...