Laos (the Lao People's Democratic Republic or PDR) is a small, landlocked country located in mainland Southeast Asia surrounded by Thailand and Myanmar on the west, China on the north, Vietnam on the east, and Cambodia on the south. Transportation has always been difficult within the mountainous country. Historically, people have relied heavily on the Mekong River and its many tributaries for transportation and also for food. The Mekong River and the annual monsoon rains sustain abundant rice-based agriculture in the valleys of Laos. The monsoons also support fields of rice, fruits, and vegetables in the mountains.

Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, sits alongside the Mekong River. By far the largest city in the country, Vientiane is small and underdeveloped compared to most other capital cities. Of the total population of less than 6 million people in the country, approximately 80 percent practice subsistence-level farming. Laos is inhabited by...