Laos, officially Lao People's Democratic Republic, independent state in South East Asia, bounded on the north by China and Vietnam, on the east by Vietnam, on the south by Cambodia, on the west by Thailand, and on the north-west by Myanmar (Burma). Laos is South East Asia's only landlocked nation. The total area is 236,800 sq km (91,429 sq mi). The capital and largest city of Laos is Vientiane.