Vientiane, << vyehn TYAHN >> (pop. 420,000), is the capital and largest city of Laos. It is also the country’s chief commercial center. Vientiane lies on the Mekong River, which forms the border between Laos and Thailand. River, road, and air transportation link Vientiane to other parts of Laos and to neighboring countries. A bridge across the Mekong connects the city with a railroad line in Thailand.
Vientiane was the capital of the kingdom of Lan Xang from the mid-1500’s until the early 1700’s, when the kingdom divided into three parts. Vientiane became the capital of one of the smaller kingdoms. In 1828, Siam (now Thailand) destroyed the city and took over the kingdom. The city was later rebuilt. France took control of Laos in the late 1800’s and made Vientiane the country’s administrative capital. Laos became an independent nation in 1953.
